About the series

Originally released in 2000, Perfect Dark for the Nintendo 64 marked UK software developer Rare's second entry in the first-person shooter genre since the blockbuster GoldenEye 007 (a portable version of the game for Game Boy Color was also released the same year).

The story focuses on Joanna Dark, a top field agent of the Carrington Institute (a research-and-development corporation, but with a few twists of its own) in a future world not far from today.

Centering on the Institute's struggle against the dataDyne megacorporation, players take the role of Joanna as she uncovers conspiracies and the truth behind dataDyne's malicious activities. The game features a deep single player story, fleshed out with co-operative and counter-operative modes (counter-op involves a second player taking the role of enemies in a mission, attempting to stop the first player from completing their objectives). A decked-out multiplayer mode adds further depth and replayability to the game.

Expanding the series by delving into the back-story of how Joanna came to be in Carrington's employ, Rare released Perfect Dark Zero in 2005 as a launch title for Microsoft's Xbox 360.

Revealing how she ultimately became entangled in the conflict between dataDyne and the Carrington Institute, players control a younger Joanna on her road to becoming a top-agent.

Expanding the familiar formula from the original game, Perfect Dark Zero offers a fast-paced single player story, co-operative play and an extensive multiplayer mode. With Microsoft's online service Xbox Live, players from around the world can play a range of multiplayer games from co-op to 32-player versus games.

In collaboration with Rare, developer 4J Studios ported a remake of the original N64 Perfect Dark for Microsoft's Xbox Live Arcade service. Released in March 2010, this remake remained faithful to the core game while beefing up the graphical output. Sharper textures, hugely improved character models and the ability to play all modes online gave new life to Joanna's inaugural quest.

If this is your first visit, start at the Perfect Dark and Perfect Dark Zero resource pages to find guides and other information to help you plow through the game's modes. Still trying to figure out if you should grab a copy of any of the games? Read our reviews to help you decide.

Browse our range of media pages from screenshots, concept art and music for glimpses of the games' visuals and audio. Check out some Perfect Dark-inspired merchandise from guides to books and soundtracks. Still got questions? Read the FAQ and download some fan-made desktop wallpapers while you're at it. Look around and enjoy!