Perfect Dark - What We Know So Far

The Perfect Dark series, beginning with Perfect Dark for the Nintendo 64, has been a fan favorite for years. The initial Perfect Dark won Nintendo 64 gamers over by being eerily similar to another beloved classic, Goldeneye 007. Perfect Dark played similarly to the James Bond game, but it also offered up a woman-led story and inventive gadgets. Over the years, fans have wondered if they'd ever get another chance to see Joanna Dark's story unfold.

There's no need to wait any longer. Microsoft announced at The Game Awards 2020 that its Santa Monica based studio The Initiative is developing a new Perfect Dark game. While not much is known about the latest installment in the series, there is still plenty to dream about as fans wait for more information.

In an interview posted after the trailer's premiere, game director Dan Nueburger discusses how the game "reinvent[s] the franchise" while continuing to deliver the details that Perfect Dark fans enjoy. Nueburger mentions that developers are committed to keeping elements that made the previous Perfect Dark game special, like the inclusion of inventive gadgets which were forward thinking for their time.

The trailer for Perfect Dark does a pretty great job of getting fans hyped for a new adventure with Joanna Dark, but it doesn't offer much in the way of answers. One of the biggest mysteries left at the end of the trailer is the question of when the game will be released. 

What is known is that the game has probably been in the works for a bit longer than fans may realize. In mid-2020, Xbox registered Twitter accounts for the Perfect Dark and Fable series. At the time, Xbox said that these accounts were not connecting to any new games in development, but a new Fable was announced during the July 2020 Xbox Games Showcase.

With that in mind, and including the fact that the developing studio, The Initiative, was formed two years ago, it can be assumed that Perfect Dark has been in development for a good while. Hopefully that means that the game is far enough along that fans will be able to see more footage and a tentative release date soon.

When Perfect Dark releases, it will be exclusive to the Xbox Series X, and will likely stay exclusive. It's difficult to imagine that Microsoft would be willing to release Perfect Dark on another console considering that they created an entire studio to craft the game (or at least work on it as an initial project). Then again, fans have had the same questions regarding the exclusivity of future Bethesda Softworks releases, ever since the company was acquired by Microsoft.

Now, fans have an answer to what the mysterious Santa Monica based game studio has been working on. The Initiative has hired some of the most talented writers and game designers in the industry, leading fans and critics alike to expect big things from the games the studio creates in the coming years. While there's not a release date announced for Perfect Dark, we do know that you'll only find it on Xbox when it launches. In the meantime, fans can watch the trailer and speculate about what corporations Joanna Dark will topple this time around.

Luckily, fans have a cinematic trailer to analyze while waiting for new information about Perfect Dark. The release trailer, which appeared at The Game Awards 2020, features a cinematic look at Joanna Dark as she plunges into the world of corporate espionage and ecological disaster.

There's a lot for fans to be excited about in the trailer, like the gorgeous visuals and inventive weapons. The game also seems to feature a focus on ecological disaster. The trailer's narrator mentions that the world changed with floods, storms, and other environmental disasters, while also discussing how humans have embraced technology as a solution to these disasters.

However, the narrator explains, "some laws are not meant to be broken." Perfect Dark's trailer hints at lots of action, but it doesn't fully explain what mission Joanna Dark could be focusing on this time around. Regardless, we do know that Perfect Dark takes place in the near future, in a sprawling city, with lots and lots of weapons on hand.