When a string of large-scale releases were announced for Xbox’s long-term roadmap – such as Fable, Perfect Dark and The Elder Scrolls 6 – it makes sense that time and economic pressure wouldn’t be kind to all of them.
When Perfect Dark was cancelled, fans of the original were no doubt dismayed, especially when so little was known about it to begin with. However, details have emerged that point to the gap in the market that it was trying to fill, giving audiences a sense of what it might have looked like.
Perfect Dark Details
The game is described by the leaks, which come courtesy of mp1st, as a “reimagining” of the original experience.
The comparison drawn here was with how HBO’s drama series Westworld reimagined itself from the 1973 movie version. Part of this reimagining was the eco-sci-fi aesthetic, which is somewhat similar to pre-existing solarpunk imagery – typical sci-fi cityscapes dominated by an environmental focus.
The leaks also detailed an adrenaline system which could have been used to deal increased damage to enemies or reduce incoming damage, something which likely could have been preserved and then used in especially tense or difficult situations.
Comparisons to Other Franchises
As a way of illustrating what kind of niche Perfect Dark would have looked to fill, the former developer who offered these details compared the cancelled game with franchises like Metal Gear Solid and older 007 games.
At the time of development, both of these franchises were dormant, but with 007: First Light and Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater both coming back into popular attention since then (with the latter releasing to positive reviews), Perfect Dark might have struggled to forge an identity that was truly unique, if it was relying too heavily on these inspirations.
An Episodic Release?
One of the more curious pieces of information to come out of these leaks is that the game might have been released episodically – something that would have no doubt proved controversial with audiences.
While Telltale are looking to reinvigorate the genre with their new episodic release Dispatch, it’s a format that has rarely seen blockbuster releases.
This might have been both an effort to get the game out of the door sooner rather than later, as well as an attempt to make it a type of live-service game that could have seen new content periodically released – another aspect that might have been met with controversy.
