The next Perfect Dark heads to a utopian Cairo, where all is not as it seems

If you missed the surprise showing at last weekend’s Xbox Games Showcase, here’s the first look at the new Perfect Dark.

Rough shape, huh?

For those who haven’t been paying attention, there was not insignificant chatter online about Perfect Dark, and not all that long ago. Apparently the game was reportedly in rough shape, and in a bad way. But if that was the case, then the team at developer Crystal Dynamics must’ve pulled off some miracles, as the title’s appearance at the Xbox Games Showcase was impressive.

Featuring gunplay and techno-gadgetry aplenty, Perfect Dark (nope, no subtitle) will reboot the series and take Joanna Dark to the city of Cairo. Don’t expect this to be the Cairo that you might think of today however, as Perfect Dark’s future time period casts it as an emerging technological-wonderland, where life is meticulously managed and things are… perfect. Well, seemingly perfect anyway.

Naturally the dataDyne agent is there for a reason, and it’s to hunt down a villain by the name of Carrington, who seems to have plenty of allies in the utopian city.

Fans of the first two games bearing the Perfect Dark name might’ve noticed a few changes to Joanna in that trailer. For one thing, she’s apparently far from her former designation of “perfect” according to Microsoft. The heroine will indeed be fallible on this new mission, with a theme of learning from her mistakes and evolving, as she builds herself into the agent she wants to be.

And for another thing, there’s her look. Joanna dark is being voiced by actress Alix Wilton Regan, but won’t bear her likeness, as performer Elissa Bibaud will pick up those duties. That seems like an odd choice from where we sit, and the result is a look that’s night and day with how she’s been portrayed before. Naturally, that has ruffled some feathers among the fanbase too, who wanted the old Joanna back for another run. Whether you’re into the new look or not though, we’re thinking the game itself and the action therein seems sharp, and we’re excited to see more of it.

As to when that’ll be, we’re not sure, as Perfect Dark has no official release date just yet. When it does finally arrive though, you’ll be able to play it on the Xbox Series X|S and PC, and can do so by way of Game Pass, where it’ll be a day one addition.

Source: Xbox Newswire