Perfect Dark Zero

Microsoft Game Studios/Rare $49.99

Another showcase for 360’s graphics is PDZ, the prequel to the popular Perfect Dark. Sexy and sassy Agent Joanna Dark battles corporate conspiracies with her wits and guns (and grenades and rocket launchers, etc.). The plotline and soundtrack leave something to be desired, but the game will stave off the hunger for Halo 3 for a while. Cooperative mode lets two people get in on the mission, but the real fun resides in the one-to-four player combat modes encouraging friends and family to team up against robots and online players or ruthlessly kill one another.

This article appears in December 23 • 2005.

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James graduated from Columbia University in 2000 and moved to Austin a year later. Ever since, he has followed the arts and video game scene in ATX, editing and writing stories for the Chronicle along the way. Over his more than 20 years with the paper he has climbed the "corporate" ladder from lowly intern to managing editor.