First off, Perfect Dark Zero is not Halo. A pretender to the throne, yes, and one that on the surface bears all the hallmarks of a worthy successor. But once the finery has been stripped away we discover it is more akin to a distant cousin, rather than a young and innovative heir apparent. In all fairness it's important to keep in mind that PD0 was never intended to be a straight FPS title. Sure, there are plenty of guns-a-blazing encounters to be had, but stealth tactics and nifty spy gadgets play quite a large role in the game's make-up. It is, after all, a prequel to Perfect Dark, the super stealth shooter for the N64.

You can choose to play through the mission-based campaign either solo or in multiplayer co-op mode, both locally and on Xbox Live. Immediately you commence the game you are greeted by one of the better sound tracks we have heard for a while. Coupled with the slick intro video it feels more like the opening sequence to a TV show, rather than a game.

In single-player mode you take on the role of Jo Dark, who several years prior to becoming an agent for the Carrington Institute, worked as a bounty hunter for her father Jack. After completing the initial mission you can select from a limited amount weaponary from the armoury prior to the next mission, along with several spy gadgets - each activated by a mini-game, to help you pick locks, hack into computer terminals, or set off a controlled explosion. We found to our annoyance that weapons picked up in previous missions were not carried through into the next mission unless we happened to be using them when the mission ended.

The learning curve is steep, with players being launched almost immediately into the action and having to come to grips with controls and functions whilst on the move. However this baptism by fire is balanced by the game's three difficulty levels - the easiest of which is very forgiving of indecisive movement and poor aim. Additionally, audio instruction from team co-ordinator Chandra provides heads-up information, while the appearance of idiot-proof directional arrows and waypoints will assist gamers that usually depend on maps. In saying this, rather than a measured increase in difficulty, the game quickly becomes very tough - even at the lowest difficulty setting. Some of the early missions can become an exercise in frustration, with too many enemies popping out of the woodwork.

PD0 really puts your co-ordination skills to the test, employing all of the controller buttons, triggers and sticks. Basically, if you can push, swivel or move it in anyway, there's a corresponding function in the game (Halo fans will feel right at home!). It takes a while to become acquainted with the various functions - particularly because all of the weapons have secondary and sometimes tertiary modes, but after a while it becomes second nature. Controls themselves are reasonably straightforward and happily there is an option to reverse the axis of the thumb controls, as should be considered mandatory and part of Rare's series since the original GoldenEye 007.

The controller's right-hand shoulder button is used to access a weapon's secondary functions, which can be anything from adding a silencer to your weapon to inducing psychosis in an enemy target, causing him to go postal on his buddies. A number of stealth and evasive maneuvres are available to Joanna, including a stylish duck 'n' roll move and the ability to shoot from cover.

The camera shifts into third person perspective when these moves are employed. Additionally you have the ability to crouch but once again, this time inexcusably, there is no ability to jump. That's right, you are very much a 'lead foot' in this game, with heights being accessed by ladders, stairs, elevators and zip lines. The latter is quite cool to watch, however we felt the lack of jumping is both frustrating and poor game design. There is no map in the game as such, but a radar system that shows you the general location of friends and foes. Plus the directional arrows mentioned earlier appear on the floor to guide your way, should you take too long or stray from the objective.

Players have four available weapons slots in their inventory, but this doesn't mean you can carry four weapons. Each weapon type takes up a certain amount of slots: one for pistols, with bulkier weapons taking up two or three slots... and remember, the more she carries, the slower Agent Dark moves.

The selection of weapons on offer is enough to make your mouth water, however some are variations of a theme while others lack the utility or punch you would expect. To place some limitation on the sniper rifle when you engage zoom on the scope, it moves off centre to your target. This is understandable to ensure the rifle does not dominate multiplayer games, however the zoom function is so powerful you tend to lose all sense of where your target is.

The armoury contains some great weapons, such as the classic FPS standby: the shotgun, and an Uzi lookalike. A rocket launcher can also be picked up, and in addition to the normal fire-and-forget rocket you can also elect to guide the missile to the target, another Rare feature from games past. One of the pistol variants has the ability to magnetise the rounds, increasing rebound and allowing you to fire around corners. This journey into the realms of "What the...?!" is joined by the standard P9P pistol which has an amazingly good zoom function that makes it into a passable sniper's weapon (although its lack of stopping power can require multiple shots to bring down a target). While the range of weapons is impressive, when it comes to vehicles there are only two: the jetpac and the hovercraft. 'Nuff said.

The hostiles include your usual punks, guards and thugs, along with their criminal mastermind bosses - who prove far more challenging to defeat than their lackeys. When the bullets start flying your enemies can become quite vocal (did we mention where this came from?). Using an unsilenced gun will attract a lot of attention and you can hear your enemies calling to each other, with information such as when you've been wounded or have run out of ammunition. They also have some reasonable AI scripting which, if you are not careful, can result being surrounded. Shooting an enemy results in a satisfying spray of blood and some realistic rag doll effects. However closer inspection reveals a clean, whole body. This will be disappointing for the shotgun artists, who like to paint the town red and reduce their victims into a pile of steaming entrails and limbs.

The game is not all stealth and shooting, however. At times you will be reqired to open doors and blow up stuff. Opening locked doors is done as a puzzle via a couple of handheld devices. One is the data thief - an electronic ring puzzle which involves split second timing. The other is the Locktopus, which utilises the thumb stick to vibrate the tumblers in a lock. Another "What the...?!" moment was discovering that the demolition kit also involved completing a mini-puzzle to arm it. "Yes, Mr Bond, our technical boys have devised this cunning bomb that not only blows stuff up but also exercises the mind!" Ultimately these puzzle elements are a distraction and really do nothing for the game.

PD0's true strength lies in its multiplayer options. Whether you choose to play in one of the DarkOps or DeathMatch modes, we guarantee you won't be disappointed. There are four different types of games within each option, but we won't go into detail here. Simply put, you can partake in a variety of team-based rounds or free-for-all killfest matches, spiced up with challenging bots and other players at the same time. There's nothing like a little competitive spirit to liven up the game, and to this end a leaderboard allows you to compare your performance with marksmen (probably including more women than most games) around the world.

Cut-scenes utilise the game engine and provide continuity between story and gameplay. Unfortunately the story itself isn't all that compelling and comes across as a superficial glue linking the missions to one another. Admittedly, we weren't expecting a blockbuster movie script, but fans of Perfect Dark may be disappointed at the lack of depth when it comes to storyline. Character animations were for the most part well done; we never tired of watching Agent Jo 'Perfect' Dark change out a magazine without ever breaking one of her perfectly manicured nails.

As you would expect from a new-generation title, graphics in PD0 employ textures, self-shadowing and dynamic lighting to good effect, showcasing the power of the Xbox 360 - although not pushing the console to its limits. The missions take place in a number of interesting locations from an urban jungle to a snow-clad mountain fortress, to an underwater facility. While the quality of realism varies from okay to stunning, the visuals overall are of a high standard. Those fortunate enough to own an HDTV are in for an even better experience - this is one title where the dynamic lighting range in use makes using a PC monitor much less desirable. It doesn't look half bad on your standard telly either.

The background music is generally well suited to the gameplay, with an original score that self-adjusts in volume and tempo to suit the situation - or in some cases cranking up the tension by its conspicuous absence. Sound effects are also well done, with some good environmental ambience on some levels. Perhaps we've become too picky over the years, but we found the voice acting overall to be rather lacklustre and contrived, with some of the dialogue more suited to a corny, B grade action movie than a 'serious' video game. Of course, this may have been what the developers were gunning for, but somehow we don't think so given the series' history.