It's the night of the 21st of November, the night before Xbox 360 is supposed to hit store shelves, and I'm heading to my local electronics monopoly. Before entering the store, I see a group of about 100 people, camping out in the cold rain for a chance to buy a system and, most likely, a copy of Perfect Dark Zero. And I think to myself, wow, that's dedication. Or lunacy. I forget.

Being tasked with reviewing Perfect Dark Zero, I also wonder if those people on line, in tents, eating pizza, having a good time, would regret coming down with their inevitable pneumonia and subsequent death all for Joanna Dark. Having the game for a week now, it's something that both wows me and kind of disappoints me. You have to understand, this is coming from a guy who loved the hell out of Goldeneye, leading to many morning classes being skipped (kids, stay in school). But expectations have kind of been blown out of proportion, and I don't know if they've been met.

Perfect Dark Zero is a good game. Actually, it's very good, being a step above the usual FPS or yet another WW2 game (do we need forty-two of them?). Unfortunately, it's not the riot-inducing karmic experience others are attesting to. It's merely a damn good game.

For those who didn't play the original, Perfect Dark Zero puts you in the role of Joanna Dark, a sassy female protagonist with a penchant for ass kicking (do we need forty-two of them?). As a covert spy, your missions take you through a story that is actually very nicely woven, encompassing a variety of locations and a fair share of characters, including your father Jack Dark. While some of the story falls for some of the same cliches as other games, it's fairly entertaining, and cleavage does abound for those with weak attention spans.

Of course, that's nothing compared to the actual gameplay. This game is definitely action-packed, especially at the higher of the four difficulty levels. Equipping yourself with a variety of weapons, including rifles, pistols, and (ahem) psychosis rays, you traverse through levels that take you from dance clubs to jungles and elsewhere.