10 Video Game Franchises KILLED By Development Hell
4. Perfect Dark
Whilst Goldeneye for the Nintendo 64 might be one of the most celebrated FPS games, it’s usage of pre-existing IP put a limit on how far it could go. Thus, original developers Rare dreamed up their own futuristic sci-fi shooter Perfect Dark which was, by all rights, just as good as its predecessor.
With the Microsoft acquisition of Rare and its works in 2002, concerns for the untapped potential of Perfect Dark were raised. The series had some decent success with a 2005 prequel and a 2010 reboot but since then Joanna Dark has gone… well, dark.
Xbox revealed that a new Perfect Dark reboot was in production in 2020 and would be the first title of the new studio The Initiative, who were billed by the company as a supergroup of developers. Unfortunately, this supergroup started to fall apart thereafter.
Both the game director and design director have since left the project, as well as reportedly half of the staff following them. Some called the environment "lacking in creative autonomy and slow to progress”.
In a similar state right now to Legacy of Kain, Embracer Group picked up the rights to Perfect Dark in their recent acquisition of Crystal Dynamics. However, the game will apparently still be worked on by The Initiative and, considering the claims of their development speed, it makes the Perfect Dark reboot something of a distant dream.