Online Tips

Perfect Dark Zero™ is rapidly becoming a mainstay on Xbox Live®. Along with Call of Duty® 2, PDZ represents the first-person shooter genre on Xbox 360™, though just because you play it, doesn't mean you succeed. If you're having a bit of trouble dominating the pack in multiplayer matches, try giving these gameplay tips a try, and keep the online system notes in mind to clear up any confusion.

Cover … not just for single-player.

Cover Short Range
It may seem counterintuitive to use cover in a multiplayer game—it freezes you in place after-all, but don't discount its uses. It will hide you from sight while still allowing you to aim and set up your shot. It can especially come in handy when using short range weapons like the shotgun. Say you're being chased down a hallway; take cover as you round the corner, and then line up your shot, completely unseen. Once you're ready to pounce, just hit the right trigger to pop around the corner and take your shot. Make sure you're paying attention to your radar so you don't get blindsided by another enemy.

Laptop Justice
The laptop gun is ruthless when using its secondary fire option. Just tap your right button to toss it onto a wall and it will shred anyone that comes across its path. For even better results, look for an out of the way spot to drop it, usually tucked into a corner, or up above the action … someplace your enemies won't naturally look for it. That way, as they desperately attempt to locate it, the laptop gun will whittle them down.

Duck and Roll
Like utilizing cover, using the left button to dodge and roll is a common tactic, but it's most effective in online matches. In most FPS games, getting tagged from behind spells certain doom, especially if you're equally matched in weapon power, but using the roll can quickly put you out of the line of fire and give you an opportunity locate the offending player for a little reciprocity.

Ah, teamwork.

Silence is Deadly
Like Halo®: Combat Evolved and Halo® 2, the radar in Perfect Dark Zero locates enemies by sound, so if you find a gun that utilizes a silencer as its secondary fire function, use it constantly. There's no reason not to. You'll be much harder to locate.

Flank 'Em
It's easy to see the firefight and want to jump right in and maybe snag a kill or two. Rather than insert yourself in an action bottleneck, try to find a way to get behind or above the action. Let everyone else grab all the attention while you flank them from behind or rain down fire from above. Perfect Dark Zero offers a lot of verticality in its levels, so look for good areas to climb to.

Ranked Confusion
Thought not a gameplay tip, there has been some confusion about Ranked matches. To join or create a Ranked game, make sure you toggle down to Matchmaking in the Xbox Live menu, press A, and press to the left or right to switch it from Player Match to Ranked Match. Also remember that when playing a ranked game, you're not supposed to be able to invite friends into the match. This isn't a glitch or bug; it's intentional so you don't set up matches with friends to act as patsies to increase your ranking by cheating.

She means business.

Game Details
Surprise is never fun in online play. You always want to have a handle on the setup before the match begins, so make sure you check out the Game Details tab in the match lobby before the game begins. This way you can see what the map is (if it's not on random), the game rules, and the set of weapons available.

Etiquette—For your Own Good
Xbox 360 has ushered in an era of fast and easy instant feedback with instant results. To make sure you don't get tagged with negative feedback as people "Avoid" you for aggressive behavior or unsporting conduct, play with a little class. Don't talk angry offensive trash, don't kill your own teammates or generally behave in a disruptive killjoy manner. If you do, you'll likely find your reputation dinged beyond immediate repair, which will net you matches against fellow griefers.

Article by Alex McLain