Perfect Dark concept art shows us what could have been

Earlier this year, Microsoft shut down The Initiative, the first-party studio responsible for the Perfect Dark reboot. The game was scrapped just one year after the ‘gameplay reveal', which is now believed to have been a very small vertical slice and not representative of the actual state of the product. Now, we have another behind-the-scenes look at what could have been, thanks to newly revealed concept art. 

MP1st has been active in the leaking scene over the past year with many accurate reports. In the latest, they reveal previously unseen concept art for the Perfect Dark reboot. While not in-game screenshots, the concept art does give us a good look at the style the developers were aiming for, with a mix of old Egyptian buildings, surrounding a very high-tech, futuristic city.

While Perfect Dark was initially in development at The Initiative, many creatives left the project after just weeks or months on the job due to various conflicts. The Imitative eventually shifted into being a small, lean management team, with Crystal Dynamics contracted in to do the bulk of the work.

After Microsoft cancelled the game and shut down The Initiative, Crystal Dynamics tried to save the project by opening up talks with Take-Two. However, Microsoft refused to let go of the IP and as a result, Crystal Dynamics had to let go of a lot of developers.

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KitGuru Says: Last generation we had Scalebound, this generation we have Perfect Dark. It isn't uncommon in the games industry to see projects cancelled, or for high-profile IP to be left dormant. However, Microsoft has had ongoing issues with ‘managing' projects like this and as a result, consumer confidence in the Xbox brand has taken yet another big hit,

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