Significant personnel turnover and creative differences were among the problems experienced during the game production process, which was originally scheduled to utilize Unreal Engine 4.

The Initiative joined forces with Crystal Dynamics in 2021 to support development, moving to Unreal Engine 5 to increase efficiency.

Players have the option to engage in direct combat with enemies or employ stealth tactics, utilizing advanced gadgets for distraction and infiltration.

The game features a parkour system, enabling the protagonist, Joanna, to navigate the environment by clambering down pipes and running along walls.

The game's parkour mechanics enable Joanna to perform actions like wall running, scaling buildings, and sliding along scaffolding to access otherwise unreachable locations.

[3][6] Perfect Dark is set in a near-future world experiencing environmental collapse, with mega-corporations attempting to address the crisis while concealing their own secrets.

According to an article on Xbox Wire, the game's setting involves significant ecological disasters, collectively referred to as "The Cascade," causing widespread devastation on Earth.

Core Mantis, a mega-corporation, creates The GEN Network and deploys it in Cairo, Egypt, successfully restoring the region's ecosystem and making it habitable once again.

The character is portrayed through performance capture by actress Alix Wilton Regan, with her facial likeness based on model Elissa Bibaud.

Her mission involves investigating and capturing Daniel Carrington, the world's most wanted criminal, who is hiding in the restored city of Cairo with a radioactive device.

[19] In May 2022, after Embracer Group announced that they had entered an agreement with Square Enix to acquire Crystal Dynamics, The Initiative confirmed that they would still continue to co-develop the game with the studio.