|
Criterion Games is more than a one-trick pony. Critically acclaimed for its work on the Burnout series, Criterion has continually wowed gamers with its stunning visual work and tight gameplay. Criterion has applied the same technical know-how to the first person shooter genre, once again wowing you. Though Black isn’t the deepest shooter available, it’s one that doesn’t waste more than a few minutes before something blowing up.
In Black, you’ll play as Keller. When you begin, he’s being harshly interrogated though you aren’t really sure what for. The game plays out as a series of flashbacks that happen across four days. By playing the eight missions, you’ll learn that you were a soldier tasked with taking down a terrorist organization called the Seventh Way. The game is pretty light on story, and though that was undoubtedly Criterion’s goal with the game, it still ends up feeling a bit disappointing since there isn’t much substance to back up the pretty gunfights.
The gameplay isn’t much more complex. You’re constantly blowing stuff up thanks to a seemingly endless supply of ammunition. The game includes a repertoire of weapons. You’ll find weapons like AK-47, M16, MP5, Mac 10, Uzis and shotguns, each with different range and recoil. You’ll typically want to use weapons like the AK-47 with a long range since the recoil isn’t really a factor, especially since you can only carry two weapons at a time. There are a few locations where you’ll find a rocket launcher, RPG and sniper rifle, as well. These weapons are typically placed there for a reason and you’ll have to use them for a specific purpose. All of the weapons include a zoom option, enabling those beloved headshots though of course, the option of running in, Rambo-style is always there.
It’s fair to say that the latter approach is generally preferred since sheer force will usually be enough to survive the level. There are some occasions where you’ll need to engage in stealth action and during these times you’ll want to be careful and control the trigger finger. Aside from running through the levels and killing people, you’ll occasionally have to find or destroy certain items. For instance, you’ll have to make sure that the Burnout rendering code doesn’t get to the wrong hands. There are other references to be found, though I’d rather not spoil them for you.
The game’s A.I. could be a bit tighter. The enemies, generally speaking, just aren’t that smart. There are times when you can shoot one enemy, and the one right next to the fallen one will not even notice. Other times you’ll notice that guards will walk right by dead bodies. There are a few occasions where an AI-soldier will join you, and they aren’t any smarter than the enemies. Considering how accomplished the rest of
One drawback against the game is its length. You’ll find eight levels, each taking an hour or so to complete. The game doesn’t have a whole lot of replay value since there is no multiplayer. Instead, you’ll find numerous difficulty modes. Beating the game on hard will unlock black ops mode where you’re awarded silver weapons which have unlimited ammunition.
Black is easily one of the best looking current-generation games. The game’s environments are clearly abandoned and neglected, and though the actual variety isn’t great, the levels themselves look amazing. They have plenty of detail, solid architecture, and are made better by realistic lighting. The game casts very realistic glares and sunsets. Further, the environments are littered with things that you can blow up which makes them even better. The developers added enough combustible things to show off the great particle effects, as well. The explosions are simply superb. The guns all look great and animate authentically. There is very little difference between the PS2 and Xbox versions of the game, which is a compliment for how well Criterion pushed the PS2 rather than underutilizing the Xbox. That said the PS2 version does have a few slowdowns not present on the Xbox version.
The game’s audio keeps up with the Hollywood theme. The sound effects are vicious, very accurately portraying how powerful the weapons are. There is a bit of voice acting in the game and it is generally good. The soundtrack really heightens the atmosphere of the game. You’ll find a lot of orchestral movie, very much like what you would expect from an action flick.
At first sight, Black is simply an amazing game. It’s simply a technical marvel with top-notch gameplay. When you play a bit more, you realize that the game doesn’t have the breadth you’d expect from a recent shooter. Clocking in at seven action packed hours, though, the game ends when you’re about to complain and I’d rather have seven great hours instead of more mediocre ones. -- Jose Liz, PGNx Media
---- Mar 7, 2006
|
