Black

"An atmospheric and intense shooter, not without a few niggles."

If Black had a mission, it would be to create the FPS equivalent of the most explosive exploitation Hollywood militant B Action movies of the eighties, and I think for the most part Criterion has nailed it.

The setup for the game is simple: You play a Black Ops soldier named Keller, on the trail of terrorist smugglers known as ‘seventh wave'. The narration is done through F.M.V. cut-scenes using real actors, with the protagonist being interrogated regarding the events which took place during each of the eight missions before you play them.

The game takes place in war-torn Eastern European locales', which often come across something like decorated landfills. The environments are mostly gritty rubble filled expanses, peppered with ruin derelict structures, where burnt out vehicles lay in abandon, all of which is set upon a thick dusty haze.

As far as game-play is concerned, Black is a shooter first and foremost. It's not Tactical, actually this is what the game is primarily rebelling against, but on the other hand it's not Wolfenstein 3D in the great outdoors either. The meat of the play boils down to advancing through the hostile territories, sometimes with some automated NPC teammates in toe and, effectively slugging it out with all comers. It's not an easy game by any means. Fact: if you run into a firefight you're going to get dead. It is not exactly one shot kill, but it's something close to that effect.

The crux of the game equates to constantly utilising whatever cover is available, and popping out to shoot, and so on. Get to the extraction point. You know the drill. The enemy AI is really a mixed bag. Sometimes the enemies will follow movement patterns which you can pick up on, so it's easy to get the drop on them with this foresight. Other times they will move from one position to another, and take cover. Generally speaking, it does get predictable. Though, if the bad guys get a clear sight on you at any time, they will let you know about it. Really the AI isn't cunning or smart, but there are tons of them, and they are just waiting for you with itchy trigger fingers to get lazy. Good instincts and fast reflexes as usual do go along way in this virtual battlefield.
Some simple mission objectives must be fulfilled also - this mainly consists of finding some stolen documents, or destroying some object, which is usually tucked away in the numerous nooks & crannies of the devastated landscapes. There is a little humour for this side of things, like finding a blueprint for the ‘Phased Plasma Rifle with forty watt range', of course a reference to The Terminator.

Often the most immediate challenges you face come in three varieties - firstly, the RPG man. You come to really dislike this fellow. No, it's not a guy with a beard who slays elves and stinks of BO. Seriously, these guys are often tucked away in very high places, well out of viewing distance, but man, do they make themselves known. While your squad mates are shooting it out with the cannon fodder, it is strictly your job to take care of the RPG guy. If Mr. RPG hits you while you are fannying around looking for a vantage point, it doesn't translate to instant death however. Instead, your health bar is reduced to one bar, and everything around you becomes black & white. All you hear is your virtual heartbeat thumping. If you can find a place to regroup, this will subside after time. Other pests like snipers (second) and heavy machine gun men (third) can easily leave you in this muddled state if caught off-guard

The weapons found in Black are fairly realistic, in terms of looks & handling. Some machine guns and pistols have appropriate adjustable firing rates relating to real-world design, the different modes include: fully automatic, burst fire, or single shot, the latter firing mode you will find most useful. Head shots do almost always count, exceptions only being armoured blokes. Interestingly, silencers and suppressors can also be found, and attached to some weapons. Using these can effectively reduce the sheer amount of opposition, whereby reinforcements aren't called in if you can deal with immediate threats silently. It's never necessary to advance though.

The guns which really pack a punch, like the SPAS-12 shotgun, and the Magnum were for me incredibly satisfying to shoot, and the meaty accompanying sound effects are simply topnotch. However, the damage the weapons have on the enemies isn't so realistic, though the game never claimed to be a simulation. Actually, the way you dispatch the enemy is somewhat reminiscent at times of old Westerns. For instance, when you are gunning down bad guys on catwalks, they will do an elaborate somersault backflip off of the ledge. The game isn't graphically violent, there is no blood & gore, which substantially lessens the impact of the violence.

Perhaps Black's biggest assets are the special effects employed, including both sound and visuals. The explosions you see in the game look simply amazing, and the thick black smoke trail effects are the proverbial icing on the cake. There is also some emphasis on destructible scenery, and objects. Just say a group of bad guys were congregating near some fuel truck. You could shoot at the truck to spark an explosion to take them all out. Also at times, doors may be shot down, or a stone wall reduced to rubble with suitable firepower. The accompanying particle effects look great, and easily look as good as of any other shooter you're going to find doing the rounds on any format post.Your accompanying perception of peripheral vision, or field of view is quite realistic also. When you reload a weapon, there is a real-time blurring effect which is somewhat cool, if deliberately showy. I very rarely noticed any kind of aliasing, which was refreshing for a PS-2 cross-platform game. Everything comes across very clean, crisp and sharp. The high quality of presentation really deserves a special mention.

The effective use of sound is of equally high standard, e.g. you may find yourself traversing some industrial catwalks of a somewhat high altitude, and you hear the sound of flapping gusting wind. Of course the incessant sound of gunfire is loud, and accurately represented, somewhat begging for a decent surround setup however. The orchestral musical score s also deserves special credit, as it really raises the pitch of the action at the right moments, and further contributes to the cinematic feel of the game. The voice acting is very well done also, and the realistic dialogue, mostly through radio communications, adds to the immediate atmosphere.

If I had a criticism for Black, it was a simple overall lack of variety.

There are only about three different enemy model types, which provides a decidedly disappointing contrast. There isn't any real-time physics in this department either, so your not going to see rag-dolls flying over your head, for example. Rather, all of the animations here are pre defined.

The play overall is very formulaic. As you progress through the game, you notice the core set of situations are always the same: Take out that RPG, take out that sniper, or take out those machine gun men. Sometimes you may have to blow some specific things up, but that's as complicated as it gets. Some more varied & involved objectives certainly wouldn't have gone astray.

While the controls are fully customizable, the movement & free-look sensitivity is not. Aiming can certainly be clumsy, and imprecise, and there is lack of speed with the analogue sticks. In the heat of a firefight there is enough chaos going on without having to deal with a lacklustre aiming mechanism.

The story is weak, leaving only the action to speak for the game. I didn't come into this title expecting any deep narration, however.

Verdict

Black is one of the most intense shooters I have played in recent years. The game throws you into a violent, adrenaline-pumping conflict which is sure to put FPS players through their paces on the harder difficulties. The atmosphere is suitably gritty, and unrelenting, with meticulously rendered scenes which come to life amidst the onslaught of sparking muzzles & explosive destruction. The missions to undertake are often huge, with a good deal to explore, see & shoot. Perhaps overall the action isn't particularly varied, the AI generally lacking, and it will probably all be over much too quickly for most. However, I personally feel any shooter fan armed with a Xbox will appreciate the often jarringly demanding game-play Black delivers on a regular basis. Recommended.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 03/14/08

Game Release: Black (EU, 02/24/06)