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| A ROLLER COASTER RIDE |
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 ince I first saw Black at E3 in 2004 I was enamored by its no-holds-barred approach to guns and the emotional feedback that comes from not only your weapon in hand, but its effect on the environment.
Over time I saw bits and pieces of the game, and came away from those experiences thinking this game would be a non-stop assault of bullets, destruction, and debris. The finished game wasn’t exactly what I expected it to be, but that doesn’t mean I was disappointed.
Black is about the personality of the weapons – not about the frantic, non-stop action that I once thought would be this game’s hallmark. Featuring eight levels total and no multiplayer whatsoever, this game focuses on one thing, and that’s a precise single-player experience. And with that in mind, I think the game is a success.
Each weapon has a unique and gratifying feel. In fact, most times I didn’t find myself battling the analog sticks to get a bead on my target, but instead fighting the kick and pull of the weapons to keep the target painted.
Which brings me to the game experience. There are moments when you are in the woods, carefully moving from target to target to keep your attack guarded. Then there are the explosive moments when the game truly shines. The developers did a fantastic job of setting up the dominoes (which in this case are the destructible environments) so that I could come in and knock them down in a wash of bullets and destruction. Each level is a juggling act moving the gamer between these two basic experiences.
For some, it will be too short. The game’s length didn’t really bother me. It’s an extremely well-produced game. Not only does it have some of the best visuals the PlayStation 2 has ever seen (the Xbox version is also sharp but has to compete with more advanced software), the audio track is simply marvelous. The music by Michael Giacchino is superb, and the sound effects…oh, the sound effects…they boom from a weapon blast but also set tense moods with apt ambient voices and sounds.
My one major gripe with the game is that the story, while interesting, isn’t woven into the gameplay experience. You watch a movie. Then you play a level that relates to the story, but the characters from the two never really intersect. I know there is an evil American terrorist, but you never actually see him (or if I did, I sure didn’t notice).
With four difficulty levels, there is some replay value here, but not a ton. I played through the game and I plan to visit it again. It’s a fun roller coaster ride. Unfortunately, like most amusement park rides, the experience doesn’t last long enough.
That said, I really enjoyed it, and can’t wait to see what Criterion can do with this franchise in the future. For a first-time entry into the first-person shooter market, Black is impressive. It just needs some tweaks and some of the required options that gamers expect from an FPS – like multiplayer.
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8.5 |
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Black is like an Andrew Lloyd Webber musical. That’s an analogy I never thought I’d make, but it’s true. It’s loud, flashy, over the top and thrilling, but once you get below the surface, you realize that there’s not a lot of depth to be found. Relying solely on its explosive presentation, Black isn’t concerned with story or even deviating from FPS traditions, and it largely works. While Black is a little behind the times in some ways (repetitive enemies, no jump button, no multiplayer), it does what it does extraordinarily well. Black is a thrilling experience from start to finish, and is as much fun on the third runthrough as on the first. The music, the gunfire, and, of course, the destruction combine into a gaming experience that gets the blood pumping and palms sweating as you revel in its unbridled chaos. There are more polished and complex shooters out there, but Black is far more bombastic than most, and simply a heck of a good time. |
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8.5 |
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| CONCEPT: |
| An intense first-person shooter that cuts away the extras to focus on the single player experience |
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| GRAPHICS: |
| I never thought a PlayStation 2 game could look this good, and it doesn’t look too shabby on Xbox either |
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| SOUND: |
| I don’t say this lightly, but Michael Giacchino is the new John Williams – his music is that awesome |
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| PLAYABILITY: |
| Simple FPS gameplay that is heightened by the destructible world |
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| ENTERTAINMENT: |
| The lack of various parts hurts this game’s long term value, but as a singular experience it is exhilarating |
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