Black
Added March 7th, 2006 by Kisan Parikh
Introduction:
Following the successful release of Burnout: Revenge, Criterion set its sights on developing another action packed title. Black, the highly anticipated first person shooter, is an exciting, explosion-filled shooter. The game features some great elements, but sadly it does not have enough depth to separate it from the rest of the Xbox’s shooters.
Gameplay:
Black starts off by introducing you to the main character, Jack Kellar. Kellar is the leader of the Black Operations whose assignment was to stop the operations of a terrorist group called Seventh Wave. The entire story is revealed in flashback form as Kellar is questioned about the assignment. However, the storyline is pretty vague, and it really doesn’t add anything to the game. The only reason it is present is to get you in the game.
Following the successful release of Burnout: Revenge, Criterion set its sights on developing another action packed title. Black, the highly anticipated first person shooter, is an exciting, explosion-filled shooter. The game features some great elements, but sadly it does not have enough depth to separate it from the rest of the Xbox’s shooters.
Gameplay:
Black starts off by introducing you to the main character, Jack Kellar. Kellar is the leader of the Black Operations whose assignment was to stop the operations of a terrorist group called Seventh Wave. The entire story is revealed in flashback form as Kellar is questioned about the assignment. However, the storyline is pretty vague, and it really doesn’t add anything to the game. The only reason it is present is to get you in the game.
Each of the eight levels is presented to the gamer through primary and secondary objectives. To complete a level, you must, of course, complete the primary objectives, but you will also have to complete a few of the secondary objectives along the way. Primary objectives involve crossing certain areas of the level, taking out enemies, blowing things up, and more of the like. Secondary objectives involve exploring the level to discover intelligence or to destroy secret information.
Beyond all of this, the most important aspect of Black is the action. Black features great firefights, and you will find yourself firing your gun almost constantly. Black initially seems as though it is a ‘run-and-gun’ title, but you will soon ascertain that using cover is actually very important. As you approach your enemies, you are required to take advantage of your environment to eliminate enemies without taking damage. In most circumstances, you will be faced with enemies in multiple directions. This forces you to utilize the cover to isolate your targets. While Black forces you to use cover, it features all of the excitement of a ‘run-and-gun’ shooter.
The environments in Black are not fully destructible, almost, but not completely. In each level, you will find numerous explosive items lying around, waiting to be shot. These items include cars, fuel canisters, and even gas pipes. Additionally, you will find that most cover can be eliminated. Wooden crates, stone, doors, and other forms of cover can be destroyed by bullets. Each bullet that is fired has an effect on the environment. They shatter windows, put holes in walls, and kick up dust. This all helps add to the effect of your gun being a destruction machine.
Speaking of guns, this game features a wide variety of weapons including the Uzi, M249 Machine Gun, MP5, M16, and more. You are able to wield two guns at a time, whether they be pistols, machine guns, snipers, or RPGs. Each gun has a unique feel and impact on enemies. Some guns, like the M249, have a large amount of recoil, but others, like the Uzi, remain accurate as you unload a clip. Each gun has its advantages and disadvantages, and you will need specific weapons to pass through certain areas. Luckily, the weapons are located around the areas where they will be necessary, so you won’t often find yourself under-armed.
The enemy AI featured in Black is not the best. Your opposing forces pretty much just move around a bit and shoot. They use cover from time to time, but they pop out in a predictable manner. The only challenge comes from the fact that enemies can absorb a lot of lead before being put down, and that they are sometimes presented in large numbers.
Black’s strength lies in its explosive action. Those who want to wreck utter computer generated havoc for a while will love Black. Every gun and bullet leaves its mark on the environment, and you will definitely be able to blow stuff up. However, if you are looking for a story-driven campaign and intelligent AI, you will need to look elsewhere.
Graphics:
The game’s ability to show the effect of every bullet is largely due to the fantastic visuals. Black features some of the best graphics that have been seen on the Xbox. The environments, which have already been discussed, really show the result of an intense firefight. What’s more, bullets can cause dirt and dust to fly up everywhere. There are times in Black where you cannot see the enemy that you were aiming at due to the dust in the air. In addition, Black features fantastic lighting effects and shadows. Light will shine in through windows and broken roofs. This adds to the dynamic environments found within the game. Black also includes some great visual effects. My favorite is the one shown during reloads. As your character focuses on reloading his gun, the surroundings blur until the process is finished.
Beyond all of this, the most important aspect of Black is the action. Black features great firefights, and you will find yourself firing your gun almost constantly. Black initially seems as though it is a ‘run-and-gun’ title, but you will soon ascertain that using cover is actually very important. As you approach your enemies, you are required to take advantage of your environment to eliminate enemies without taking damage. In most circumstances, you will be faced with enemies in multiple directions. This forces you to utilize the cover to isolate your targets. While Black forces you to use cover, it features all of the excitement of a ‘run-and-gun’ shooter.
The environments in Black are not fully destructible, almost, but not completely. In each level, you will find numerous explosive items lying around, waiting to be shot. These items include cars, fuel canisters, and even gas pipes. Additionally, you will find that most cover can be eliminated. Wooden crates, stone, doors, and other forms of cover can be destroyed by bullets. Each bullet that is fired has an effect on the environment. They shatter windows, put holes in walls, and kick up dust. This all helps add to the effect of your gun being a destruction machine.
Speaking of guns, this game features a wide variety of weapons including the Uzi, M249 Machine Gun, MP5, M16, and more. You are able to wield two guns at a time, whether they be pistols, machine guns, snipers, or RPGs. Each gun has a unique feel and impact on enemies. Some guns, like the M249, have a large amount of recoil, but others, like the Uzi, remain accurate as you unload a clip. Each gun has its advantages and disadvantages, and you will need specific weapons to pass through certain areas. Luckily, the weapons are located around the areas where they will be necessary, so you won’t often find yourself under-armed.
The enemy AI featured in Black is not the best. Your opposing forces pretty much just move around a bit and shoot. They use cover from time to time, but they pop out in a predictable manner. The only challenge comes from the fact that enemies can absorb a lot of lead before being put down, and that they are sometimes presented in large numbers.
Black’s strength lies in its explosive action. Those who want to wreck utter computer generated havoc for a while will love Black. Every gun and bullet leaves its mark on the environment, and you will definitely be able to blow stuff up. However, if you are looking for a story-driven campaign and intelligent AI, you will need to look elsewhere.
Graphics:
The game’s ability to show the effect of every bullet is largely due to the fantastic visuals. Black features some of the best graphics that have been seen on the Xbox. The environments, which have already been discussed, really show the result of an intense firefight. What’s more, bullets can cause dirt and dust to fly up everywhere. There are times in Black where you cannot see the enemy that you were aiming at due to the dust in the air. In addition, Black features fantastic lighting effects and shadows. Light will shine in through windows and broken roofs. This adds to the dynamic environments found within the game. Black also includes some great visual effects. My favorite is the one shown during reloads. As your character focuses on reloading his gun, the surroundings blur until the process is finished.
Guns are expertly modeled. They feature an amazing amount of detail, and really look like their real-life counterparts. I wish I could say the same thing about the character models. Although there are some nice animations of soldiers falling off cliffs and balconies, character models seem goofy and awkward for the most part.
Audio:
Black also shines in the sound department. Guns and explosions sound as realistic as possible, with each weapon having a distinct sound. Additionally, the sound effects give the illusion of being in a firefight. Bullets whiz by and you can hear them hit objects in the background. Black also features a great soundtrack which was performed by the Hollywood Studio Symphony Orchestra. The music will play during intense sequences, and it always matches the action that is taking place.
Controls:
Black features a pretty standard first person shooter control scheme. R fires your weapon, L throws grenades, and A reloads your gun. The thumbsticks are used to aim and move around. Clicking the left-stick will cause you to crouch or stand, and clicking the right-stick will allow you to zoom in. Your crosshair will be the same for every weapon, a white dot on the screen. Destructible objects will make the dot black, enemies make it red, and secondary objectives make it blue. The simple controls work extremely well, and you won’t have any difficulty learning how to play this game.
Replay:
Black features a campaign that lasts about 5-6 hours. This is on the shorter side of things, but it wouldn’t be a problem if the title supported multiplayer play. Black doesn’t offer anything except the tiny singleplayer mode. This game would have been incredibly fun to play over Xbox Live, and I cannot see why multiplayer was not included with this game. Blowing up predictable computer-controlled soldiers is only fun for so long. While you could replay the campaign on a different difficulty mode, my guess is that you won’t want to. The difficulty levels merely force you to complete more secondary objectives without the use of med-kits. All things considered, Black offers very little in the way of replay value, and those who want their game to last longer should avoid it.
Audio:
Black also shines in the sound department. Guns and explosions sound as realistic as possible, with each weapon having a distinct sound. Additionally, the sound effects give the illusion of being in a firefight. Bullets whiz by and you can hear them hit objects in the background. Black also features a great soundtrack which was performed by the Hollywood Studio Symphony Orchestra. The music will play during intense sequences, and it always matches the action that is taking place.
Controls:
Black features a pretty standard first person shooter control scheme. R fires your weapon, L throws grenades, and A reloads your gun. The thumbsticks are used to aim and move around. Clicking the left-stick will cause you to crouch or stand, and clicking the right-stick will allow you to zoom in. Your crosshair will be the same for every weapon, a white dot on the screen. Destructible objects will make the dot black, enemies make it red, and secondary objectives make it blue. The simple controls work extremely well, and you won’t have any difficulty learning how to play this game.
Replay:
Black features a campaign that lasts about 5-6 hours. This is on the shorter side of things, but it wouldn’t be a problem if the title supported multiplayer play. Black doesn’t offer anything except the tiny singleplayer mode. This game would have been incredibly fun to play over Xbox Live, and I cannot see why multiplayer was not included with this game. Blowing up predictable computer-controlled soldiers is only fun for so long. While you could replay the campaign on a different difficulty mode, my guess is that you won’t want to. The difficulty levels merely force you to complete more secondary objectives without the use of med-kits. All things considered, Black offers very little in the way of replay value, and those who want their game to last longer should avoid it.
Summary:
Black pretty much nails the firefights and explosions. You will love pumping round after round into your generic foes, and the visuals enhance the experience. While Black gets this aspect right, it just doesn’t offer enough. The game features no multiplayer option, and it doesn’t offer intelligent AI to compensate. This title will only provide about 5-6 hours of fun, so many may not want to pay $40. The bottom line is that Black is a straight up shooter with very little depth, but those who just want some guns-blazing fun can’t go wrong with this title.
Black pretty much nails the firefights and explosions. You will love pumping round after round into your generic foes, and the visuals enhance the experience. While Black gets this aspect right, it just doesn’t offer enough. The game features no multiplayer option, and it doesn’t offer intelligent AI to compensate. This title will only provide about 5-6 hours of fun, so many may not want to pay $40. The bottom line is that Black is a straight up shooter with very little depth, but those who just want some guns-blazing fun can’t go wrong with this title.
