BLACK (PS2, Xbox)

Back In Black?

 

I just got this game, and so far I love it. Sometimes a shooter only needs to allow you to shoot real good to be a fun game. Who cares if it's got no multiplayer - I don't care for online multiplayer action anyway. It's definately got replay value for me since you can unlock higher difficulty setting and different weapons.

It's got excellent graphics, excellent sound effects, a great soundtrack, great particle effects/collision detection, and great (and fully customizable) controls. In all those game aspects, it meets or exceeds the standards set by Halo 1 & 2 and Half-Life 2 for Xbox. Really, I don't need anymore than that.

 

So, I finished Black and am about to finish it again on the Hard difficutly setting.

I love this game. I love the level design. The final 7 levels are fracking huge, and some are pretty complex. My favorites were the border crossing, the foundry, the port, and the bridge (bridge levels are always cool).

I thought the story was cool, if a little underdeveloped. It's sorta Tom Clancy light. I hope it gets expanded on in any potential sequels. I'm very interested in finding out more about this Harry Lennox fellow. The direction of the cutscenes was excellent as well. I loved the whole quasi-live action look to them.

My only complaints are the lack of an ending (hopefully this is grounds for a next-gen sequel) and the inability to choose what guns I start with. I understand that for realism's sake some missions require an SMG or an assualt rifle and you can't really carry both so we should have been given choices within the class of weapon required for the mission. Say the mission requires an SMG, I want to choose between an MP5, Uzi, Mac10 Elite, or P90 (I would always choose the P90 - but that's just me). The same should go for assualt rifles, shotguns, and sidearms. I also think that you should be able to carry two main weapons and a sidearm, instead of just two weapons. The ability to drop one weapon in favor of a dropped riot shield would have been a nice touch, as well.

All in all, I found Black to be an extremely enjoyable game.

 

and

Both QFT.

With that said, the game looked (despite the hype) to be pretty one-dimensional and boring - but I do plan on getting it pre-owned at Blockbuster when the time comes. All I know is what I have seen on the commercial, though - my opinion may be wrong.

 

Am I the only guy who actually buys a DVD for the special features?

 

Nope, I usually wait for special editions.

Edit: I do it with video games too. It was especially hard staying spoiler-free till MGS3: Subsistence came out...