Black Review

Into The Black

When I first played the demo of Black earlier this month, one of my biggest problems was that the demo was so short that you had no idea what the hell was going on. Now that I’ve gotten the finished game, I get to see all of the cut scenes, and I still have no idea what the hell is going on. You play part of Keller, a soldier who, in the cut scenes, is being interrogated pretty heavily by some guy that isn’t very happy. As you explain to him what happened with the mission you were on, you’ll flashback to key situations, which are what the actual levels are based on. The whole thing couldn’t seem more tacked on if they tried, and it’s all done in this unsettling live-action style. The cut scenes are incomprehensible, long, and painfully boring. And as a little extra bonus, just because Criterion hates us so much, you’re unable to skip the cut scenes! Thanks Criterion!

That’s Some Fancy Shootin’

When you first play Black, you’ll be so blown away (no pun intended) that you’ll think you’ve died and gone to some sort of video game heaven. That, or just poop yourself. Either way, you’ll be amazed. The game seriously is that pretty and that wonderful on the ears. Black is easily one of the best looking games to grace the current-gen systems, and the when paired with the outstanding audio, it makes for one hell of a presentation. Sadly, all this does is set your expectations higher, far out of the games actual reach.

Getting Low

After you peel back all the layers and layers (trust me, they’re there) of glorious explosions, deafening gunshots, and beautiful environments, you’ll soon run out of reasons to play Black. The game does what it does better than most, but it still doesn’t do anything we haven’t seen before.

The layout of the levels is incredibly straightforward, leaving little room to explore. Certain levels do offer branching paths, but it’s not enough to make you feel like you’re actual deciding where you go.

The AI goes from bad to horrible. At best, enemies will stand halfway behind objects to avoid fire, although most of the time they’ll just stand right out in the open. They’re also completely oblivious to what’s happening around them. You could blow up half of the level (oh, and you will) without them so much as turning around.

The destruction in Black, which the game was hyped on, can feel completely forced. The environments the game offers do tend to be more destructible than the environments in most shooters, but the majority of it still lies in explosive barrels and propane tanks. The enemies in Black huddle around explosive barrels like office workers huddling around water coolers, sharing Lost theories. And no, making an explosive barrel the size of a grain silo doesn’t count as innovative.

Visuals and Audio

I was hesitant to include this section, but I decided I should, just to further drive home how pretty Black is. The environments in Black look fantastic, especially when they’re being blown sky high. The character models, while not as polished as everything else, still look superb. Lighting looks terrific, whether the level be set indoors or out. The audio in Black is done well, and suits the high caliber feel of everything. The gunshots and explosions sound very real, as do the effects these things have on the environment. Black boasts a nice action movie-like score, which just elevates the feeling of a big, blockbuster summer movie.

Running Dry

After a while, the super-shiny coat of polish EA has given Black will wear off, and you’ll find yourself bored with just another mediocre first person shooter. Bear in mind, I said mediocre. Black is by no means bad, it’s just not the game that it was made out to be. If you like first person shooters, I feel completely justified recommending Black... just don’t believe the hype.