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Black: GameSpot Review
- Thread starter suikodan
- Start date
Mac the KNife
Member
I'll rent
truffleshuffle83
Banned
even at 39.99 this game has lost its appeal. especially with everything else coming out this month
Musashi Wins!
FLAWLESS VICTOLY!
The first accurate review.
Apharmd Battler
Member
Musashi Wins! said:
Agreed.....the game is O.K., but not as great as the hype and trailers lead you to believe. The XBox and PS2 versions are nearly identical graphically. So it doesn't matter which one you get. Also with the game being so short (I beat it in about 5 hours), I'll wait until it drops to $19.99 or less.
GitarooMan
Member
Geek said:
That's what I'm thinking now, although if it goes on sale for 29.99 I might be tempted.
Musashi Wins!
FLAWLESS VICTOLY!
shuri said:
They say all those things have problems, but that the game still provides some fun. This is true.
boyshine
Member
The review in swedish gaming mag Super PLAY:
[Translated from swedish to english by a norwegian, so please excuse any weird spelling, grammar or wording.]
Graphics: 7/10
So pretty, so tasteless
Sound: 6/10
Give me a pair of ear plugs
Gameplay: 6/10
The grotesqly exaggerated destruction is impressive for a while. Then you just laugh.
Lasting appeal: 7/10
A lot of candy to return to if you don't burn out the first time.
TOTAL 6/10:
A steroid shooter with a little brother complex that is buried under a layer of sparkling brass shells.
[Translated from swedish to english by a norwegian, so please excuse any weird spelling, grammar or wording.]
Graphics: 7/10
So pretty, so tasteless
Sound: 6/10
Give me a pair of ear plugs
Gameplay: 6/10
The grotesqly exaggerated destruction is impressive for a while. Then you just laugh.
Lasting appeal: 7/10
A lot of candy to return to if you don't burn out the first time.
TOTAL 6/10:
A steroid shooter with a little brother complex that is buried under a layer of sparkling brass shells.
Guy LeDouche
Banned
Sounds like a low bar that they will soar over with the next-gen sequel. Complete physics model (more destruction), online, more levels, etc.
GitarooMan
Member
Gek54 said:
I could say with a perfectly straight face that Brothers in Arms is better considering it was one of the best games overall last year period. Wouldn't surprise me if European Assault and Project: Snowblind were better too, as they are both really solid games
EDIT: To clarify I'm referencing the Xbox BiA, not the PS2 version, that definitely makes a difference.
This is probably the most salient thing you've had to say about this game only in that you inadvertantly acknowledge the fact that the game is more the evolution of the light gun game than it is FPS. Criterion have always put the emphasis on this being a definitive shooting experience over a definitive FPS experience, but people see that it's 1st person and you have control of movement/camera and so confusion was natural.Shompola said:
Musashi Wins!
FLAWLESS VICTOLY!
kaching said:
:lol This is the, "It's a FPA" defense, refined and updated.
More seriously though...I still think people are going to harsh on this game based on how overhyped it was here and by media sites before it was playable. It's no classic, but it's easily one of the better shooters on PS2. It's at least fun to shoot and be shot at in several sections even if there are issues in the damage models and a.i. I don't think I could suggest it at full price, but I don't know why anyone would leave a rental or discounted purchase thinking their money was a total waste. If anything, despite the nice graphics and talk about "gun porn" Black feels pretty archaically designed. That's probably not so odd for a bunch of people who probably hadn't made one before.
siamesedreamer
Banned
BiA>>>>>>>>Black
Black_Mamba
Member
This is nuts. Black may be a short and basic shooter, but comaparing it to the mediocrity that is PD0, P. Snowblind etc is ridiculous. The game has some groundbraking qualities, perhaps the best graphics and sound this gen.
I wonder how many of you have actually played the whole game... BTW, what's the demo level that people hate so much?
I wonder how many of you have actually played the whole game... BTW, what's the demo level that people hate so much?
Musashi Wins!
FLAWLESS VICTOLY!
siamesedreamer said:
By a mile, but not on PS2 which has a pretty hacked port. Also, BiA has a lot more going on design wise than Black does, they feel not very simliar.
siamesedreamer
Banned
Yeah, Black multiplayer is awesome compared to PDZ..........oh wait.
I must admit, that's one of the best reviews Jeff has done and seems incredibly accurate based on my time with the demo and what I've pieced together from various bits of info. Might rent it just to experience the visuals, but it sounds like a poor buy.
Don't really understand the complaints about no multiplayer. I've always said, unless you REALLY feel that you have what it takes to make a really good multiplayer game...don't even waste your effort. I can't even begin to count the number of FPS games I've played where I never actually ever clicked on the multiplayer button.
Don't really understand the complaints about no multiplayer. I've always said, unless you REALLY feel that you have what it takes to make a really good multiplayer game...don't even waste your effort. I can't even begin to count the number of FPS games I've played where I never actually ever clicked on the multiplayer button.
Funky Papa
FUNK-Y-PPA-4
Please, Snowblind is a pretty good FPS with a more than decent multiplayer component. Only the graphics were mediocre, and mostly because the art direction was utter shit. Black looks great (and most of times it also plays great), but fails at way too many things and doesn't even have a lame-ass split screen mode. And what the hell, an experienced FPS player can beat Black in less than four hours.Black_Mamba said:
Anyway, it is not like nobody warned you =P
nicholasbrutal
Epic Games PR Manager
I've played through two missions of Black (the first is an extension of the demo, the second a farm area) and I have to say that the review is not that far off. That said, I am having a great time with the game, and would be inclined to recommend it to anyone looking to just blow shit up willy nilly. Because really, that's what this game is all about.
The sound is the true star here. It's absolutely amazing across the board. The Norweigan website with the 6 for sound? Ridiculous. Best sound design I've heard in a game in quite some time, which includes the music as well. Buy a 5.1 system before you play this game; it'll make a huge difference.
The AI is not very intelligent, that has to be said, and there's not much to argue about here. I've had a few run away from me to take cover when I was rocking their world (smart) only to find them stop a few feet away, facinga way from me to do...nothing (dumb). Does it hamper the over all experience of the game? Sure. Does it ruin it? Considering I'm having fun just rocking everything with my guns, not at all.
Which brings me to the guns...every weapon you pick up feels POWERFUL. You pull the trigger and between the sound and visuals, you definitely feel in command. The biggest problem I have with a lot of FPS games is that there's no weight behind the weapons. I have this issue with PDZ and it's a huge problem for me with Halo. Black doesn't suffer from this, which is a plus in my book.
Destruction wise, I'm disappointed. Sure, glass shatters, wood splinters, a truck will explode here and there, but the overall destruction element doesn't seem as random as I wanted it to be. I do feel like I'm doing the same things over and over again, which is a bit of a disappointment since I've only played through two missions.
Story? I mean, there is one, if that counts. I didn't expect much, so I'm not disappointed. Criterion has always said the guns are the stars of this show and they really are.
So Black does not suck. A 7.5 is a "good" score, relatively, but it is disappointing when a lot of people expect at least a 9. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't check out Black. Gamefly and Blockbuster exist for a reason, I guess. I'd also say that if you've been psyched to play this game or liked the demo, it's well worth $39.99. Don't let reviews or message board hate sway your decision. In the end, my disappointments don't overshadow the smile I have on my face when ripping a hole in the side of a farm house with a grenade.
The sound is the true star here. It's absolutely amazing across the board. The Norweigan website with the 6 for sound? Ridiculous. Best sound design I've heard in a game in quite some time, which includes the music as well. Buy a 5.1 system before you play this game; it'll make a huge difference.
The AI is not very intelligent, that has to be said, and there's not much to argue about here. I've had a few run away from me to take cover when I was rocking their world (smart) only to find them stop a few feet away, facinga way from me to do...nothing (dumb). Does it hamper the over all experience of the game? Sure. Does it ruin it? Considering I'm having fun just rocking everything with my guns, not at all.
Which brings me to the guns...every weapon you pick up feels POWERFUL. You pull the trigger and between the sound and visuals, you definitely feel in command. The biggest problem I have with a lot of FPS games is that there's no weight behind the weapons. I have this issue with PDZ and it's a huge problem for me with Halo. Black doesn't suffer from this, which is a plus in my book.
Destruction wise, I'm disappointed. Sure, glass shatters, wood splinters, a truck will explode here and there, but the overall destruction element doesn't seem as random as I wanted it to be. I do feel like I'm doing the same things over and over again, which is a bit of a disappointment since I've only played through two missions.
Story? I mean, there is one, if that counts. I didn't expect much, so I'm not disappointed. Criterion has always said the guns are the stars of this show and they really are.
So Black does not suck. A 7.5 is a "good" score, relatively, but it is disappointing when a lot of people expect at least a 9. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't check out Black. Gamefly and Blockbuster exist for a reason, I guess. I'd also say that if you've been psyched to play this game or liked the demo, it's well worth $39.99. Don't let reviews or message board hate sway your decision. In the end, my disappointments don't overshadow the smile I have on my face when ripping a hole in the side of a farm house with a grenade.
Black_Mamba
Member
jetjevons said:
Sure, but I'd rather play 6 hours of Black than 12 hours of a mediocre mp and sp game like Snowblind or Geist.
Black is not a mediocre game, it's just short.
Gek54 said:
Come on..
Brothers in Arms is a great game, one of the finest WWII games on this gen.
if anything, it's LOWER than it should be.
look at what they gave halo 2.
9.4?
9.4...think about that...for halo 2, a sloppy, dull, overhyped follow-up to halo.
that's just as absurdly unmerited.
Musashi Wins!
FLAWLESS VICTOLY!
nicholasbrutal said:
I agree with most of what you said. Except that grenade throwing sucks in comparison to the guns
It feels totally off.LiquidMamba
Member
6 hours of gameplay is not worth $40. More like a $5 rental.
Black_Mamba said:
I would call it mediocre but that's neither here or there to the point of the prior post. Some people don't belive in $6 an hour for enjoyment. Black=6 hours=$39.99=No replayability. Shooting random shit and getting a "You discovered the secret identity of Master Ibis" doesn't equal fun or replayability for most people.
Good Multiplayer at a minimum can provide a few hundred more hours on top of that. At the minimum if there was multi-player at least something could be salvaged (although there are flaws with just the core shooting engine).
I didn't like Perfect Dark either single-player. Played through two missions and dropped it like a bad habit. At least the multi-player was able to save what otherwise would have been a waste of $59.99. Black has no such ability. Now renting it is a different story. If ever there was a game designed to be rented, its this one.
dark10x said:
i won't go off on that tangent, but let's just say i found halo 2 -- save for the arbiter levels -- to be repetitive, hackneyed, sluggish, and just plain dull.
i mean, let's not talk about how broken the matchmaking was in its online component.
i'm in the minority with this opinion -- i know.
btw, BiA >>> Halo 2