Black

[ShadowDancer]

Just finished the 6th mission and i'm about to drink tea then go back to it soon.
Must say, i think this game is very very good, and it has got better, i don't agree with the sentiment that it is burnout with guns, all along whilst waiting for this game i thought that is what it would be, but to me it isn't, it is better.
Missions 5 and 6 were highly impressive, the level design is top notch and it is fun, i'm loving it now, so if you are early on in and not sure, i assure you it picks up and gets far far better.
It looks brilliant, and i plays as well IMO.
The cut scenes may not be skipable but i think you can forgive that as they don't last that long, maybe a few minutes, i agree they're not brilliant, but you get the story i am finding, i don't mind that much atall.
I'm recommending this game (xbox) because 6 missions finished and it is decent.
Difficulty maybe about right i am finding, died a few times, but you get to know layouts and enemy positions e.t.c, you'll probably crack it next go, i'm finding it fair tbh.
I'm enjoying it.

[NekoFever]

I've been playing the PS2 version (I'll either buy the Xbox one when it's added to 360 BC or when this is proven false and a 360 port comes out) and I'm quite enjoying it. It's pretty good brainless fun and it looks nice in widescreen progressive scan as well. Not going to win any awards but I like it.

[MattyD]

Sorry, I just don't see what all the fuss is about. It's a bog-standard shooter with really nice graphics. It's refreshingly honest, yes, but nothing to get too excited about. Someone else said that it's a good PS2 title but doesn't stand up to the competition on the Xbox, and I'd have to agree.

The cutscenes are also an arse-ache. They make no sense and bear no relevence whatsoever to what happens in during gameplay.

I do like the blurry camera during reloading though - I know from first-hand experience that reloading isn't as easy as they make it look in the movies! Obvioulsy the camera is 'blurred' because your character is focusing on his magazine slot. Now we just need a game were reloading involves shaky hands, fumbling cold fingers, and muttered curses of '****************', and we're there!

[anephric]

I do like the blurry camera during reloading though - I know from first-hand experience that reloading isn't as easy as they make it look in the movies! Obvioulsy the camera is 'blurred' because your character is focusing on his magazine slot. Now we just need a game were reloading involves shaky hands, fumbling cold fingers, and muttered curses of '****************', and we're there!

So when they teach you how to put a gun together in the dark, they just don't teach you how to reload it?

[ShadowDancer]

Bravo! Finished it this morning, and i am impressed, i am noticing good and bad things said about this game, but IMO the good far far out-weigh the bad.

I have recently played PDZ, COD2 and Quake 4, whilst COD2 is in a league of its own, it is a far better game than PDZ and Quake 4.

Level design makes this game good, this is a solid FPS that is fun, i enjoyed it from start to finish and i think i will now try hard.

Please let me tell you, people are complaining about the cutscenes, well apart from when you first put the disc in and you get a lengthy introduction, which does set a tone, the inbetween level scenes vary in length from approx 30 seconds to 3 minutes (i would say) and it really isn't a big deal, perhaps the developers wanted you to follow the story. (which isn't brilliant, maybe that is the problem :/)

The difficulty is about right, i didn't die much on 1-7 but the last part of mission 8 i found quite challenging (Normal)

You will probably find you can finish it in a rental, i beat it on normal in 3 sessions over two days, but, it is good and you will probably want to play it again, i know i will.

The music is nice, it comes in at good times, i wish it would of come in more, only because it was that good.

Gripes..i didn't like the motion blur whilst reloading, of course it adds to realism but i didn't like it, i've not seen this in another FPS, maybe we will see it more now?

Like PDZ check points are few and far between, i half like this because it makes you play a level to a more perfect standard, however of course, if there is a 30 minute play to a check point and you die, well, its frustrating and dieing more than once through long run throughs is frustrating and boring and it has lost it's initial thrill.

I know negative things have been said about this, but this is a decent first person shooter, the levels really make this game, it is nice to look at, i really enjoyed it.

I had followed this game for a little while, but perhaps not as long as some, and i'm sure that can lead to dissapointment, but it can lead to expectations being met too, that of course depends on the person.

Anyway, to finish, if you are looking for a solid FPS, played everything else and want something new, playing Black will do you no harm.

[huxley]

Looks fantastic and sounds great. I esp love the fact that you have to pump 1000 bullets into a baddie before he falls over and then gets up and shoots you. Or just one head shot with a pistol sorts him out. Not very balanced, only thing that lets it down.
A good rental imo

[Paleface]

Hmn.

I was really looking forward to this.

But so far I'm rather disappointed. It's technically magnificent. Sounds great, looks awesome, the frame-rate is remarkable all things considered...

...but I'm finding it so soulless.

Run round corner. Shoot guys. Run round corner. Shoot guys. Blow things up. There's not time to take in the graphics because you have to pace so fast to avoid the gunfire. The city was OK; foundry and asylum were particularly good - loved blowing up the MASSIVE gas reservoirs on Foundry. Just hit docks, and it's a good bit of level design, but I'm getting bored.

I hate the way the end-of-levels aren't obvious - you just go somewhere and it fades out. And the cut scenes, which are neither good nor bad, just don't provide enough information to join up the dots. You're thrown in somewhere, you shoot til you complete the level.

I don't miss jumping; I do miss interactivity beyond shooting.

It's phenomenal to look at, but I'm just not feeling it. Maybe it's my mood right now - I'm pretty low, pretty exhausted; but I'm getting so much out of so many games right now that I think it must just be Black.

Like I said: really disappointed.

[Azelpds]

It's not your mood, Black has no soul. Good graphics and sound, the rest is basic and empty, or even worse, like the pathetic AI. Like some others said before, and even myself, is a good rental for a day and nothing more. Theres nothing memorable on it and you finish it in 5/6 hours basically.

[NeilMcRae]

I'm fed up with this emulator bollocks. Its almost like MS are trying to force companies to do 360 ports so they can take double the licence fee!

[Combination]

I was hoping for this to be the burnout of the FPS genre as it was touted by some to be. Though I'm not seeing any of that carnage, enemies approach in limited numbers and often require a few mags to gun down - this, for me, kills tension and incentive to proceed to the next stage.

And those unskippable cutscenes are just criminal.

[Chadruharazzeb]

Not only are the cutscenes unskippable, they are also boring and - even more criminally - ****ty old-style FMV scenes.

The actual game is alright. The visuals are amazing and there are some really intense "duck and cover" firefights. Love the weapons, really meaty looking and sounding (the WHOOOMPH!! from the Spas 12 pwns).

There are a few highly annoying problems though. I object to being told to go somewhere without any details, or a map, or at least a compass to show you which way you're facing (one level I went round in circles for about half an hour before I realised).

Colleague AI is appalling. They either do nothing at all or stand in your way, and when they attempt to help by saying something over the radio it's either meaningless or several seconds too late to be of any help.

Still, I'll crack on with it.

[dc-arena]

My main gripes with the game are the lack of checkpoints. I am on the prison level at the moment, its a right drag being sent back so far. Something like Call of Duty 2 or Halo would of been much better. Perhaps in combination with the health system that those games use too.. I guess you just get used to one way, and when someone does it different it takes a while to adjust.

The guys with the huge riot shields are nigh on impossible to take out if you don't have grenades too. There is one after the shower section that is a right git to take out. Cool game though, and I am enjoying it so far. It's good that you can do in stealthly into a level and take out enemies quietly with a silenced weapon, or just shoot the **** outta the room

Technically its outstanding, really really impressive what they have got going on PlayStation2 and Xbox (I am playing on Xbox). Loading is nippy too which is good, and the cutscenes, although boardering on Night Trap aren't too offensive. Pointless, but what the hell. And the music and gun sfx? Incredible..

[Chadruharazzeb]

That asylum level was a pain in the arse. The next stage is great fun though.

The checkpoint system is abysmal, especially as it doesn't actually save them in a way that you can turn off and continue later. Oh no, you have to play the whole level just so you don't lose your progress.

It seems very rushed to me. If they'd put a bit more time and effort into it, this could have been a classic. As it is it just seems like several missed opportunities.

[Kungfu]

.It seems very rushed to me. If they'd put a bit more time and effort into it, this could have been a classic. As it is it just seems like several missed opportunities.

Pretty much sums up my thoughts and many others on Black. A good enjoyable game while it lasts but nothing more.

Fingers crossed that improvements are made with Black 2.

[dc-arena]

Just completed it. Could of done with a couple more checkpoints here and there, and some of the headshots didn't always go down (and the hockey mask dudes take forever to die sometimes), but overall I loved it to bits. A totally mental and very enjoyable piece of entertainment.