Story: Imagine you and 3 buddies are super badass bank robbers. Throw to the wayside perfect planning and just run into these financial institutions guns blazing mowing down security, the fuzz, and swat team members that stand in your way. This is the basic outline of Payday: The Heist as it lacks a true plot.

Gameplay: Payday controls like a standard FPS, two control sticks move, triggers shoot… you get the drift. The game is built from the ground up for co-op which is great if you have friends who own the game, but if you don’t you will find yourself endlessly trying to find a party in which you aren’t kicked from by the host. I had to go onto a forum I frequent to recruit some pals to play with. Once your into a game your given objectives to complete which takes away from the jump over the counter bank robbing I expected. Payday takes a horde mode like approach to enemies with spawns being set on some sort of pre determined timer. At first regular cops will come at you and when you beat them back riot cops follow a minute or so later, this continues up until SWAT arrives. The AI from the enemies and your teammates is very unrealistic your NPCs and the enemy NPCs just stand there and take bullets, but to counter this the game just continues to spawn a ton of cops sometimes they even spawn behind you which is incredibly frustrating. On multiple occasions I had enemies spawn in areas i cleared and backtracked from only to return and have a room full of cops waiting to shoot me.

Graphics/Audio: Payday looks like a late last gen/early this gen game. Guns and character models are nicely rendered but all of the interiors just feel bland and blocky. The times when you see fire are especially bad. The banter between your squad is nicely done with each member having spot on voice acting to their persona. Musically the game does nothing new but this isn’t a bad thing the tone is set properly and that is all that matters.

Overall: Payday: The Heist is a great budget title to play with some friends. I enjoyed the time I spent playing it with a few friends but the time spent on single player was very bland and boring. The game is worth playing but with the releases upcoming many gamers will probably miss it. If your a fan of co-op and want a new twist on it pick this up.

Pros:
-great for co-op
-cheap

Cons:
-very linear
-single player is boring
-AI problems both with team and enemies
-only 6 missions

6 out of 10

A copy of this game was provided by the developer for reviewing purposes.

A vacation on an tropical resort island sounded like a good idea…..

Story:Taking place on the fictional Banoi island just off the coast of Papua, New Guinea you play as one of 4 survivors of zombie outbreak. While you try to find your bearings as the game opens in the Palms Resort you soon learn your immune to zombie bites, convenient huh? You soon meet up with the lifeguard John Sinamoi and take on the job of runner/gatherer/savior of Banoi.

Gameplay: Dead Island really shines here, FPS/RPG hybrids (Borderlands,Fallout) have become a favorite genre of mine as of late. Featuring a ton of quests and side quests to keep your thirst for XP alive the RPG elements shine through. There are three skill trees to fill out with you leveling and overall zombie slaughtering. Each tree features a certain strength; the Combat tree for instance helps those who like throwing weapons into the decrepit flesh of the walkers. Stamina also plays a part in the gameplay, swinging your weapon like a school boy in a slap fight means your going to become tired and therefore eaten. Sadly there is a way around this in the form of a kick attack which can not be interrupted and has no cost to your overall stamina. The one place Dead Island could be better is inside the inventory system, trying to sell your junk parts or weapons is such a hassle I don’t even bother doing it unless I need to repair and item and have no cash. Speaking of repairs the item durability system is a great feature even if some bladed weapons deteriorate much too fast. All weapons besides throwables can be repaired, be sure to do this often cause if your weapon has 0% durability left it will be monumentally more to repair then say 30% durability.

Graphics/Audio: Texture pop plagues this game along with some horrible motion blur. A few friends of mine find the game almost unplayable due to the blurring inducing some sort of motion sickness. The island itself when you aren’t sick from the motion blur is a beautiful place. The water effects and lighting are almost on a Crysis level, as a matter of fact the whole Chrome Engine reminds me of the CryENGINE or at least a cheap knock off. The zombies are not super varied either which is to be expected with so many being rendered at once. Venturing onto a zombie island you would expect to be greeted by some groans and moans, and on Banoi you get that, but apparently all of the standard zombie share the same voice. Voice acting, zombies aside is pretty well done I especially like Sinamoi the George Clooney in the role of Mike Tyson lifeguard(If you have played the game you get this).

Overall: Dead Island is a very good game and a seemingly breath of fresh air in the co-op online landscape. I love every second I spend on the island of Banoi, even with the graphical hiccups and oversight of some exploits (kicking taking no stamina). With the incoming DLC I can see Dead island staying in my collection for a long time.

Pros:
-FUN FUN FUN
-Great co-op
-RPG elements help give depth to the game

Cons:
-texture pop
-motion blur
-no split screen

7.5 out of 10

The PS3′s post-Move plasticisation continues with the announcement of Sony’s official Sharp Shooter attachment which houses the Move wand and Navigation controller. Seeing as Sony is a huge fan of buttons, the Sharp Shooter features several buttons of its own, in addition to an adjustable rifle stock and ergonomic pump action slide.

December 9, 2010 – Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC (SCEA) today announced the official sharp shooter attachment for the PlayStation®Move motion controller will be available for $39.99 (MSRP) at major retailers nationwide this coming February 2011. Launching alongside the highly anticipated Killzone®3 for the PlayStation®3 (PS3®) system, the PlayStation Move sharp shooter provides the most intuitive and immersive control experience for shooter games. In addition to Killzone 3, the sharp shooter will be compatible with already released titles such as Time Crisis™: Razing Storm™, upcoming releases such as SOCOM 4: U.S. Navy SEALs and Dead Space™ Extraction, as well as many future PlayStation Move titles.

With its authentic design and precision, the PlayStation Move sharp shooter immediately places the player directly into the action. The streamlined design features easily accessible buttons, responsive digital trigger, realistic pump-action, firing mode selector, adjustable shoulder stock and convenient access to the navigation controller, allowing gamers to take aim and move into the firefight for hours of comfortable and engaging gameplay.

“PlayStation Move was designed with the goal of providing the most engaging and intuitive motion gaming experience possible, from a diverse range of genres,” said John Koller, director, hardware marketing, SCEA. “We’ve already seen a tremendous response to PlayStation Move’s launch lineup. With a heritage built on innovation and a significant lineup of shooter and action titles on the horizon, we’re truly evolving motion gaming with unmatched precision and a deeper sense of immersion than has ever been offered. When coupled with stereoscopic 3D support, such as in Killzone 3, the PlayStation Move sharp shooter represents a new step toward the ultimate goal of any cutting-edge video game: placing players directly in the game.”

In addition, a new “Jungle Green” DUALSHOCK®3 wireless controller will also be available in February 2011 for $54.99 (MSRP), to coincide with the upcoming launch of as Killzone 3. Adding to the already wide variety of colors available in the DUALSHOCK 3 family, the new “Jungle Green” color is tailored to the core fan and offers another option for gamers to choose from.

With a growing library of exciting titles and peripherals such as the PlayStation Move sharp shooter, gamers will be able to explore the precision and accuracy of PlayStation Move in ways that truly enhance the motion gaming experience.

Cabela’s Dangerous Hunts 2011 has been out for over a month now, with very little coverage. Surprising, given the optional Top Shot Elite light-gun, a first for the Xbox 360 platform. The game-play in Dangerous Hunts 2011 is divided into two different categories. Story mode plays out like a fairly standard First Person Shooter, while Gallery mode delivers a traditional On-Rails shooting Gallery experience. One is well suited for the Top Shot Elite game rifle, and one is not…

Gameplay:
Split across 12 levels, Story Mode tells the ever-darkening tale of the Rainsford family using In-Game Cut-Scenes and collectible Journal Pages and Recordings. Environments range from the Rainsford’s snowy mountain property to the Savannah and caves of Africa. The vaunted “Hunter Sense” falls flat, as it is rarely used for tracking animals, but rather for finding the game’s collectible items (Animal Horns, Marksman Targets, and Journals) or as X-Ray vision for seeing hidden predators before they pounce on you. With only occasional slightly alternate paths, the game is very linear and restrictive. In the few cases where you actually follow animal tracks, they disappear and leave you to wander in the only direction available to you until they reveal themselves in a cut-scene right before they pounce on you. Story Mode integrates some simple Quick Time Events through Dodge Sequences and Near Death events, requiring you to flick your aim (using the Top Shot Elite or Controller Thumb Stick), or to get a Slow Motion Heart Shot on an animal that is pouncing on you. Animal AI is dismal. Snakes and Crocodiles are too prevalent in some areas, and only react to you when you get within a few feet of them. Basically a slaughter-fest. Things are better with wolves and the big cats.

Gallery mode is the saving grace of Dangerous Hunts 2011 and the Top Shot Elite. The fixed-camera, on-rails Gallery experience shines in comparison to Story mode, which controls camera-look using the Top Shot Elite Rifle. I was able to use the light gun effectively and without eye strain in the shooting galleries by hip firing (not so ideal in Story, as the aim controls the camera). Gallery mode has a variety of sub-modes having several Survival and Trek levels, in addition to the 28 Classic gallery levels. Gallery mode enjoys improved game-play through simplified weapon choices. Offering only rifle and shotgun options, it is much quicker to select your weapon of choice. Gallery delivers the visceral arcade experience loved by gamers, with Kill-Streak Combos, Bonus Point Targets and special items like Health Packs, Extra Ammo, Clock Stopper, and X-Ray Hunter Vision. The downside is that many of the galleries are only unlocked by playing through the story on hard mode, which is much more difficult and frustrating than normal.

Top Shot Elite:
Designed by Red Octane, The Top Shot Elite is the first Light-gun peripheral for the Xbox 360. The rifle consists of four separate components: The main body, removable rifle stock, removable red lens scope, and sensor bar. The gun and sensor bar each require 2 AA batteries. While the rifle does feature integrated 360 wireless connectivity, it is not a fully compatible Xbox 360 controller. Only the digital buttons and D-Pad are recognized by the Xbox Dashboard, making menu navigation a chore. The two analog sticks are proprietary and only function in games that support the Top Shot Elite (currently only Dangerous Hunts 2011 and North American Adventures).

The Top Shot Elite requires lots of distance from the TV to operate properly. I found that I needed to stand about 10 feet away from the sensor bar to be able to achieve full aiming range on a 42″ TV. The sensor didn’t like me sitting down level with the TV, only picking up full range when aiming from slightly downward angles. You might get away with shorter distances with smaller TVs. While the stock and scope are “optional”, I feel like they really aren’t. The gun is too long to be held out in front of you like a pistol, unless you have about 14 to 15 feet of clearance. The gun only seems to aim accurately w/ full range at the level of the cross-hairs of the scope. Trying to aim down the “iron sights” seems to be be inaccurate, throwing off the active range and making calibration impossible (you can only get one corner of the TV).

The Red Lens Hunter Sense mode which the Top Shot Elite was designed around was ill conceived, turning the entire screen into a jumble like a secret message on a cereal box that requires you to send in for a red decoder. I quickly switched to the Classic Hunter Sense, and soon abandoned the light gun altogether for Story mode, turning to the tried and true Xbox 360 controller. If Activision/Red Octane ditch the red lens, and make a simple reticle to replace the scope, I think the Top Shot Elite would play much better.

Graphics/Sound:
Dangerous Hunts 2011 is a good looking game. The animals and environments are very detailed, but long fur is very blocky up close. There isn’t a lot of variety in the environments, most of the game takes place on the African Savannah. The game is nicely voiced, and animal sounds are convincing.

Multiplayer:
Gallery Mode supports up to 2-players simultaneously, or 4-Player hot seat game play.

Overall:
Story Mode attempts to bring an engaging story to the Cabela’s genre, enlisting the talents of screenwriter Brad Santos to pen the narrative. In the end, the story felt more like an attempt to justify the demonic portrayal of wolves and other natural predators present in the game. Despite exhaustive efforts exploring and using Hunter Sense, I managed to miss a few Experience Items, Marksman Targets or Journals on each level. Even though the game has been out for over a month, there are no walkthroughs to help you find these elusive collectibles, which are made all the harder to find due to the snails pace in Hunter Sense. Completion-ists beware…Where the Story Mode is ok using the 360 controller, the Gallery mode is great using the Top Shot Elite (hip firing). The Gallery’s arcade experience is fast paced and challenging, with a large number of levels to choose from.

Pros:
+Gallery Mode
+Graphics

Cons:
-Red Lens/Hunter Sense
-Top Shot Elite Space Requirements
-Can’t skip cut-scenes

Score: 6 out of 10

A copy of the game w/ Top Shot Elite light gun was provided by the publisher for reviewing purposes

Amazon

Exclusive to Amazon.com, The “F.E.A.R. 3” comic book is a 12-page story written by Steve Niles, illustrated by Stefano Raffaele and produced by DC Comics. The comic-book is a prequel to F.E.A.R. 3 and picks up right after the events of F.E.A.R. Point Man has escaped an explosive blast he set in motion to eliminate Alma and is confronted with a brand new threat and a new escape mission.

Best Buy

Pre-order your copy of F.E.A.R. 3 from Best Buy and receive exclusive access to The Shredder, a sidearm specially developed by Armacham Technologies for their elite guard as an effective way to stop experimental super soldiers that have gone rouge. Decommissioned after failing to be effective against Prototype 1, The Shredder shoots heavy metal shot rounds mixed with nitrates like a fire breathing dragon in your hand. Perfect for knocking extremely fast targets, there’s nothing better when you’re between a rock and a hard place with multiple hostiles rapidly advancing.

Gamestop

Pre-order your copy of F.E.A.R. 3 at Gamestop and receive exclusive access to The Hammer, Fettel’s original sidearm which was lost when he was killed by his brother, Point Man. The Hammer has greater stopping power than the standard F.E.A.R. issue sidearm. This .50 caliber round is a must when you need to make every shot count. A few less rounds per clip is an easy trade off for almost twice the damage! This sidearm will prove to be an able ally when playing multiplayer in F.E.A.R. 3.

More information on F.E.A.R. 3…

The third installment of F.E.A.R. delivers a heart-pounding paranormal horror experience, showcasing intense combat, compelling narrative, frightening single player and divergent co-op play that evolves the franchise. Alma returns for F.E.A.R. 3 but this time her sons Point Man and Paxton Fettel will be playable as two distinctly unique experiences in co-operative play. To further ensure extreme terror in F.E.A.R. 3, legendary horror mastermind John Carpenter (Halloween) and critically acclaimed horror comic and script writer Steve Niles (30 Days of Night) provided consultation.

History repeats itself with timed exclusive Fallout DLC for Xbox 360…

BETHESDA SOFTWORKS ANNOUNCES PLANS FOR
FALLOUT®: NEW VEGAS™ ADD-ON GAME CONTENT

First Fallout: New Vegas Downloadable Content
Exclusive to Xbox LIVE

October 18, 2010 (Rockville, MD) – Bethesda Softworks®, a ZeniMax® Media company, today announced plans to develop add-on content for Fallout®: New Vegas™, the follow-up to the 2008 Game of the Year, Fallout® 3. The first downloadable content for Fallout: New Vegas will be available this holiday season through Xbox LIVE® for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft.

“We’re excited to continue the partnership between Bethesda and Microsoft, and build on the success of the game add-ons released for Fallout 3 on Xbox LIVE,” said Pete Hines, VP of Marketing and PR of Bethesda Softworks. “Fans will once again be able to continue their experience in the Fallout universe with the add-on packs planned for after the launch of the game.”

Fallout: New Vegas brings this beloved franchise to a location only Fallout could do justice: Vegas. Fallout: New Vegas takes all the action, humor and post-apocalyptic grime and grit of this legendary series, and raises the stakes.

“Bethesda set a high bar with the quality of the Fallout game add-ons,” said Matt Barlow, General Manager, IEB Product Marketing for Microsoft. “We have no doubt that gamers will be thrilled with seeing a new add-on pack extend their adventures with Fallout: New Vegas on Xbox 360 and Xbox LIVE.”

Published by Bethesda Softworks, Fallout: New Vegas is set for release on Xbox 360, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, and Games for Windows on October 19th in North America, October 21st in Australia and on October 22nd in Europe.

More details about plans for additional content will be released in the coming weeks.

Fallout®: New Vegas, developed at Obsidian Entertainment, has been rated M for Mature by the ESRB. For more information on Fallout: New Vegas, visit http://fallout.bethsoft.com.

Call of Duty: Black Ops will be featuring the popular “Zombies” mode introduced in Treyarch’s last Call of Duty game, World at War. Perhaps this incarnation will come to be known as “Commie Zombies”, given the Cold War setting of Black Ops. Treyarch also confirming that the 4 bonus co-op maps included with the Hardened and Prestige Editions of Black Ops will indeed be updated versions of the Nazi Zombie maps from the World at War game and Map Packs.

CALL OF DUTY®: BLACK OPS CO-OP TO INCLUDE ZOMBIES

The Call of Duty Community’s Favorite Un-Dead Make Their Return in
The Year’s Most-Anticipated Entertainment Launch

Santa Monica, CA – September 29, 2010 – Taking the wraps off one of the most anticipated features and worst kept secrets, Treyarch revealed today that the community-favorite “Zombies” is coming to Call of Duty®: Black Ops which hits stores worldwide on November 9th , by Activision Publishing, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI). Zombies were originally introduced in Call of Duty®: World at War and became an instant hit. Call of Duty: Black Ops fans can combat the zombie apocalypse in up to four-player co-op gameplay.

“Zombies have been such a hit with our community that we were committed to bringing brand new zombie experiences to Call of Duty: Black Ops,” says Treyarch Studio Head, Mark Lamia. “We’ve taken extra special care to retain the essential ingredients of our Zombie game, and have also crafted a nice surprise for the fans.”

Today’s news follows the announcement that four updated co-op maps from Call of Duty: World at War will be made available as part of the Call of Duty®: Black Ops Prestige and Hardened Editions, along with the premium edition Steelbooktm Case, custom Black Ops limited edition medal and an exclusive Black Ops Avatar outfit.

Gamers can also experience an all new co-op game in Call of Duty: Black Ops Multiplayer with Combat Training. Up to six players can rank up in this dedicated and exclusive multiplayer mode battling against enemy AI.

Call of Duty: Black Ops will release worldwide on November 9th. Pre-orders for the title are available now. Call of Duty: Black Ops for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation® 3 computer entertainment system, Nintendo Wii™ and Windows® PC is rated “M” (Mature – Blood, Drug Reference, Intense Violence and Language). Also scheduled for release is Call of Duty: Black Ops for the Nintendo DS™ family of hand-held systems, which is rated “T” (Teen) by the ESRB and in development by n-Space.

Additionally, fans who can’t wait for the November 9th release of Call of Duty: Black Ops can hone their zombie combat skills on iPhone and iPod Touch starting tomorrow with the newest map release for Call of Duty: ZOMBIES, Der Riese (“Zombie Factory”), which is an adaptation of the popular downloadable content originally released for Call of Duty: World at War. Call of Duty: ZOMBIES is developed by Ideaworks Game Studio for the iPhone and iPod touch, based on Treyarch’s console version, and now all four maps from the original game are available for $4.99 from the App Store at www.itunes.com/appstore/.

For more Call of Duty information, visit www.callofduty.com/blackops and also via Twitter @JD_2020.

As with any sacrifice, there’s good news and there’s bad news…

The bad news is that “The Sacrifice” is not cross compatible between Left 4 Dead and Left 4 Dead 2. This could be a problem for completionist Xbox 360 gamers if “The Sacrifice” offers Achievements, requiring them to drop 560pts for each game’s version if they want the games to show up in their Completed Games list.

The good news is that “The Sacrifice” for L4D2 brings “No Mercy” to L4D2, adding a bit more value to the DLC for console gamers.

The best news is that PC gamers get to have their cake and eat it too…and that’s no lie! Both versions of “The Sacrifice” will be free for PC gamers, so it doesn’t matter that they aren’t cross compatible.

LEFT 4 DEAD “THE SACRIFICE” COMING OCTOBER 5

Latest DLC Coming to Both L4D1 & L4D2

September 27, 2010 – Valve, creators of best-selling game franchises (such as Half-Life, Portal, Team Fortress, and Counter-Strike) and leading technologies (such as Steam and Source), today announced the new add-on for its co-operative zombie thrillers — “The Sacrifice,” in development for both Left 4 Dead (L4D) and Left 4 Dead 2 (L4D2) — is due for release on October 5, 2010.

“The Sacrifice” is the prequel to “The Passing,” and takes place from the L4D Survivors’ perspective as they make their way South. In addition to advancing the story, “The Sacrifice” introduces a new style finale featuring “Sacrificial Gameplay” where players get to decide who will give their life so the others may live.

The Sacrifice DLC for L4D1 is a seperate download than The Sacrifice for L4D2.

In The Sacrifice for Left 4 Dead 1 gamers receive the complete Sacrifice campaign with maps playable in Campaign, Versus, and Survival.

In The Sacrifice for Left 4 Dead 2 owners receive “The Sacrifice” campaign playable with the Left 4 Dead Survivors. In addition, those with Left 4 Dead 2 receive L4D’s “No Mercy” campaign. Both campaigns are playable in Campaign, Versus, Survival, and Scavenge modes and both will feature the Left 4 Dead 2 Special Infected, items, and weapons. Yes, Zoey with a chainsaw!

Targeted for release on October 5th, “The Sacrifice” will be available for download on Xbox Live for 560 Microsoft Points and free to all PC gamers.

For more information, please visit www.l4d.com

Treyarch and Activision unveil the over-the-top Prestige Edition for Call of Duty:Black Ops

Call of Duty:Black Ops’ Prestige Edition goes above and beyond the Hardened Edition (which features an exclusive avatar outfit, four co-op mission maps, and a military styled Black Ops medal) with a working remote control replica of the in-game RC-XD surveillance vehicle.

CALL OF DUTY®: BLACK OPS COLLECTOR’S EDITIONS NOW AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER IN THE U.S.

Remote-Controlled RC-XD Video Surveillance Vehicle inspired by Multiplayer Highlights Prestige Edition

Santa Monica, CA – August 12, 2010 – Activision Publishing, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) has de-classified details regarding the Collector’s Editions for Treyarch’s upcoming game, Call of Duty®: Black Ops, which is expected to be the entertainment event of 2010. Call of Duty: Black Ops Prestige Edition and the Call of Duty: Black Ops Hardened Editions, are expected to be this year’s hottest collector’s item and are now available in limited supplies for pre-order in the U.S. at major retail outlets nationwide. Call of Duty: Black Ops launches on November 9th, giving gamers the latest classified surveillance technology — the RC-XD — as part of the Call of Duty: Black Ops Prestige Edition.

For the Prestige Edition, Treyarch and Activision created an entirely original remote controlled surveillance vehicle inspired by the RC-XD from Black Ops Multiplayer. With a range of up to 200 feet, the RC-XD Surveillance Vehicle has a fully-functioning remote camera that transmits both TFT color video and audio to its operator.

The Prestige Edition is inclusive of the Hardened Edition, which includes a custom Black Ops limited edition medal, exclusive Black Ops Avatar outfit, as well as four playable cooperative maps.

The Call of Duty: Black Ops Prestige Editions and Hardened Editions will be available for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system when Call of Duty: Black Ops opens worldwide on November 9th, 2010. Black Ops drops gamers deep behind enemy lines into the world of deniable operations as a member of elite Black Ops units. Standard editions of Call of Duty: Black Ops will also be available for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system, Nintendo Wii and Windows® PC. The title is not yet rated by the ESRB. Also in development, Call of Duty: Black Ops for Nintendo DS is rated “T for Teen” by the ESRB.

For more information, visit www.callofduty.com/blackops and also via Twitter @JD_2020.

About Activision Publishing, Inc.
Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision Publishing, Inc. is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and leisure products.

Activision maintains operations in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, Spain, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Australia, South Korea, China and the region of Taiwan. More information about Activision and its products can be found on the company’s website, www.activision.com.

Like a real black light, turning on Blacklight: Tango Down reveals things you really don’t want to see… at least not in a $15 game that you can’t return or trade in toward something better.

Story: THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK. SERIOUSLY.

Gameplay: Blacklight Tango Down almost completely forgoes any attempt at a single-player experience (with not even 1 achievement reserved for offline play), only offering four “Black Ops” missions which can be played solo or cooperatively over Xbox Live. I put “Black Ops” in quotes because there isn’t much “black” to the missions. Your enemies always know you are coming and always know where you are. Even though health packs and medical-stations are frequent, and you automatically heal up to 50% health level, Black Ops can still be annoying. Damage adds up fast (especially when the enemies spawn around or behind you), and you could quickly find yourself dying before you realize you need to run back to the last medical station. Which wouldn’t be a problem, if the “checkpoints” throughout the missions were actually checkpoints. If you die, you have to restart the entire mission. The only exception to this is in co-op, where you will re-spawn if your partner makes it to the next checkpoint.

The mission objectives are pretty disappointing as well. You are frequently tasked with “hacking” terminals and other equipment. The hacking is far from leet however. Bet you never thought you would be playing Simon (the flashing light memory game) in a futuristic FPS, did you? Yeah, Blacklight uses Simon as it’s method for unlocking doors and disabling high-grade military equipment. Some terminals aren’t even that advanced, tasking you with sliding some triangles to the middle line using left or right on the d-pad. The one good thing about Black Ops mode is that you earn experience points which go toward raising your rank, thus helping you unlock attachments for customizing your weapons for multi-player. There is only one gun body per class (SMG, Assault, Sniper, etc.), which is then customized by changing sights, barrel, stock, etc.

Of course, the only thing worse than Black Ops is the multi-player game modes. The basics are all represented here, including Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, Retrieval (CTF), Domination, Detonation (Search & Destroy), Last Man Standing (elimination free-for-all), and Last Team Standing (elimination team deathmatch). In a total backwards move, Zombie Studios decided that you should always spawn in the same spot. In an effort to address “Spawn Camping”, Zombie Studios placed auto-turret guns in each teams’ spawn base, but that just pushes spawn camping back a ways, so spawn exits are camped, instead of the spawn point itself. Brilliant. Combine this with the fact that death comes even cheaper than in Call of Duty’s Hardcore mode, and you will see just what a wonderful experience Blacklight: Tango Down isn’t.

All the “high-tech” gear like the EMP and Digi grenades are just digital versions of flash-bangs and flares. The HRV (Hyper Reality Visor), which lets you see where enemies are regardless of walls, is more of a hindrance than a help. If you are too close to your cover, you can’t turn the visor on without backing up to make room for your hand to come up and flip the switch, and it takes way too long to turn off. You will frequently get caught using your visor and not be able to get back to reality in time to get your gun sighted in on an enemy that is about to come around the corner.

Searching for games to join can take several minutes sometimes, and you will frequently wait even longer once you get into a lobby.

Graphics/Audio: Blacklight is using Unreal Engine 3, which makes the poor gameplay all the more disappointing (since they had time to work on gameplay mechanics and level design, instead of programming a game engine from scratch). The graphics are decent, but not anywhere near as good as they could be (think Batman: Arkham Asylum). Sounds work, although the frag grenades sound more like a high caliber pistol shot than a grenade blast. During Black Ops, your mission liaison has a heavy Russian accent, and sometimes I couldn’t tell what she was saying if I didn’t have the volume up high.

Overall: Blacklight: Tango Down is a pass. The multiplayer only achievement list lets you know that the game-play is mediocre and that they have to prop it up by forcing you to keep playing online. There are barely any players in the playlists now, and things will only get worse each week as more and more XBLA games are released, especially with the Summer of Arcade looming on the horizon. Your money would be better spent on a map pack for Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 (which I have said before (very vehemently I might add) is not worth the points).

Pros:
-It was kind of funny when I got hit by a train in the subway
-Shooting the crazies/mutants/infected in Black Ops (not exactly sure what they are)

Cons:
-Spawn points
-Not enough crazies/mutants/infected to shoot in Black Ops

Score: 6 out of 10

A copy of the game was provided by the publisher for review purpose