A fun FPS that was overshadowed by the more polished and popular Call of Duty 4.
This is the sequel to the often overlooked, but still awesome, Area 51 on PS2 (no, not the arcade rail shooter, the FPS). Unfortunately, this game doesn't have the same level of polish as it's predecessor. It is a very well done game but could have used some more work. There is no animation for characters exiting a vehicle; they just appear in front of you. Occasionally, you will find a door that is larger than the door frame and the two will overlap. Vehicle controls feel like an afterthought. Even with all of this, the game is a blast from beginning to end.
The gameplay itself doesn't contain anything you haven't played before. It follows all of the typical FPS rules. You can zoom in slightly with any weapon for better accuracy. Human (or humanoid) enemies can be taken down more quickly by head shots. Alien enemies have clearly marked weak spots. Most bosses are vulnerable only in one location. Nothing about this game is truly original, but a good FPS doesn't have to be. The action is intense and never gets old. The levels aren't too memorable, but do enough to keep you interested. It actually took me until the last level to realize that I had been using the same gun for 95% of the game. Sure, I was disappointed once I caught on to this fact, but the game was still fun the entire time. It says something good about the game that it took me that long to notice. You can issue simple orders to your squad by pressing the assigned button (the right bumper on Xbox 360) while looking at where you want them to go or what you want them to do. It works well and they usually are pretty good at following orders. The game boasts it's squad morale mechanic. If you perform well, your squad is supposed to perform better. If you do poorly or one of them falls in combat, the squad performs worse. I never really noticed a difference, but I may have just not paid enough attention since I was usually the one doing most of the killing. I do have to say that my squad mates did save my butt a few times when I had to reload and still had enemies coming after me. They aren't as disappointing as in many other games, but not as good as the guys in Republic Commando.
The boss battles are a little disappointing. Upon coming across a boss, your squad usually tells you exactly how to defeat it and most of the time it can be done in a single try. One boss in particular was extremely frustrating, but only because your squad's information on defeating it is completely wrong. The boss is a large turtle like alien that is only vulnerable on it's back. Your squad tells you they should split up and will drawn the enemies attention while you work around behind to shoot at it's weak spot. If you try this, the boss will never take his attention off of you and defeating him is completely impossible. I died so many times that I actually considered never playing again. After looking it up online, I found out that all you have to do is run to the top of the tallest building and shoot two rockets at the enemy. Now, I can win this battle every time without fail in roughly thirty seconds. The final boss is also disappointing, but for different reasons. He doesn't fight any differently than other normal enemies. He just can take more hits and has a more powerful gun. The room you fight him in has four pillars. All you have to do to beat him is stand behind one and move slowly to the right until you can hit him but he can't hit you. Most of the time he will just stand there and take the hits. He does move around some and will probably get some shots of at you, but this strategy will work almost every time.
The story is simply enough to push the game forward, but not much more. If you are expecting a plot about aliens and government conspiracies, be prepared to be disappointed. There are hints of conspiracies, but there is never any indication that aliens are involved in the game in any way. All the strange creatures you fight are just results of scientific experimentation that isn't explained fully. The characters are likable, but I never really got truly attached to them. Because of this, I didn't really feel bad when something happened to one of them. I actually sympathised with the main enemy of the game. If I had the choice, I probably would have joined with him. It made it a little difficult for me to really be drawn into the game because I was forced to fight someone I really didn't want to. On a side note, I have no idea if this supposed to be a continuation of the last Area 51's story. It seems like it might be, but there is no real connection.
This game continues the streak that all new shooters have had going. It is so short that I actually finished it in one sitting. This is good if you rent it, but paying $60 for one day of fun is ridiculous. Three difficulty levels can extend the game, but nothing new happens once you complete it the first time. It also has hidden packages around the levels that can increase the replay value, but this is almost expected in games these days. It also is another game that has no ending. The story just stops and nothing is really accomplished during the course of the game.
Graphically, it looks very good for the most part. The levels look nice, but can be rather sparse in some areas. The character models aren't top of the line, but are above average. The weapons look and feel believable. Much of the environment is destructible and will break apart realistically when under fire. If an enemy is hiding behind a concrete barricade and won't come out, it is awesome to be able to shoot the barricade until it crumbles and reveals the enemy. Just be careful, because the same may apply to anything you hide behind. Several of the bosses kick the game into slow motion momentarily when they enter, which looks really cool. Especially when they bust through a wall or smash into the ground and debris goes flying. Many of your squads animations, like opening doors, look great. Others of their actions look bad or are non-existent. You can almost tell when they started to have to rush the game to have it out by Christmas.
You won't be blown away by Blacksite. It is fun from beginning to end, but never really takes it to the next level. It is definitely better than games like Soldier of Fortune but doesn't compete with top tier games like Call of Duty 4. My advice is to take it for what it is and enjoy yourself. If you don't have too high of expectations, you won't be disappointed.