Blood on the Sand is a surprisingly competent and enjoyable shooter for anyone looking for some mindless fun
Right from that start players realize this is not a game to be taken seriously. Simply the idea of 50 Cent performing a concert in a war torn city in the Middle East kills any sense of realism. It only gets more ludicrous from there. When 50 goes to collect his payment he's told by the promoter that he can't pay him because he was robbed. After 50 pulls out a gun the promoter quickly offers 50 a priceless diamond covered skull instead of cash. Naturally 50 decides this is an acceptable alternative so he heads out of the city with the skull, ready for the long trip home. Unfortunately his Hummer gets attacked on the way to the airport and his skull is stolen by a mysterious women. 50 is determined to get that skull back, no matter who stands in his way.
GAMEPLAY (8.0) - No question the designers of BotS were inspired from Gears of War with a very similar control scheme. In addition to being able to stick to cover the game is mostly played from the same over the shoulder view complete with the dive and roll abilities, as well as a similar aiming system and regenerative health. 50 will also have one of his G Unit friends along for the game though it seems like 50 ends up having to take down almost all of the enemies. The controls feel very tight and responsive, which is fortunate considering the waves of enemies that will thrown at 50, resulting in an almost non-stop stream of intense firefights. 50 is able to carry four weapons, one pistol, one assault rifle, one SMG or shotgun and one special weapon such as a rocket launcher. Throughout the game 50 can purchase more powerful versions of these weapons at phone booths located throughout the levels with money he accumulates from not only downed enemies but also crates filled with cash that are liberally sprinkled about, adding to the old-school arcade feel. Occasionally the game will throw in some variety with a driving level as well as one level where 50 is a gunner on a helicopter. 50 even has a stylish melee ability he can use on closer enemies if the player presses the B button with precise timing. Last but not least 50 has his own version of bullet time, known as Gangsta Vision, naturally.
The fact is, this is not really a very difficult game, at least not on the normal level. The enemy AI is quite competent as they will stick to cover and will have increasingly more powerful weapons and better armor as the game progresses. Unfortunately for them 50 can take a huge amount of damage before going down, and at least until near the end he has ample cover space where he can always stop and let his health quickly regenerate. It seems like the developers weren't too concerned with giving players a very difficult challenge when it comes to simply being able to finish the game. Instead, in keeping with the arcade feel the real challenge comes from the scoring system. Head shots, firing while exposed from cover, killing certain enemies within a time limit, etc. will give multipliers to the score. Finding hidden posters and targets will also give a nice bonus. Getting high scores by the end of a level will not only provide badges that result in achievements but are also posted on online leaderboards for bragging rights.
GRAPHICS (8.0) - The environments in BotS look impressive, highly detailed with good use of lighting and textures. Unfortunately with the setting of a war-torn city in the Middle East the environments can still be a bit dull and repetitive. Occasionally 50 will end up somewhere unusual and interesting, such as a shopping mall or a theater that is literally burning down around him, but most of the time everything has a rather nondescript tan color that seems to make most places all kind of blend in together. 50 and his G Unit companion are nicely detailed, and the enemies are decent looking as well, though only a small number of enemy types were used. Occasionally there will be CGI cutscenes, nothing spectacular but serviceable.
AUDIO (7.5) - There is a ridiculous amount of profanity in the game, not only between 50 and his companions but most of his enemies as well. However, once again the designers show that the game isn't meant to be taken seriously as 50 will have plenty of over the top comments to make. These are reminiscent of sayings by action heros from movies in the 1980's, comments that may have been cool 25 years ago but now are hilariously bad which admittedly adds a certain charm to the game. The environmental sounds get the job done with plenty of explosions and gunfire. Of course the music is comprised of 50 Cent tracks, with over 40 available. There is also the option to play with only instrumental background music for those that don't want to hear 50's tracks.
VALUE (7.5) - BotS will take anywhere from six to eight hours to complete, typical of most games in this genre. Some may be surprised and disappointed that there isn't any competitive multiplayer, as it is certainly the norm for shooters. However the game does allow the player to go back and replay the game with a friend in the online coop mode. It will be the same game, but for what it's worth additional achievements can be earned by playing through each level as one of the G Unit. Players that are fans of 50 may want to replay levels to get high enough scores that will unlock additional tracks as well as music videos.
SUMMARY - For anyone that hasn't already figured this out, the number one priority for anyone to enjoy this game is to simply not take anything seriously. Just as in watching those old action movies, people need to check their brain at the door and just enjoy the game for what it is, which is an arcade shooter with a silly story but with decent gameplay and graphics.