Black (video game)

Last updated

Black
Black cover art.jpg
European cover art
Developer(s) Criterion Games
Publisher(s) Electronic Arts
Producer(s) Jeremy Chubb Senior Designer = Stuart Black
Designer(s) Craig Sullivan
Programmer(s) Sean Murray
Composer(s)
Engine RenderWare
Platform(s)
Release
  • EU: 24 February 2006
  • NA: 28 February 2006
Genre(s) First-person shooter
Mode(s) Single-player

Black is a 2006 first-person shooter video game developed by Criterion Games and published by Electronic Arts. It was released for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox in February 2006. The player assumes control of Jack Kellar, a black ops agent being interrogated about his previous missions involving a terrorist operation. Gameplay involves players confronting enemies by using firearms and grenades. The game is notable for its heavily stylized cinema-inspired action as well as its sound quality and focus on destructive effects during gameplay.

Contents

Black received generally positive reviews upon release. Critics praised the gameplay, sound design and presentation, but criticized the game's short length and lack of multiplayer. Despite Criterion's desire to develop a sequel, creative differences with Electronic Arts ultimately ended plans for one. As such a spiritual successor, Bodycount , was created by the same developers at Codemasters and released in 2011.

Story

Black is set in Ingushetia and Chechnya, Russia. The protagonist is Sergeant First Class Jack Kellar (Marty Papazian), an inadequately disciplined member of a CIA black ops unit. The unknown interrogator (Paul Pape) questions Kellar about an arms smuggling terrorist organization and gang called the Seventh Wave who have been responsible for a number of terrorist attacks and homicides. The interrogator explains that, unless Keller co-operates, he and his actions will be declassified, meaning he will be convicted at court-martial, dishonorably discharged, and imprisoned for life. Though initially resistant, Kellar agrees to tell his story.

Four days earlier, Kellar and his military unit were attacking a Seventh Wave stronghold in the city of Veblensk. Kellar kills three high-ranking members of the cell but then disobeys orders by rushing inside a terrorist controlled building, where a hitman suddenly ambushes him. However, this hitman did not kill Kellar, who learns the man is an American, William Lennox, a former CIA wetwork operative. After faking his own death in Cairo, Lennox has become the leader of Seventh Wave.

Kellar's next mission is to cross the border into Treneska and traverse the Vlodnik Canal to destroy a base and weapons cache. He then meets a female black ops soldier named MacCarver (Cree Summer), the commander of black ops Team Bravo, after fighting a wave of terrorists at a farmhouse. Kellar and MacCarver then move to destroy an arms factory in the city of Naszran. To complete the mission, they must navigate an old graveyard and town, both heavily defended. After doing so, they assault the town's iron foundry, destroying its productive capacity. They then meet a third member of the team, Solomon.

They learn that Valencio, one of the four bosses of Seventh Wave, is hiding in Tivliz Asylum. The team decide to attack the asylum yard, with Keller rushing into the asylum despite Solomon protesting that their order is to hold. Keller finds Valencio after blowing up a concrete machine gun nest and briefly interrogates him for Lennox's location.

Based on information gathered from the mission, Team Bravo proceeds to a well-defended dockyard, clears the area, and moves to link up with Alpha Team. Alpha Team, however, is wiped out in an ambush while Lennox escapes. In light of the disastrous result, the operation is declared cancelled. Despite this, Kellar leads a retaliatory assault against the Graznei Bridge before leaving his team at the gates of Lennox's compound to penetrate the defenses both around and inside the Spetriniv Gulag. During the attack, Keller triggers an explosion resulting from the destruction of two concrete barricades, and subsequent explosions in the final room of the underground bunker, presumably killing Lennox.

The interrogator then reveals to Kellar that authorities had, in fact, always known of Lennox's involvement in Seventh Wave. Kellar had acted predictably, doing what his profile said he would, while his pursuit of Lennox was both expected and welcome - but Lennox is not in fact dead. Kellar is told that a false "death" in a car crash has been arranged for him to provide cover so he could continue his pursuit of Lennox. The game ends with Kellar being told to get ready for his next assignment.

Gameplay

The player, armed with a SPAS-12, faces multiple enemies on the Naszran Foundry chapter. The red crescents in the center of the screen indicate that he is taking damage from multiple angles. Black - Gameplay.png
The player, armed with a SPAS-12, faces multiple enemies on the Naszran Foundry chapter. The red crescents in the center of the screen indicate that he is taking damage from multiple angles.

The gameplay is essentially a straightforward first-person shooter. Players can only carry two weapons at a time; therefore, strategy is needed when choosing weaponry, with weapons differing in characteristics. The player can also carry grenades, which can be thrown without switching weapons. Land mines and grenades can be detonated prematurely by shooting them.

The game is mission-based, with each mission separated by a cut scene video. On harder difficulties, there are more objectives that must be completed before the player can progress. These extra objectives involved collecting various intelligence documents, blueprints, or destroying parts of the environment. These are all indicated by the HUD cross-hair changing color when the player points at the relevant object.

Successful completion of the objectives over all missions in all difficulties above 'Easy' results in the awarding of Silver Weapons (infinite bullets) and unlocking the M16-A2 (40mm underslung grenade launcher attachment) as the starting default weapon with infinite 40mm grenades. When unlocked, these features are permanent and cannot be removed without starting a fresh storyline.

Development

Criterion intended to "do for shooting what Burnout did for racing - tear it apart", [1] with dual emphasis on destructible environments and the handling and behavior of real-world firearms. Bullets that hit buildings, terrain and objects leave visible damage; moreover, the guns are rendered with great detail and accuracy, though some weapons' features are stylized or exaggerated. [2] The emphasis on the appearance, function, and sounds of the weapons led the developer to label the game as "Gun-Porn". [3] Another notable and original feature is the use of real-time blur while reloading, giving a depth of field and more perspective to the game. Similarly, when the player drops below two bars of health, the screen turns black and white, the sound of the character's heartbeat become the dominant noise and the game goes into slow motion, and the large and small motors in the control pads match the sound of systolic and diastolic part of the heartbeat.

The game was not developed with an overarching plot structure in mind and this was implemented as something of an afterthought towards the end of development. The initial idea for relating the plot in-game came from Black's director, Alex Ward, who wanted to have a radio-play-style voiceover spoken over a 'black' screen.

Sound

Emphasizing the game's action film heritage, sound effects for the weapons in the game were based on various sounds from films. For example, Bruce Willis' Heckler & Koch MP5 in Die Hard , Jack Bauer's pistol in 24 , and Arnold Schwarzenegger's Uzi in True Lies . [4]

Realizing in the chaos of a heavy gun battle the heavy mix of sound and music would produce a cacophony of noise, the sound designers developed the "choir of guns" concept. Whereas, traditionally in a shooter game, each weapon model would be assigned a different sound, Black assigns each enemy their own "voice", similar to the way in which each member of a choir would have their own distinct voice. For example, there are three enemies firing, one would be assigned a low voice, another a medium voice, and the third a high voice. This allows all the weapons being fired in any particular scene to harmonize and deliver a distinct sound for the game. Black's sound was nominated for Best Audio at the 2006 BAFTA Video Games Awards, and won Best Art & Sound jointly with Burnout Revenge (another game by Criterion) at the 2006 Develop Industry Excellence Awards. [5]

The music for Black was composed by Chris Tilton, using a theme co-authored with Oscar-winning composer Michael Giacchino. It was recorded at the Newman Scoring Stage. [6]

Reception

Black's PlayStation 2 version received a "Gold" sales award from the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA), [27] indicating sales of at least 200,000 copies in the United Kingdom. [28]

Black received "favorable" reviews on both platforms according to video game review aggregator Metacritic. [7] [8]

In Japan, Famitsu gave the PS2 version all four eights, for a total of 32 out of 40. [13] The Times also gave the game four stars out of five and stated: "As the entire game is played at fever-pitch, you soon find yourself looking forward to the next mission briefing, if only for a chance to catch your breath. The only mystery to Black is why there is no multiplayer mode, since such intense battle settings would make for great competitive bouts". [26] The Sydney Morning Herald similarly gave it four stars out of five: "Little strategy is required for each stage, with abundant health packs and aggressive opponents of little intelligence. But there are many strategies and the use of cover is vital". [29] Detroit Free Press gave the Xbox version three stars out of four and said: "The action is intense and the effects are splendid, though the un-reality applies also to the worlds in which you battle". [25] However, The A.V. Club gave the game a C+, stating that it was worth playing for "six hours. Pretty good hours, but still, The A.V. Club can't stress that number enough"; and added "that was awesome for Doom, a free download with 16 extra maps available after registration. But 40 bucks for Black's eight levels, with no multiplayer mode, and unlockable difficulty settings the only incentive to replay? The question is really whether renting this lovely oversized tech demo is worth a whole weekend". [30]

During the 10th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards, the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences nominated Black for "First-Person Action Game of the Year" and "Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition". [31]

In 2013, IGN listed the game at 99 in the list of "Top 100 Shooters". [32]

Future

In an interview, co-creator and designer Stuart Black revealed that plans for a sequel were underway, but are now scrapped due to differences with Electronic Arts. Stuart Black and many of the developers of Black worked on the now released Bodycount ; a spiritual successor to the game which, developed by Codemasters, was released on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 during Q3 2011. [33] [34]

Related Research Articles

<i>The Simpsons: Road Rage</i> Vehicular combat video game

The Simpsons: Road Rage is a 2001 racing video game based on the animated television series The Simpsons, and is part of a series of games based on the show. It was released for PlayStation 2, Xbox and GameCube. A Game Boy Advance version was released in 2003.

<i>Tom Clancys Ghost Recon</i> (2001 video game) 2001 video game

Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon is a tactical shooter video game developed by Red Storm Entertainment and published by Ubi Soft in 2001 for Microsoft Windows. It is the first game in the Ghost Recon series. It was ported to Mac OS, Xbox and PlayStation 2 in 2002 and to the GameCube in 2003. Ports for N-Gage and Game Boy Advance were planned, but later canceled. Unlike Clancy's other tactical shooter series, Rainbow Six, Ghost Recon is not based on any of his books.

<i>Tom Clancys Splinter Cell</i> (video game) 2002 stealth video game

Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell is a 2002 stealth game developed by Ubisoft Montreal and published by Ubisoft. It is the first game in the Splinter Cell series. Endorsed by author Tom Clancy, it follows the activities of NSA black ops agent Sam Fisher. The game was inspired by both the Metal Gear series and games created by Looking Glass Studios, and was built using Unreal Engine 2.

<i>Call of Duty</i> (video game) 2003 video game

Call of Duty is a 2003 first-person shooter game developed by Infinity Ward and published by Activision. It is the first installment in the Call of Duty franchise, released on October 29, 2003, for Microsoft Windows. The game simulates infantry and combined arms warfare of World War II using a modified version of the id Tech 3 engine. Much of its theme and gameplay is similar to the Medal of Honor series; however, Call of Duty showcases multiple viewpoints staged in the American, British, and Soviet campaigns of World War II in Europe.

<i>Medal of Honor: Rising Sun</i> 2003 video game

Medal of Honor: Rising Sun is a first-person shooter video game, the fifth installment of the Medal of Honor series, released by EA Games in November 2003. Rising Sun is set in World War II, during the Pacific War. It features single-player and multiplayer capabilities, with multiplayer terminated as of 2007. In single-player mode, the player assumes the role of Joseph Griffin of the United States Marine Corps.

<i>Medal of Honor: Frontline</i> 2002 video game

Medal of Honor: Frontline is a first-person shooter video game, in the Medal of Honor series, and was published by Electronic Arts. The player character is Lt. Jimmy Patterson, from the American Office of Strategic Services. Frontline takes place during the events of the first game and chronicles Patterson's journey as he fights his way across Europe into Nazi Germany during World War II. Frontline was released in North America for the PlayStation 2 on May 29, 2002 and for the GameCube and Xbox consoles on November 7, 2002.

<i>James Bond 007: Nightfire</i> 2002 first-person shooter video game

James Bond 007: Nightfire is a 2002 first-person shooter video game published by Electronic Arts for the GameCube, PlayStation 2, Xbox and Microsoft Windows, with additional versions released for the Game Boy Advance in 2003, and the Mac OS X in 2004. The computer versions feature modifications to the storyline, different missions and the removal of driving sections used in home console versions.

<i>Soulcalibur II</i> 2002 video game

Soulcalibur II is a 2002 fighting game developed by Project Soul and published by Namco and the third installment in the Soulcalibur series of weapon-based fighting games. It is the sequel to Soulcalibur, which was released in July 1998. Originally intended to be released on Sega's NAOMI board, the game was released on the Namco System 246 arcade board before being ported to the PlayStation 2, GameCube, and Xbox in 2003.

<i>Driver 3</i> 2004 video game

Driver 3 is a 2004 action-adventure game, the third installment in the Driver series. It was developed by Reflections Interactive, published by Atari, and released on PlayStation 2, Xbox and mobile phones in June 2004, Microsoft Windows in March 2005, and Game Boy Advance in October 2005. The game's story focuses on players assuming the role of John Tanner, an undercover FBI agent, as he investigates a car-smuggling ring across three countries, in order to identify and arrest its boss and learn who they are planning to sell a cache of stolen cars to. The game expanded upon its predecessors with on-foot sections, gun combat, and drive-by shooting, with virtual recreations of three major cities - Miami, Nice, and Istanbul - free-roam game mode, and an improvement to the series' film-making "director mode".

<i>Call of Duty: Finest Hour</i> 2004 video game

Call of Duty: Finest Hour is a first-person shooter video game developed by Spark Unlimited and published by Activision for GameCube, PlayStation 2, and Xbox. It is the first console installment of Call of Duty.

<i>Tom Clancys Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory</i> 2005 stealth video game

Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory is a stealth game developed by Ubisoft Montreal and Ubisoft Milan. The game was released for GameCube, PlayStation 2, Windows and Xbox in March 2005. Handheld versions for the Nintendo DS, mobile, and N-Gage were also released. A Game Boy Advance port was planned but later cancelled.

<i>Shadow the Hedgehog</i> (video game) 2005 video game

Shadow the Hedgehog is a 2005 platform game developed by Sega Studios USA and published by Sega as part of the Sonic the Hedgehog series. The game follows its amnesiac titular character as he attempts to learn about his past, while an alien invasion plagues Earth. Shadow the Hedgehog reintroduces third-person shooter elements from Sonic Adventure and Sonic Adventure 2, but greatly expands upon the concept and introduces nonlinear gameplay to the Sonic franchise. To defeat enemies and progress through the game, Shadow can use a variety of weapons from each faction and complete missions that will determine the game's plot and subsequently playable levels.

<i>Delta Force: Black Hawk Down</i> 2003 video game

Delta Force: Black Hawk Down is a first-person shooter video game developed by NovaLogic. It was released for Microsoft Windows on March 25, 2003; for Mac OS X in July 2004; and for PlayStation 2 and Xbox on July 26, 2005. It is the 6th game of the Delta Force series. It is set in the early 1990s, during the Unified Task Force peacekeeping operation in Somalia. The missions take place primarily in the southern Jubba Valley and the capital Mogadishu. The game also features a mission editor with which players can make custom missions. The game is based on the book of the same name, not the Sony film.

<i>Secret Weapons Over Normandy</i> 2003 video game

Secret Weapons Over Normandy is a World War II-based arcade video game. Published by LucasArts and developed by Totally Games, the game is composed of 15 objective-based missions set in 1940s European, North African, and the Pacific theatres of war. The story was written by Derek Chester. The music was composed by Michael Giacchino.

<i>Tom Clancys Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter</i> 2006 video game

Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter (GRAW) is a tactical shooter video game released for the Xbox 360, Xbox, PlayStation 2 and Microsoft Windows in 2006. As in previous Ghost Recon games, players command their team while neutralizing hostile forces and completing various mission objectives. These objectives can range from escorting friendly units across the map to rescuing hostages or taking out enemy artillery.

<i>Commandos 2: Men of Courage</i> 2001 video game

Commandos 2: Men of Courage is a real-time tactics video game, developed by Pyro Studios, published by Eidos Interactive, and released on September 20, 2001. It is a sequel to Commandos: Behind Enemy Lines and the second installment of the Commandos series, and is the only strategy game of the series to be designed not only for Microsoft Windows, but also for PlayStation 2 and Xbox. The game sees players taking control of a squad of commandos, along with various allied units, as they sneak behind enemy lines to accomplish various missions in World War II, between 1941 and 1944, that will help them to thwart the war efforts of the Germans and the Japanese. The game features several improvements to the gameplay from its predecessor, including the ability to use enemy weapons and explore interior locations, the inclusion of three new commandos, a number of new skills for the original six members along with their other abilities, and new pieces of equipment to help overcome the enemy.

<i>SpyHunter</i> 2001 video game

SpyHunter is a vehicular combat game. It is a remake and sequel of the 1983 arcade game of the same name first released for PlayStation 2 in 2001. It has since been ported to GameCube, Xbox, Game Boy Advance, Microsoft Windows, OS X, and Tapwave Zodiac. In the game, the player drives the G-6155 Interceptor, an advanced, weaponized spy vehicle. Unlike the original's top-down view, the remake is played with a chase camera, similar to a racing game.

<i>Full Spectrum Warrior: Ten Hammers</i> 2006 video game

Full Spectrum Warrior: Ten Hammers is a real-time tactics video game developed by Pandemic Studios and published by THQ for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 2 and Xbox.

<i>FIFA 07</i> 2006 video game

FIFA 07 is a football simulation video game developed by EA Canada and published by Electronic Arts under the EA Sports label.

<i>Call of Duty: World at War</i> 2008 video game

Call of Duty: World at War is a 2008 first-person shooter game developed by Treyarch and published by Activision. It is the fifth main installment of the Call of Duty series and is the fourth entry in the series to be set during World War II. The game was announced by Activision in June 2008 and was released in November 2008, for PlayStation 3, Windows, Xbox 360, and Wii. Other games under the World at War title were published for the Nintendo DS and PlayStation 2, featuring different storylines and missions.

References

  1. ↑ Reed, Kristan (2 June 2005). "Black (Preview)". Eurogamer . Archived from the original on 6 January 2016. Retrieved 16 January 2016.
  2. ↑ "Black Art". Criterion Games. Archived from the original on 8 July 2008. Retrieved 16 January 2016.
  3. 1 2 3 McNamara, Andy (April 2006). "Black". Game Informer . No. 156. p. 112. Archived from the original on 2 August 2008. Retrieved 16 January 2016.
  4. ↑ "A Choir of Guns". Criterion Games. Archived from the original on 8 July 2008. Retrieved 16 January 2016.
  5. ↑ Elliott, Phil (13 July 2006). "UK award success for Sony". GameSpot . Archived from the original on 28 January 2021. Retrieved 7 February 2017.
  6. ↑ "BLACK (2006)". Scoring Sessions. Archived from the original on 10 January 2008. Retrieved 26 February 2008.
  7. 1 2 "Black for PlayStation 2 Reviews". Metacritic . Archived from the original on 24 October 2012. Retrieved 17 May 2013.
  8. 1 2 "Black for Xbox Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 24 October 2012. Retrieved 17 May 2013.
  9. ↑ Lee, Garnett (23 February 2006). "Black Review (PS2)". 1Up.com . Archived from the original on 5 January 2010. Retrieved 21 September 2020.
  10. 1 2 Edge staff (March 2006). "Black". Edge . No. 160. p. 82.
  11. 1 2 EGM staff (April 2006). "Black". Electronic Gaming Monthly . No. 202. p. 94.
  12. ↑ Reed, Kristan (22 February 2006). "Black (PS2)". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on 22 January 2016. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
  13. 1 2 Gantayat, Anoop (10 April 2006). "Now Playing in Japan". IGN . Archived from the original on 19 October 2018. Retrieved 16 January 2016.
  14. 1 2 Four-Eyed Dragon (23 February 2006). "Black". GamePro . Archived from the original on 5 March 2006. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
  15. 1 2 Silverman, Ben (17 March 2006). "Black Review". Game Revolution. Archived from the original on 9 October 2015. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
  16. 1 2 Gerstmann, Jeff (23 February 2006). "Black Review". GameSpot . Archived from the original on 9 January 2016. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
  17. 1 2 Tuttle, Will (23 February 2006). "GameSpy: BLACK". GameSpy. Archived from the original on 4 April 2016. Retrieved 16 January 2016.
  18. 1 2 "Black Review". GameTrailers. 24 February 2006. Archived from the original on 7 December 2008. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
  19. ↑ Bedigian, Louis (6 March 2006). "BLACK - PS2 - Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on 6 October 2008. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
  20. ↑ Hopper, Steven (7 March 2006). "BLACK - XB - Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on 7 October 2008. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
  21. ↑ Roper, Chris (22 February 2006). "BLACK (PS2)". IGN. Archived from the original on 16 September 2008. Retrieved 16 January 2016.
  22. ↑ Roper, Chris (22 February 2006). "BLACK (Xbox)". IGN. Archived from the original on 27 January 2016. Retrieved 16 January 2016.
  23. ↑ "Black". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine . March 2006. p. 85.
  24. ↑ "Black". Official Xbox Magazine . April 2006. p. 75.
  25. 1 2 Schaefer, Jim (12 March 2006). "Guns ablaze". Detroit Free Press . Archived from the original on 6 September 2006. Retrieved 16 January 2016.
  26. 1 2 3 Wapshott, Tim (18 February 2006). "Black". The Times . Archived from the original on 9 April 2007. Retrieved 16 January 2016.(subscription required)
  27. ↑ "ELSPA Sales Awards: Gold". Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association . Archived from the original on March 19, 2009. Retrieved February 3, 2009.
  28. ↑ Caoili, Eric (26 November 2008). "ELSPA: Wii Fit, Mario Kart Reach Diamond Status In UK". Gamasutra . Archived from the original on 18 September 2017.
  29. ↑ Hill, Jason (2 March 2006). "Black". The Sydney Morning Herald . Archived from the original on 24 February 2010. Retrieved 16 January 2016.
  30. ↑ Krewson, John (14 March 2006). "Black". The A.V. Club . Archived from the original on 18 March 2006. Retrieved 16 January 2016.
  31. ↑ "D.I.C.E. Awards By Video Game Details Black". interactive.org. Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences . Retrieved 6 November 2023.
  32. ↑ "Top 100 First-Person Shooters". IGN . Ziff Davis. 9 September 2013. Archived from the original on 11 November 2016. Retrieved 5 November 2016.
  33. ↑ Robinson, Martin (9 March 2010). "Bodycount Officially Unveiled". IGN. Archived from the original on 22 March 2016. Retrieved 16 January 2016.
  34. ↑ Robinson, Martin (15 March 2010). "Bodycount Hands-on". IGN. Archived from the original on 8 October 2015. Retrieved 16 January 2016.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.