Black review

Not the balls-out explodaganza we were promised, but still intense

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We say "just about" because, in several of the missions, you'll have a couple squad members along for the ride. You can't command them, and they won't get in your way or need saving (or ever die, for that matter), but they're a welcome sight when you're dodging machinegun fire from five or six masked assailants. The terrorists are extremely tough, too; the least of them have flak jackets and masks that can take multiple headshots if you don't aim just right. Others wear heavy armor that lets them take serious punishment, and every once in a while you'll be swarmed by aggressive creeps with impenetrable riot shields. All of these guys, by the way, are smart enough to move while firing, run for reinforcements and hide behind cover.

Luckily for you, they're also dumb enough to hide behind explosive barrels, crates, trucks and giant propane tanks, which all go up like the 4th of July with a few well-placed bullets. So while you might not be able to bring down the game's many buildings, each area is littered with a ton of things that go boom in spectacular ways. Even things that don't explode can often be destroyed, although these are generally obvious; if a wall or patch of floor looks crumbly, knock it down for a convenient shortcut. Likewise, Black never forces players to hunt for keys; if there's a door in your way, a shotgun cracks it open nicely.

More info

GenreShooter
DescriptionThis definitely lives up to the term 'gun porn.'
Platform"Xbox","PS2"
US censor rating"Mature","Mature"
UK censor rating"",""
Release date1 January 1970 (US), 1 January 1970 (UK)
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Mikel Reparaz
After graduating from college in 2000 with a BA in journalism, I worked for five years as a copy editor, page designer and videogame-review columnist at a couple of mid-sized newspapers you've never heard of. My column eventually got me a freelancing gig with GMR magazine, which folded a few months later. I was hired on full-time by GamesRadar in late 2005, and have since been paid actual money to write silly articles about lovable blobs.