Video Games
by Jesse Kennedy
Issue 223 / July 2007 More from this Issue
Download PDF
Black
Criterion Games
PS2/XBox
First Person/Shooter/Modern
02-28-06
I've heard a lot of people complain about this game. No story, moronic enemies, claustrophobic maps etc. Here's what I say to them: this game kicks ass. I'm not saying that they are wrong; in fact, this game does have a sitcom-thin plot line and the enemies do tend to hang out very near gigantic barrels marked 'explosive' during fire-fights and many times you don't have the option of sneaking around too much, but this game delivers exactly what it promises: ass-loads of wood splintering, blood squirting action. If it were not for the brief chapter breaks (probably to let your speakers cool down) you might never stop shooting.
This is the kind of game that you can put down for a week and when you come back, you don't need to re-orient yourself with where you were or what you were doing, because you're always doing the same thing, running forward and shooting anything in your path. The weapons and graphics are great; dust and debris hang in the air around whatever it was you just mowed down quite beautifully, and the sound of the gunfire, both incoming and being fired, is perfect. There is a plot somewhere amongst the rubble and smoke, but to be honest, I skipped most of the cut scenes because I felt the voice acting to be overdone tripe.
Black is a modern day shooter: no laser guns, plasma rays or aliens, just machine guns and a small army of guys who can apparently take about ten shots in the face before they fall down. Enemy AI is nothing revolutionary, but since you can pick this game up now in the bargain bin, there's plenty of good to be had here for not much dough. Don't look for memorable settings or characters here, just a plug-and-play kill-fest overflowing with explosions and shell casings. That's all Criterion tried for and that's all they got. This game will never be a Socom or Ghost Recon because of its lack of depth, but that doesn't mean we can't have fun playing it. Jesse Kennedy
3.5 out of 5 bullet riddled bodies.
Guitar Hero II
Red Octane
Xbox 360
04.03
Fame simulator
It seems I can't mention my fondness for video games to anyone these days without getting a sermon on the marvels of the Guitar Hero series. I'll confess that the success of these games and my own hobby of playing real guitars instilled in me a pre-emptive distaste for a game that not only is raved about and coveted by little kids and old ladies alike, but also has pounded some questionable pop rock songs into the ground a bit further by encouraging their repetition and dissemination. So it was with a frown and total disregard for the gigantic packaging that I ripped out the plastic guitar and plugged in for what I thought would be ten minutes of boring button mashing before I crucified the game here on the pages of SLUG.
It is with a bandwagon-flavored tear that I must confess that the frown, which I nurtured for as long as possible inevitably gave way to a big stupid grin. I rocked out with my plastic guitar for way too long, completely ruining my plans that night of hanging out at a local laundry mat and creeping people out by smelling their clothes and telling them if I thought they were clean. The addiction that is Guitar Hero II is a dangerous path indeed. I don't know how they've managed to trigger the brain endorphins so quickly, but when I pegged the rock meter after nailing a rough passage I actually caught myself 'head banging' like a god dammed Guitar Hero.
Criterion Games
PS2/XBox
First Person/Shooter/Modern
02-28-06
I've heard a lot of people complain about this game. No story, moronic enemies, claustrophobic maps etc. Here's what I say to them: this game kicks ass. I'm not saying that they are wrong; in fact, this game does have a sitcom-thin plot line and the enemies do tend to hang out very near gigantic barrels marked 'explosive' during fire-fights and many times you don't have the option of sneaking around too much, but this game delivers exactly what it promises: ass-loads of wood splintering, blood squirting action. If it were not for the brief chapter breaks (probably to let your speakers cool down) you might never stop shooting.
This is the kind of game that you can put down for a week and when you come back, you don't need to re-orient yourself with where you were or what you were doing, because you're always doing the same thing, running forward and shooting anything in your path. The weapons and graphics are great; dust and debris hang in the air around whatever it was you just mowed down quite beautifully, and the sound of the gunfire, both incoming and being fired, is perfect. There is a plot somewhere amongst the rubble and smoke, but to be honest, I skipped most of the cut scenes because I felt the voice acting to be overdone tripe.
Black is a modern day shooter: no laser guns, plasma rays or aliens, just machine guns and a small army of guys who can apparently take about ten shots in the face before they fall down. Enemy AI is nothing revolutionary, but since you can pick this game up now in the bargain bin, there's plenty of good to be had here for not much dough. Don't look for memorable settings or characters here, just a plug-and-play kill-fest overflowing with explosions and shell casings. That's all Criterion tried for and that's all they got. This game will never be a Socom or Ghost Recon because of its lack of depth, but that doesn't mean we can't have fun playing it. Jesse Kennedy
3.5 out of 5 bullet riddled bodies.
Guitar Hero II
Red Octane
Xbox 360
04.03
Fame simulator
It seems I can't mention my fondness for video games to anyone these days without getting a sermon on the marvels of the Guitar Hero series. I'll confess that the success of these games and my own hobby of playing real guitars instilled in me a pre-emptive distaste for a game that not only is raved about and coveted by little kids and old ladies alike, but also has pounded some questionable pop rock songs into the ground a bit further by encouraging their repetition and dissemination. So it was with a frown and total disregard for the gigantic packaging that I ripped out the plastic guitar and plugged in for what I thought would be ten minutes of boring button mashing before I crucified the game here on the pages of SLUG.
It is with a bandwagon-flavored tear that I must confess that the frown, which I nurtured for as long as possible inevitably gave way to a big stupid grin. I rocked out with my plastic guitar for way too long, completely ruining my plans that night of hanging out at a local laundry mat and creeping people out by smelling their clothes and telling them if I thought they were clean. The addiction that is Guitar Hero II is a dangerous path indeed. I don't know how they've managed to trigger the brain endorphins so quickly, but when I pegged the rock meter after nailing a rough passage I actually caught myself 'head banging' like a god dammed Guitar Hero.
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