For years now, Criterion has made their living crashing and blowing up cars with beauty and grace in the Burnout series, but their time to shine in the FPS realm is now. Barring a few minor hiccups such as game length and lack of any multiplayer mode; they have succeeded in this first attempt. While BLACK realistically only scratches the surface of what is possible from Criterion’s style of FPS, that still will not keep it from a must recommend title on my list of games to play. You get guns, bombs, explosions, casualties, and near destruction of anything on screen. This verge into total coolness just keeps you wanting more, and when it is over and there is no multiplayer to be had, that is when the fan boys will come out crying. Not because BLACK lacks multiplayer, but because they just want to keep playing! It is a double edged sword that will hopefully be situated in the next version of the series.

Visually BLACK is stunning and is the game’s greatest showcase. The game nearly looks next gen! From the fantastic lighting, to the incredibly designed levels, BLACK is a graphical swan song for the current gen systems. The game starts you off with a level that demonstrates what destruction is available in the game. The first thing you see in the level is that you are in a room surrounded by windows just begging to be destroyed. From then on out, you will have the freedom to blow up walls, cars, armored vehicles, military men, and most anything you can hit with your bullets are subject to damage. Even with all this debris flying to and fro, there is no hint of slowdown. The lighting in the game delivers as well, from the blazing fires you have created in your carnage attacks, to the sun and moonlight that highlights off your weaponry; it is all a remarkable sight to appreciate. While the enemies have very little differences between them, the levels on the other hand make the bland enemy battles worth the effort. I should go on to say that, it is the guns and the levels themselves that are the game’s showcase, not whom you are fighting. If there is a ‘black’ mark on the game, it is in the cut scene presentation. Done with 10-year-old FMV technology, the game’s storyline may seem hokey and corny, with so-so B voice acting and less than stellar camera work. To be honest, when first I saw the FMV sequences, I could not help but think of the Sega CD and laugh. Thankfully, the scenes are short and the game itself quickly makes you forget all about it.

Audio is also fantastic and delivered in full on Dolby Digital sound. The voice acting in the cut scenes is very stiff, silly, and over the top. The in-game sounds on the other hand are remarkable. The silence of the stealth scenes to the massive explosions of the action sequences are all brought to life and in your living room with force and believability. It is stunning to hear the difference in sound when you walk and what you walk on, what you shoot and what you shoot it with. There are literally thousands of unique sound effects that will violently please your eardrums.

What is not unique about BLACK is the game play itself. Make no mistake, BLACK is your typical FPS with very little removal from that formula. Does that make it a boring game? Quite the contrary actually, as there is NEVER a dull moment in BLACK. You will have a blast using every possible weapon in different scenarios. Each level is so uniquely designed, that there are multiple ways to take out your enemies. I admit it does grow a little tiresome killing the same group of soldiers from beginning to end. Even more depressing is there are no boss battles to be had, so the only feeling of accomplishment is how many men you were able to mow down and in what fashion you did it. The A.I. varies depending on the difficulty level, but by how much armor they have, not by intelligence. Thankfully, the enemies are smart from the first level to the last. They will hide, attack when you are low on ammo, dodge and make use of the environment and more or less feel like a real person in many ways. Keep in mind though; it is more like you are playing your average gamer than a seasoned pro. I guess this is why it is you against so many. They are not storm trooper dumb, but they are not strategically brilliant either.

BLACK is a fairly short shooter that will take even average gamers 5 to 6 hours to beat, which means less for veterans of the genre. It is very entertaining throughout, but there are only so many times you want to relive the same levels, if only to see what different ways you can destroy things. The complete lack of multiplayer really dampens the spirits. However, we should not dwell on what BLACK doesn’t have, but what it offers, a top notch, engaging experience that no FPS fan should deny.

As a single player experience, BLACK is a must buy. Especially for those gamers who have really small time to dedicate to gaming. For gamers who will play the single player, but live online, this game is a rent for you, as it will only irritate you that a game so good has no multiplayer. While BLACK doesn’t add to the genre in terms of innovation, it is an experience that will suck you in and won’t let go until you’ve finished the game.