Just like your high school prom date, Black is beautiful, simple, and fun while it lasts.
Enter Criterion, the company that brought you the beautiful, fast, and highly-destructive world of Burnout. If Criterion had proven anything, it's that simple gameplay mechanics presented with the right amount of action and audio-visual pizaaz can equal A+ gaming. It's this same formula that Criterion has taken to Black. Yes, there's a plot line and characters, and yes, you can use stealth if that's your thing, but neither of these really matter. Black is, at its heart, a game about shooting everyone and everything that gets in your way, and for the 5 - 10 hours that it lasts, it does a beautiful and entertaining job of doing it.
Gameplay: 7
One thing has to be understood about Black: it's not Half-Life 2. In fact, it's not really even Halo for that matter. You'll find no vehicle interludes or mid-level cutscenes here. Each mission is 30 - 60 minutes of non-stop chaos and destruction on a scale unrivaled by any other console competitor. Black's main hook is the highly-destructible worlds you play in. Think Burnout, but with guns. Walls crack and crumble, door fly off hinges, enemies collapse in rag-doll physics, and things blow up. Lots of things blow up. In fact, many things in Black that probably shouldn't blow up do. Boxes, barrels, cargo holds, cars, trucks, tractors, AC units; heck, even the guys with RPGs blow up when they die. Each bullet is its own entity, wrecking havoc on the environment in its own unique way. The in-game physics really add a lot to the simple gameplay. In the midst of a firefight, the smoke, debris, and whizzing bullets really add to the intensity of the conflict.
Despite the chaotic nature of the game, however, if its not advised that the "run-and-gun" strategy is used. While Black is about destruction, its about smart destruction. Without cover, your going to get shredded, especially in the later levels when enemies carry shotguns, M249 machine guns, and riot shields. However, that's really the only major mechanic to the game: find cover, shoot the area to pieces, continue. The gameplay is so simple that you can't even open doors -- they have to be blasted by the shotgun. Combined with no jumping and a fairly linear level design, Black is at times to stripped down for its own good. The A.I. is usually good, but sometimes seem to do things so dumb that they're almost like cardboard targets merely waiting to be shot so their replacement can spawn in.
All this, however, is of little regard when in the midst of a firefight with explosions and gunfire coming from all sides. For sheer adrenaline, Black is an excellent choice, but one that can often times feel lacking in light of more modern game designs.
Graphics: 9
Want a reason to hold off on that 360 you've been wanting so badly? Black is a game that, at the very least, make you appreciate what's under the hood of your good old black box. If the textures were a bit more high-res, this game could easily pass for a game on its bigger brother. The levels and lighting are very striking and highly stylized. Motion blur and smoke effects are used to excellent effect throughout the game, making firefights as gorgeous as they are intense. The whole package shines with a polish many games seem to lack here in the XBox's late life.
And let's not forget the destruction of the levels. Bullets ripping through Black's environments are almost poetic in their beauty, cutting a swath of bullet holes, fire, and debris through the beautiful architecture. Explosions look excellent, which is good, since they happen so often. The presentation is only marred by a few iffy animations for the enemies and some minor clipping that can pop up from time to time. Overall, however, Black is one of the most visuaslly stunning games on the original XBox.
Sound: 10
Playing Black on anything less than max volume should be a criminal offense, especially if your gaming set-up includes a surround sound system. Black sounds as good as any action movie I've seen, including the Die Hard 5 Star Collection. Sound fills all five channels with such clarity and accuracy you'll swear that your room just got bumped up to "Raised Alert." The woofer gets an even harder workout, shaking your walls with the sheer percusive force of an RPG exploding overhead. Your neighbors will hate you for this game. It's like hosting a war in your living room.
Even more surprising was Black's score, which blew me away in a manner I hadn't experienced since the Halo's. The main orchestral theme is sweeping, epic, and totally fitting for the game's theme. I honestly think the score is as good as any action movie's. The backing orchestral pieces are equally good. The game supports custom soundtracks, but I never used the function once, and that alone speaks volumes to the quality of the in-game music.
Value: 6
As is so often the case in life, something this beautiful and fun comes at a price, and in this case, that price is a lack of content. Let's not lie: Black's campaign is short, as in under ten hours short. If you're a veteran FPS gamer, the game could be ripped through in 5-6 hours easily. It's one heck of a ride, but once it's over, it's over. You unlock unlimited ammo and a new difficulty level if you beat the game on hard, but that's that. No bonus content, no new missions, just the same eight missions as before. With no multiplayer either, Black is a game that may not spin in your drive again after the credits have rolled.
Verdict:
"Wait, Stephen! If the game is so short, why on Earth did it get an 8.1 from you?" Because, my friends, those 5-6 hours you spend on Black are going to be some of the most intense moments of gaming you will have ever experienced. The initial impression of Black is one of jaw-dropping amazement, and the game doesn't overstay its welcome. Just like prom night, Black is short but unforgetable, and will cost you a heck of a lot less. Why pay the price? For the experience, my friends! And just like prom night, don't be surprised if you go back to relive the memories just a few times more later on down the road. Even if you only rent it, Black is a game that any fan of action movies simply has to play.