 |
Hot Stories
Blacklight: Tango Down is Worth It | Hands-On Preview
JimmyJames70
April 22, 2010
Ignition Entertainment recently invited me for some hands-on time with Blacklight: Tango Down; a summer release projected to sell for $15 through XBLA, PSN and PC download. The demo will be available at the launch.
The million-dollar question is, what do you get for $15? The answer is: pretty much everything you'd expect in a triple-A title that normally retails for $60. There are 4 different Black Ops missions that run approximately 12-15 minutes each. Black Ops mode supports four-player coop. This is basically the equivalent of the campaign. It should be noted there is no single player campaign. The game is intended for coop and MP.
For the multiplayer, you can rank up to level 70 and unlock customizations along the way. If you're the type of player who likes unique loadouts and specializations, this game has you covered with more possible combinations than you'd ever fully use. You can save up to four different loadouts at a time.
The MP will feature seven different modes. You could easily guess four of them: deathmatch, team deathmatch, capture and domination. The other modes will be announced soon.
The game will have 12 different maps at launch. At current time, there are no plans to make more maps available down the line, but rather a whole new game.
They are creating a story around the game, which is basically told through the Black Ops missions--there are no cutscenes in the game--but there is a Fox motion picture in production along with a comic book.
As part of the gameplay, you can turn on a visor that allows you to see through walls. This comes in handy when you're looking for ammo, health packs and the enemy, which appear as orange triangles. The visor only lasts for a few moments and you're completely defenseless when it's on, but you can see where the enemy is. That always drives me nuts when playing a large map and never seeing where anyone is. This way, you can get a sense of where the enemy is and which direction they are headed.
The game takes place in an unnamed area of a futuristic Eastern European country, which makes features like the visor acceptable. To coincide with this, there are no smoke grenades. Instead, you get EMP grenades, which basically pixelate portions of the screen and does not allow you or the enemy to see anything in a specific area.
So, what makes this different or stand out from all the rest? Not much. Except for that $15 price point. And if that has you coughing and spluttering and complaining that's too expensive for a dlc game, then I best hope you're not the same person who paid $60 for a five-hour campaign Splinter Cell: Conviction game, or the same person who paid for the Stimulus Map Pack for MW2. The Producer of Blacklight: Tango Down compared the $15 to the cost of a night at the movies. I know that where I live, a Friday night movie ticket is well over $10 and that doesn't include popcorn and a drink. The point is, if you and three buddies are sitting home one night and want to try a new game without dropping $60, then Blacklight: Tango Down is the best answer. The $15 you spend for approximately an hour's worth of coop, plus the endless hours of MP, makes for a pretty good deal. Especially when you remember that the game will launch with 12 maps and endless customizations.
If shooting people is your type of game, then at the very least you owe it to yourself to try the demo. The graphics, maps, modes and gameplay are on par with what you would expect with a triple-A title. You won't feel like you wasted $15.
Oh yeah. One last note. If you truly despise players that camp out at spawn points, then Blacklight: Tango Down has you covered. There are heavy gun emplacements that will mow down any enemy that comes close to your spawn location. The game has your back. Look for it this summer.
For a chance to win a game, see the Contest page.
