Black

The FPS for consoles that's so hot right now.

With the 'World War II' era of first-person shooters finally behind us - or so we hope - the field is open for games that take a more modern setting and follow the same design philosophies as titles like Medal of Honor and Call of Duty. While Battlefield 2 caters to the inner enternally-respawning combat soldier inside all of us, Black throws you in a warm tub of tight scripting, lightly fragranced with destructible terrain, big-arse explosions and smoking hot graphics.

Black is brought to us by developer Criterion, the same team that made Burnout. You're probably thinking it's quite a departure - arcade driving sim to tactical FPS - but Criterion has managed to craft an engaging shooter (using the same engine as Burnout, no less), even if it can be a frustrating at times.

Eastern Europe provides the game its setting; a secret US agency of special operatives the player's place of work. After a covert operation goes wrong, it's up to you to use whatever means necessary to save your mates from a fate worse than something really bad. The timeframe is a few years from today so not only do you have access to modern weapons but a few advanced ones as well.

First person shooters have always had a debatable place on consoles, but Black handles well despite the lack of a keyboard and mouse. You can duck, shoot and switch weapons without great difficulty. It's when you have to employ these skills that the trouble starts - in a good way.

The big thing the EA has been pushing with Black is the destructible objects. Now, while you may think this is for cans and crates and so on, it's not. Whole buildings are vulnerable to your arsenal, as are pylons, walls and other typically indestructible FPS staples. This lends itself to a subtle change in playstyle. For instance, in most first-person shooters there are special areas set up where things can be destroyed and while cool, they're far and few between. In Black however, the ability to destroy things is everywhere and your tactics will change to accommodate this. Why shoot everyone inside a building when you can just blow it up? Insane stuff like that.

Black is also packed with scripted sequences, making it a little more involving than your average shooter. Think BF2 except with better graphics, physics and a proper single-player component. Mini-objectives pop up all the time, and the chatter from your radio will suck you in and keep you involved. It also adds depth and ambience, and first time through it doesn't feel scripted at all.

The only things that tarnish the Black experience is the character models and the AI. Squadmates are a little light on the intelligence, often not doing what normal people would do - like not getting shot. The characters also look stiff and lifeless, and is mostly likely a side-effect of the engine not being designed for this sort of work.

Otherwise, Black is a great play for fans of Call of Duty, or BF2 players who want a game like BF2 but with single-player.