March 2003

Delta Force: Black Hawk Down Review....
Posted by [luckee] @ 9:50 AM MST Thursday, March 27, 2003 [Comment on news]
Actiontrip.com has posted up a lack luster review of Black Hawk Down. In my opinion I think the game was prepared really well. Any hoo... Here’s a snip:

The latest installment in the Delta Force series is in many ways different, and technically superior to its predecessors. For one, the game uses a brand-new 3D engine, which is a welcome relief, given the "quality" of the Land Warrior 3D code. The gameplay is now more fast-paced and action-oriented than ever; the goal of the designers was to get across that very same sense of urgency that we saw in the movie, so instead of opting for a more sim-like approach (something that Raven Shield does so well) they've decided to make a highly cinematic and extremely dynamic recreation of the Somali conflict.

Right off the bat, you'll be thrown in the thick of things. You fly in on a Blackhawk while manning a minigun, or ride in a hummer while operating a .50 caliber heavy machine gun. Civilians will be screaming left and right as they battle for food rations in front of supply trucks, and then, all of a sudden, the "skinnies" will start popping out of nowhere and launching RPG's or shooting from AK-47s. Once the area has been cleared with the heavy machine guns you'll be ordered to follow waypoints on foot, while securing perimeters and clearing out enemy shooters from the nearby buildings.

DFBHD is mission based. Missions vary from, as I said, rescue operations, to the very same tasks and locations we've had a chance to see in the movie. Unfortunately, the designers didn't give much (or any) attention to incorporating a cohesive story in the game, but the lack of any narrative or recognizable characters is somewhat cushioned by the highly cinematic feel to the preset scenarios, and the way that the designers have directed the events in the game - they move at high pace and they look quite spectacular. The gameplay itself is very simplistic as it all comes down to gunning down bad guys and following your mission waypoints. The same can be said about the arsenal and the gun properties, as well as the player movement. DFBHD feels more like an action shooter than a military sim. The guns certainly don't recoil properly, and the semi-automatic rifles are way too accurate, even when the player is running and shooting. Delta Force soldiers move too fast (it's as if they're not carrying a single piece of equipment on them), and the jumping is highly unrealistic in a sense that the soldiers have a freakishly high vertical leap, not to mention that the physics are somewhat screwed up, so it seems as though they're floating rather than jumping under full battle gear. This all goes in line with the specific design approach that the developers have taken however. DFBHD gameplay is flamboyant, but ultimately very shallow. Still, that's not to say that I consider this to be an entirely bad thing. The designers had a certain goal in mind when they started out the design process and they've stuck with it. I rather enjoyed the varied maps, as well as the prompt unfolding of events. Even though they're not particularly true to life, the weapons are very fun to use, and if we were to judge BHD by its gameplay mechanics and overall atmosphere, then, I'd say that the game turned out quite successful.

Finally, the multiplayer mode is very fun, and just as good as those in any of the previous Delta Force games. In fact, given the game's technical superiority over its predecessors, it's safe to say that the multiplayer is the best one in the series yet. DFBHD brings a unique mix of military combat and arcade shooter elements which will certainly appeal to many gamers. I for one enjoyed it more than the multiplayer action in Raven Shield. Think of it this way; it's the single-player game but with real, live, and very dangerous human opponents. It's how the game was meant to be played in the first place.