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Blacksite: Area 51

$11.98

User Reviews about Blacksite: Area 51

The game, like many other reviewers have noted, is marred by quality issues. When I first inserted the game into my PS3, it asked me to run an update, so I thought perhaps there had been an update put out that took care of some of the quality issues, but unfortunately that's not the case. The game was released in 2007 and despite this being 2010 the game still has the same problems with frame rate speed. I didn't notice this issue so much on the 1st level in Iraq but it was VERY noticeable during most of the rest of the game-play. I did get used to it, however, and a tip for you is when you see the word "loading..." come up on the screen, which it will often and at odd places during the game-play, just stop what you are doing. The game completely froze up on me twice, and I had to reboot it - fortunately I didn't lose anything. But I figured out that if you keep mashing the shoot button or the driving button, etc. while the game is trying to load it will at times cause it to freeze up completely.

Another issue is the driving mechanics for the vehicles. The only vehicle you drive is a Humvee, and it's only on a couple of stages. I typically like driving vehicles in games, it's a lot of fun when the controls are set up properly, but in this game it is by far the worst I've ever seen. It takes considerable time and counter-intuitiveness to keep the damn Humvee on the road!

Despite the games flaws, it is pretty fun to play. Though I did begin to find it quite unimaginative during the later stages of the game. Despite what you are facing, you are pretty much using the same weapons, or jumping on a turret and just mowing down aliens. This was fun in the early stages, but it gets boring after a few hours of game play. And you are basically facing the same aliens/mutants in the second half of the game that you faced in the first half.

The graphics are so-so, nothing that is really impressive, in fact it has more of a PS2 quality to it. But I found many of the environments very well done, though they are not very interactive.

The sound quality is pretty bad. For some reason, at certain stages especially during a boss battle it seemed, the audio will sound as if it is coming out of one channel more strongly than another channel, so it sounds like the balance is out of whack.

I didn't really have a problem with the AI as some others have mentioned. But you can't really expect them to do the bulk of the fighting, they are support only. One of the combat techniques the game recommends is to let your team go in first, then you "mop-up" the rest. But on many stages this doesn't work - the team will take forever to kill something and die and have to respawn. It's much quicker if you just do the killing yourself! And use them as support.

This is probably the shortest play-time of this type of game I've ever played. I estimate it at about 7.5 hours of play time - I played for an average of 1 to 2 hours each night, and beat the game in 5 days. It's also one of the easiest games I've ever played (though I didn't try it on the hardest level) with the only real challenges being the helicopter that you must shoot down with a sniper rifle (about the midpoint of the game) and the final boss, but that one only took me 3 tries, so not really that hard.

Interestingly, the game didn't really remind me much of the Area 51 game that was made for the PS2 (I liked that game much better), this game reminded me more of the old SOCOM games, like SOCOM 3, though you are in FPS. This game has much more of a military-action/shooter feel to it, whereas the Area 51 game more of a Sci Fi feel to it. And your opponents in the game aren't really aliens, but rather mutants - you will understand as the story unfolds.

I'm being a little generous with the 3-stars and overall 6 stars out of 10. Without a doubt this is the most buggy game I've ever played. But despite the significant quality issues, the game is pretty decent overall and I will probably replay some of the early stages for fun.

Final Grade: C -- Despite the quality issues, still a pretty fun game...

I love this game the grapics are good it is a better weekend rental than to buy.I beat it the day I got it,but it rocks.I recamend it.It crashed once but all games do that yes even halo.The weapons are like the ones on call of duty 4.Over all GREAT game. -- AWSOME

Its a pretty fun 1st person shooter with a good adventure feel to it. The game does have some minor programing glitches every now and then, such as an occasional drag during heavy combat and the controls are not as accurate as Call of Duty modern warfare, but for under $20 bucks the game is worth it. The seller sent the game to me relatively quick and it was in the same condition as advertised. -- BlackSite Xbox360

I picked this game up at a "going out of business sale" (all too common these days). I bought it based on the subject matter (aliens and Area 51) and less on actual facts or reviews. First off, this is actually a really fun game. Short, about 4-6 hours. I think that is the first thing that truly surprised me. Is it original (from a FPS point of view), no. The shooting is basic, the targeting isn't always "spot on" (i.e. sometimes you don't need to hit your target to get them to fall), the "squad commands" are generic, and the driving takes some getting used to...but it is STILL FUN! For what it is, it delivers! The dialogue will make you laugh, which is perfect since this game doesn't take itself too seriously. I think any gamer who goes into this game with a similar attitude won't be disappointed. My only two major gripes are more of pet-peeves than actual complaints. So many developers take a ton of time trying to get details correct (guns, uniforms, vehicles, etc.) which is to be commended. However, inevitably in ANY and ALL games these days there is a bathroom you can walk into. Sorry to tell you guys, bathrooms in the Middle East (specifically Iraq) are significantly different from American/European bathrooms (if you've been there, you know what I mean). If you are going to take the "cheese route" and put these particular details in a game, make sure you have it right. Also, what ever happened to big, dramatic endings in video games? Playing the older games (NES, Sega Genesis, etc) the ending cinematic was always the "pay-off." Too many games these days lack this simple item. They waste tons of time on cinematic elements throughout the game that only serve to break-up game play and then get stingy with the finale. That is more a comment on all games these days rather than just Blacksite. Other than that, Blacksite: Area 51 is a fun game. I would recommend it highly, especially if you get it for less than $15. -- Way Better Than Expected!

+Fun shooter to kill time
+you get to drive vehicles
+Neat concept
-That falls way short of expectations
+'90s felling
-'90s feeling
-Thin story line that isn't exlpained well enough... you can piece it together... but it probably isn't worth it to try as you could make a better story to go along with the game play... or you could have a small child come up with a plot - seriously, the plot is pathetic
-only 5 guns!?
-generic looking enemies that aren't explained
-short
+short (I'm not sure you would WANT to play any more of this game)
-horrible audio with even worse dialogue
-glitches galore... i spent 15 minutes trying to figure out where to go, only to realize that I had beaten the level and the cut scene didn't load
-bland level design
-non-existant squad-based tactics... during a loading sequence, the game actually hinted that you should send in your squad first and "mop up what's left"... I'm not sure, but I think most people play games to PLAY the game, but it doesn't matter anyway, sense the AI doesn't follow to your commands.
-anti-climactic

In short, it's a fun, mindless shooter with very, very little substance. I recommend a rent, but if you HAVE to own it, buy it as cheap as you can, you'll thank yourself, I know I did. -- kinda fun - kinda painful