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Guns, Guns, Guns
This shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone remotely familiar with this game, but if there's one thing that Black perfects, it's the guns. From the cover of the game to the loading screens to the game play itself, Black is a love letter to the automatic rifle. Firing a gun in makes it almost seem as if you're there, with realistic recoil and sound effects that will work your surround system to the max.
That being said, this game should absolutely be played on a surround sound system. The guns in this game create a satisfying thump unlike any other, and even more satisfying is the sound of a bullet going through an enemy's Kevlar vest. The intercom is almost constantly going with the chattering orders and swearing of your allies, and the enemies shouting to each other in the background. The voice work isn't quite as intense and overbearing as in Call of Duty 2, but the sound of the guns thumping and bullets flying by; hitting wooden planks and everything surrounding you easily puts it to shame.
Black is beautiful
To put it simply, Black is a visual masterpiece. It's no small wonder that Criterion doesn't want to make a next-gen version of this game: it looks next gen on PS2 and Xbox. This game has effects that even some Xbox 360 games can't manage to pull off with such flair, and the plentiful particle effects and other visual effects look just as good as any other modern FPS game.
Criterion did a great job of providing a very engaging experience; you'll feel like you're really on the battlefield, taking out countless terrorists. The graphics are no exception. It's a wonder that this game could be pulled off so well on the PlayStation 2, with minimal frame rate issues considering how much action is going on on-screen at any given time. Dust is constantly flying as shots are being fired. Walls can be blown through and cars can be destroyed with a few bullets.
It's not a perfect game; as I said before, the checkpoint system is thoroughly frustrating at times, and the frame rate could use a small lift (although it's still rather impressive, especially for the PS2). The menus feel rather clunky, and my absolute biggest issue with this game is the ultra low look sensitivity. How hard could it have been to throw in an option to adjust it? Black is also rather short, making it a tough investment. It's definitely more of a rental.
More original properties, please
It's great to see EA start to dish out more original properties such as this, and while it's certainly not worth a purchase due to its incredibly short length, Black should be a mandatory rental for anyone seeking good, intense first person action, or just mayhem and guns. The six hour length will keep you busy for a solid weekend, and with no multiplayer or true incentive to keep playing, Black would most likely find its way to the shelf rather quickly if purchased. Definitely rent it. Better yet, hit up your local rental shop and pick this up with the film Lord of War. You won't regret it.
Here's to a next-gen sequel with multiplayer!
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