BlackSite: Another Midway Conspiracy (Part 2)

Perhaps I was too harsh on “BlackSite: Area 51” in my PC review of the much-maligned first-person shooter. Perhaps I wasn’t harsh enough. Whatever the case may be, let it be known that Midway’s sci-fi/action/alien romp is NOT a bad game. Far from it, actually. Facts are facts, though, and the verdict here is that Midway’s console-to-PC port is a misguided, buggy, horribly unoptimized affair that also happens to be instantly forgettable.

But you’d think with the night-and-day differences between consoles and gaming PCs that the PC version of the game would have far outshone the 360 iteration of the title by a mile. It’s assumptions like that I’d thought I’d already learned not to make. The Xbox 360 version of the glitchy shooter is nothing special, rest assured, but it is far from being the nearly unplayable experience its PC brethren is.

Let’s start immediately with what separates the two. For starters, the PC version – even running on my AMD Dual Core 5200+ with 2 gigs of RAM and an NVidia GeForce 8600 GT – caused massive slowdown. It was unplayable at times and, most others, just not very enjoyable. The 360 version, however, remedies this. Although the framerate isn’t as consistent as I would like it to be, it is certainly a hell of a lot better than that of the PC incarnation of the game. There’s also the issue of glitches, bugs, and the other assorted goodies that stem from a rushed development schedule, such as the infamous “weapon floating;” these things just don'y’t seem to happen nearly as often. Clipping isn’t a problem much anymore, either.

I was also thankful to see that NPCs and squadmates didn’t disappear from out of the fucking blue whenever the game’s tempered Unreal 3 Engine decided they should. Perhaps this problem was PC-centric, I can’t be sure. I do, however, know that the much welcomed boost in framerate and what appears to be a bigger focus on fixing up small technical aspects of the game (i.e. clipping, texturing and adding a higher resolution to shadows) were appreciated by me.

Otherwise, the Xbox 360 version is identical to any other iteration of BlackSite including the PC edition. Game play-wise, there isn't much to separate this title from other first-person shooters on the market and, apart from the numerous glitches, that is what will ultimately divide players. Some, like me, may be able to get the most out of its cut-and-dried, plain-as-vanilla approach while others probably want a little more depth with their FPS (think last year's "The Darkness" or the 2000 PC action/RPG hybrid "Deus Ex" and its 2003 sequel, "Deus Ex: Invisible War").

The squad control is a refreshing alternative in a game that is, otherwise, simply point-and-shoot fare. The plot is also refreshing in that it touches on various could-be shady aspects of our government, such as made-up conspiracy theories, super-soldier programs, what Area 51 is REALLY for, and the treatment of our war veterans. But the environment in which this all takes place - your typical run and gun FPS - doesn't quite gel with a plot that seems to scream "open-ended." A sandbox game might have been the better choice; who really knows. And that squad system that I briefly mentioned doesn't really help matters either. You can position your squad, tell them to focus-fire, or have them open doors when a glowing icon appears over them with the RB button. It doesn't really matter, though, as they are poor shots and don't help a lot in combat. The only problem is your character, Aeran Pierce, can't seem to open doors on his own. That's right, having your squad breach/open them is almost the ONLY way to get into closed areas.

Even the game's Morale System - which measures how well you and your squad are doing in combat - is a flubbed idea. It sounds much deeper on the box than it actually ends up being in-game. In essence, it all boils down to this; take too much damage without dealing enough towards your enemies and your squad's morale drops. Take less damage while dishing out more towards your enemies - along with headshots - and their morale increases. But what does that morale mean? It simply means that with high morale they will become more aggressive and help out more in firefights or, if the morale is waning, your squad will become much more cautious in combat. I really can't say I noticed a difference between the two, though. They acted surprisingly similar with either high or low morale.

However average the game play may be, you can't deny "BlackSite's" striking visual prowess. While some textures are muddy and seem unfinished (something like placeholders until better textures were created) the majority of the game looks spectacular. Great lighting and shading and superb character models in a game that is, very much so, almost the pinnacle of what the Unreal 3 Engine is capable of. Although there are times when object shadows can distort at a distance and, as I previously mentioned, some textures appear half-finished, the game is very classy visually and one of the best looking Unreal 3 Engine game's I've come across. Environments are also a plus as bump mapping seems to play a big part in their beauty. There are some impressive set pieces that take place outdoors and, thanks to incredible lighting and architecture, they won't be forgotten anytime soon. Some of the best lighting to date, as well as some of the most detailed, fluidly designed characters models and grandiose architecture to date as well.

I've heard some complain briefly about poor sound design and, to an extent, I can agree with them. But considering "BlackSite's" hectic release schedule, the moments where there is absolutely no music during key sequences, as well muted dialogue, are just some of the problems I believe stem from this. Otherwise, the voiceacting is certainly above average and the weapons sounds are satisfying. The music isn't as memorable as I would have liked it to have been in a game about battling aliens and their various offspring, but it'll do. The most unforgivable moments, though, are when there are intense sections of game play that have absolutely no music at all.

Moreover, the 360 version's AI is completely identical to that of the PC's; for better or worse. Enemies tend to move around quite a bit - making themselves hard targets - and manage to find cover often enough, but, beyond that, they are dumber than dumb. They display no real intelligence during firefights and boss battles, as epic as some of them may be in "size" and scope, are incredibly easy. The final fight is one of the most anti-climactic I've ever had the displeasure of taking part in. Whether that be due to rushed programming, poor AI or an amalgam of quality deteriorating aspects, you be the judge.

That truly says a lot about Midway as a once-respected gaming company when they divide a game three ways as such with “BlackSite” (that is the 360, Playstation 3, and PC versions, respectively) and the console versions of the game perform so much more outstandingly than the PC “adaptation.” The same can be said for “John Woo Presents Stranglehold,” an excellent Midway game (if you purchased it for one of the two major consoles) that received a horrid PC release. Case in point; black & white manual that appeared photocopied, numerous bugs & glitches, crashing errors, poor optimization, and numerous other issues.

Although “BlackSite’s” problems don't just stem from a company unconcerned with PC gamers, there were development issues as well. The game was rushed to meet last year’s busy holiday season and, to paraphrase Executive Creative Director of “BlackSite,” Harvey Smith, the game ‘went from Beta to Final [instantly].' But for what it’s worth “BlackSite” is an enjoyable shooter IF YOU GET IT FOR A CONSOLE. A little vanilla and it practically screams “unfinished,” it could have been a lot worse considering the circumstances. Fans of sci-fi shooters will probably dig it (sort of), others probably won’t. There’s not enough content to really sink your teeth into, but for a week’s rent and some easy achievement points, it wouldn’t hurt to give it a shot.