This is where your ability to reliably score headshots comes in handy. The game doesn't require much finesse, instead opting for brute-force tactics most of the time, with some occasional-and optional-stealth moments thrown in. You can zoom in with any weapon, which is handy for getting headshots, but in many cases, it's easier to just run up and empty an entire magazine into a soldier. Considering that the artificial intelligence bolts away from grenades whenever they're tossed, this is essential to making them useful, especially when you're up against shielded enemies. Grenades aren't especially satisfying until you realize that you can shoot them to make them blow up faster. You always feel like you've got plenty to shoot at, and a steady flow of ammunition popping out of every soldier you nail means you don't have to worry too much about running out of shots. The graphics are terrific, and yes, lots of stuff blows up. Instead, the focus is on the gameplay, and Black makes a stunning first impression.

One could say, given the game's attempts at re-creating the short-on-story, long-on-muzzle-flash activities you'd find in a typical action movie, that the way the game focuses on the gunplay fits, but even action classics like Commando have at least some closure. That includes the final confrontation (or lack thereof) and ending, which is almost painfully disappointing in its brevity.

But beyond lots of shadowy, Black Ops-style talk, there's not much to the story. Over time, you learn that your objective was to take out some sort of arms-dealing terrorist outfit known as the Seventh Wave, and its leader, an off-the-farm ex-operative known as Lennox. Every single full-motion video cutscene in the game returns to this interrogation, which sets up each of the eight missions as flashbacks covering the previous four days. You begin the game with a cutscene that shows Keller in chains, being grilled by a slimy government type. By clicking 'enter', you agree to GameSpot'sīlack's story puts you in the shoes of a soldier named Keller.

Black squad game review