GAMERS GET CHANCE TO SAVE THE WORLD IN `BLACK' AND '24'.Byline: Redmond Carolipio Staff Writer Not all the big games have to deal with gangsters or graffiti. Two of the more popular titles deal with a broader, more noble cause: counterterrorism coun·ter·ter·ror adj. Intended to prevent or counteract terrorism: counterterror measures; counterterror weapons. n. Action or strategy intended to counteract or suppress terrorism. . New releases from Electronic Arts and 2K Games give gamers the chance to fight all enemies, foreign and domestic. ``Black'' is beautiful, but beauty proves to be only skin-deep in this madly anticipated first-person shooter  Editing of this page by unregistered or newly registered users is currently disabled. from Electronic
Arts.
Developed by Criterion Games Criterion Games is a Guildford, England based video game developer. It is best known for its work on the Burnout series and BLACK video games and the RenderWare middleware game engine coded by Criterion Software. , players are treated to the same mastery of physics that made Criterion's crash-heavy ``Burnout'' racing series a smashing success. But after the visual opera of flying dirt, deafening gunfire and scorched earth scorched earth An antitakeover strategy in which the target firm disposes of those assets or divisions considered particularly desirable by the raider. Thus, by making itself less attractive, the target discourages the takeover attempt. sinks into your system, you'll realize that ``Black'' is a very good game - but not quite the groundbreaking opus that plenty of people expected. You play the leader of a black-ops team hunting down a national traitor camping out in Eastern Europe Eastern Europe The countries of eastern Europe, especially those that were allied with the USSR in the Warsaw Pact, which was established in 1955 and dissolved in 1991. . The cornerstone of the action is the ability to destroy practically anything on the screen. From blasting apart headstones in a cemetery to wiping out chunks of buildings (with an obscene amount of personal firepower), this could be seen as the definitive ``blow stuff up'' game, appealing to everyone's inner gun nut. But there are some slight chinks in ``Black's'' body armor Noun 1. body armor - armor that protects the wearer's whole body body armour, cataphract, coat of mail, suit of armor, suit of armour armet - a medieval helmet with a visor and a neck guard . Enemies are a little too resilient at times, able to shake off a hail of machine-gun rounds to the chest with no ill effects. There's also the annoying fact that you can't jump. You can't even step over things. The people at Criterion reportedly did this because they didn't want the game to feel like a platformer (a game where you would jump a lot). So, players are forced to take the long way around whenever faced with a small gap or knee-high wall. Perhaps it's the game's way to make sure you don't miss the gorgeous, bullet-riddled scenery. In any case, EA still has a guaranteed, surefire hit. But if it wants to revolutionize the genre, it'll have to take another shot. Gamer fans of the TV show can finally assume the role of federal ninja Jack Bauer Jack Bauer is the protagonist of the American television series 24, in which he has trained and worked in various capacities as a government agent, including US Army Delta Force, LAPD SWAT, and finally the Counter Terrorist Unit (CTU) Los Angeles. and some of his teammates at CTU CTU Colorado Technical University CTU Czech Technical University in Prague CTU Counter Terrorist Unit CTU Clinical Trials Unit CTU Catholic Theological Union CTU Chicago Teachers Union CTU Computer Training Unit CTU Control Unit . While the story and cinematics are top-notch, some of the game-play elements would make even Jack freak out freak out Substance abuse A verb, popularized in the US in the '60s–to experience nightmarish hallucinations including by LSD or a similar drug. See 'Bad trip.', Flashback. . The game attempts to bridge the gap between the second and third seasons, and 2K Games pulled out all the stops to get as many of the show's stars on board, as well as one of its writers. The result is a storytelling experience that almost perfectly captures the spirit of the show. Visually, the highlights come with the game's character models. Both the in-game and the cut-scene representations of the show's actors are outstanding. The voice acting on all fronts is also well done. Unfortunately, lots of the actual game play is hit or miss. The game scores by having players assume a multitude of roles: Jack, Tony Almeida Anthony "Tony" Almeida is a fictional character played by Carlos Bernard on the television series 24. Character Almeida obtained a Bachelor's degrees in Computer Science and Engineering from the San Diego State University and his Master of Science in Computer , Michelle Dessler  This section's length may be too detailed and adversely affects readability. - even Kim, Jack's daughter. It also does
a solid job of integrating plenty of mini-games into parts of the story,
such as disarming bombs or trying to extract info from a damaged PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) A handheld computer for managing contacts, appointments and tasks. It typically includes a name and address database, calendar, to-do list and note taker, which are the functions in a personal information manager (see PIM). .
This gives players (especially fans) a diverse experience, instead of
just a standard shoot-'em-up.
Perhaps the most innovative mini-game is the interrogation interrogation In criminal law, process of formally and systematically questioning a suspect in order to elicit incriminating responses. The process is largely outside the governance of law, though in the U.S. sequence, where players have to deftly manage the stress level of the person being questioned. Mess up, and it's mission over. The issues lie with the third-person action sequences, which are hurt by a wild camera that jerks around like it's being punched by an invisible fist. It's too easy to lose your bearings, especially when the game places you in a dark area. The game also features a few driving sequences, some of which can be downright torturous. You're required to lose any pursuers before reaching your destination, and it's extremely hard to do: You either have to find a way to blow up your enemies or run around in circles. There are also some logic-defying moments: I once reached CTU with my car on fire and a van coming after me - the next thing I know, I see a cut scene with Tony Almeida walking into the building like nothing has happened. Despite all this, I still had a lot of fun with it. I'd say it's a near must-have for fans of the show, who'll gladly put up with the slew of quirks just to live out their CTU fantasies. For the typical gamer, however, there might be better ways to spend 24 hours. BLACK - Three stars Publisher: Electronic Arts. Rated: M for Mature. Platforms: Available for PS2, Xbox and PC. 24: THE GAME - Two stars Publisher: 2K Games. Rated: M for Mature. Platform: Available for PS2. CAPTION(S): 2 photos Photo: (1) ``BLACK'' (2) ``24'' |
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