There was no shortage of triple-A games between Bioshock, Halo 3, and Metroid 3. And I'm just going to be truthful with you, the bar has been raised in gaming – especially in first-person shooters, and this game just doesn't exist. Every once in a while, a game is going to slip on the shelf that obviously had some consideration and some investment in it, but in the end, the game sounds unpolished and badly conceived, Blacksite: Area 51 is that title.
The storyline is, in some ways, imaginative and fitting, but the way it is done leaves a lot to be desired. The plot continues on as you and your colleagues fly to modern-day Iraq to investigate the possible arms arsenal (Wait, I've heard that tall tale before. Not to spoil anything, but when they arrive there, it's not the weapons they're seeking. The story is being elevated out of Iraq and into the alien sanctuary of Nevada, where the militiamen have infiltrated Area 51 and are about to spill the mysteries of the nat.
Although the plot is at least grappling with the real issues, it's really uncomfortable. In Iraq's early atmosphere, Saddam's posters are embossed everywhere, to the point that I think the developers felt, But the macho riffs are running out of steam really fast. Levels inside buildings run around the simplicity of the group mechanic: push the shoulder button and target where you want the team to go. It's scarcely necessary to have any tactics, though, because the AI opponent is too predictable to use it, and the AI squad is too dumb to lose sight of it! Yet simple controls bring more to what could have been another lonely first-person shooter. When you get to Nevada and beyond, the game takes a queue from Half-Life 2, encouraging you to drive from a deserted outpost to a deserted outpost to fight against generic aliens.
Graphics and architecture have fluctuated from good to bad. The level designs are plain and soft, with broad, wide-open corridors with tiny scenic features that are few and far between. Outdoor environments have the same impression of emptiness and lack of imagination. Character designs and animations are appropriate but as opposed to a game like Half-Life 2, where character interactions and animation set a new standard, this game is flat. The guns from your first-person point of view have no shine or detail, and the aliens you shot have the same gritty look. Contrastly, the graphics of the walls and canyon faces may have some gloss, but the creators went crazy and also gave the sand you walked on a sparkling matte suit, which looks like you're walking on a glass surface.
As you might expect, the controls are not trying to redefine something. Turn is so sluggish that my thumb still hurts the first time I began to play it when I was trying to whip around to shoot a number of alien invaders. But, again, the mechanics are not bad at all. Shooting is enjoyable, and a breakaway landscape tends to establish a tactile feeling. Apart from the minimal leadership of the team, there is a theological structure that Halfway has set in motion. Based on how good you are, morality will change, and your success will change accordingly. Yet this is A.I. It's so bad this is your A.I. It doesn't matter whether you're profiting from it or not.
There are a variety of technical problems that really reflect the lack of polish in the game. If action is not taken, or if more than two enemies come to the screen, the frame rate will be decreased accordingly. Even, rarely, I will just stand there, unable to turn around. Frequently, ammunition boxes and guns can only float in the middle of the air.
