You've looked at the score, haven't you? You've see it, and now you're reading to find out how on EARTH a 50 Cent game can get an 7/10 (sorry, typo) after the farce that was 50 Cent: Bulletproof.
Basically, this isn't just some dirty cash-in. Far from it. We told you when we first saw the game running that it looked surprisingly good, and now we've played it we stand by it. As soon as you start playing you can tell see and feel that there's Gears of War DNA at its core - it has the same camera view, the same cover system, similar controls and it looks very much like it too. But it doesn't try to be Gears. Not even slightly.
It takes the Gears formula, scrapes off a few layers of seriousness and slaps on a hefty coat of insanity. It's like taking a classy Aston Martin, spraying it bright orange and sticking huge chrome wheels and an enormous sound system on it; it won't handle as well but it'll be louder and just a bit mental.
Blood in the Sand doesn't say "frag out", it says "fire in the motherf***ing hole, b***hes". When a bunch of enemies blast into the room, you don't take cover and choose a strategic route of approach. You lob a couple of motherf***ing grenades and sprint in rattling off bullets from your giant machine gun at your soon-to-be-utterly-ruined enemies.
Gas-filled barrels explode, bullets fly everywhere, people get blown through the air and 50 Cent swears his face off. And the whole time 50's tunes beat away in the background. Mum would have a fit, but it'll make you smile.
50 throws a mean punch, too. Approach an enemy and you can unleash a series of blows, tapping the B button in time with an on-screen prompt as 50 beats and stabs his foe in a cinematic slaughter scene. Mmm, nice.
Grab cash and 'Bling' as you work through the game and you can spend it on new melee moves, bigger guns and new taunts (clicking in the left stick launches 50 into an ego-charged swear off. Quite funny).
As you kill fools, a gauge charges up and tapping the Y button activates the brilliantly-named 'Gangster Fire Mode' - a temporary spout of slow motion that makes it possible to waste even more dudes without being killed.
What's the plot behind all the carnage? 50 wants his skull back. It's a diamond encrusted skull - worth a few bob - and some dude steals it. So 50 goes to a middle-eastern-like setting in pursuit of the thief and wastes a load of not-so-middle eastern-looking blokes (dodging any potential 'racism' allegations, possibly).
Whatever else happens is irrelevant - and even if you usually like to know the plot behind a game it doesn't help that the cutscenes are done in poorly-encoded video that looks worse and sounds quieter than the in-game action. Wasn't there enough space on the disc for high-quality video?
Anyway, the mostly nonsensical violence is beefed up with a brilliant bonus mechanic that throws mini objectives at you on the fly. A text alert appears on screen every minute or two telling you to kill a certain enemy, blow up a particular target or collect a certain amount of cash within a time limit, and those targets are outlined in red to make them easier to spot.
Cause the carnage asked of you and you'll get bonus points, along with a few explosive rounds for your pistol. They're brilliant too - one shot and the round sticks to your enemy, followed a few seconds later by an explosion than sends them soaring.
There's a kill combo system in there too - similar to Sega's The Club, you chain up kills by fragging enemies before a timer gauge runs down, which tallies up more points for your efforts.
The whole game is co-op too, which is nice. When you play alone the CPU controls your partner, who you can choose from a selection of three members of 50's rap crew, G-Unit, including Tony Yayo, Lloyd Banks and DJ Woo Kid. It's better when another player takes control, but only because you get to kill stuff together. It doesn't really enhance the strategy, mostly because there isn't any to begin with.
And the few co-op mechanics that are there are dull - lifting up metal shutters together, or giving each other boosts up to high platforms.
Repetition is one of the game's major issues - the scenery is samey (it looks great, but all very similar), the 'shoot down a helicopter' boss fights get tiresome, and we never want to open another metal shutter in a game again.
Although vehicle sections do break it up a little - driving sections see one player drive while the other shoots, and helicopter sections let both players shoot from infinite-firing machine guns - there aren't any jaw-dropping moments. And no deathmatch either.
It's just balls-out shooting from start to finish, with 50 Cent tunes to bop along to as you go. It's not too tough and not overly complicated. You just have fun with guns, and that's all there is to it.
Thats a strange first paragraph considering the score was actually 7/10!
damn it beat me to it. i noticed someone playing this on my friends list today and when questioned they said its brilliant. maybe worth a small rental if you can put up with the music. then again you could just play your own over the top of it.
I actually got to play most of this game last summer and I was very impressed with what they had done back then.
I'm not really surprised that it's got a decent score. The only thing I wonder is if people who assumed it would be pure tripe will give it a go. I somehow doubt they will, but seeing as the last game sold so many, it might not be a problem.
I don't think I could stomach it. I like listening to certain rap, but I don't claim to be into the whole culture thing. Not a good start for a game based on a potty mouthed rapper.
Now if Iron Maiden brought out a new game, where you played as Eddy - then I'd be very interested. Maybe based on the Somewhere in Time album....
I've had my copy for a couple of days now, it's great fun! (Xbox 360) If you can look past the fact that it's 50 Cent then you'll find a good solid shooter. As for the cutscenes, they all look and sound fine to me, surprisingly well produced stuff. This game doesn't take itself seriously for one second, the laugh out loud one liners are classic, the story is so ridiculous that it's actually good and stick some great looking Unreal Engine visuals on top and your onto a winner.
I think Swordfish deserve a pat on the back for making a respectable game out of something that you'd think was a non-starter, especially given the uncertainty & upheaval that company has recently had to face.
Anyone that actually buys this game should be locked up in a very small empty room for the rest of their lives for supporting this moron, or at the very least banned from gaming.
there are so many decent shoot'em up games out there now as well as in the next few months that should take care of any "blow sh*t up" needs you may have.
its about time some one released a review for this its been on my radar for a while now. is this game going to have trophys? if it is i may get it. other wise KZ and fear 2 will keep me ocupied till godfather 2.
Anyone that actually buys this game should be locked up in a very small empty room for the rest of their lives for supporting this moron, or at the very least banned from gaming.
there are so many decent shoot'em up games out there now as well as in the next few months that should take care of any "blow sh*t up" needs you may have.
Just letting you know I'll be boycotting you if you decide to release anything for consumers.
Anyone that actually buys this game should be locked up in a very small empty room for the rest of their lives for supporting this moron, or at the very least banned from gaming.
there are so many decent shoot'em up games out there now as well as in the next few months that should take care of any "blow sh*t up" needs you may have.
Technically you'd be supporting UK based devs Swordfish studios, you know, the people who made the game, not 50 cent. People who buys 50 Cent's albums and clothing support 50 Cent.
Anyway I've seen a few reviews for this now and seems to be the same old story, just good ol shoot 'em up fun from start to finish, not to be taken seriously. It's a Gears clone, it's fun, and I've got no 'beef' with 'fiddy', So I'll probably buy it sometime, but not now, Resi 5 is top priority for me.
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Looks great
