Outdoing Stuart Black.

It's funny, to this day, Black is still one of my favorite shooters of all time. Originally from the previous generation of gaming, but definitely not FEELING like it, it deftly combined gratuitous "gun porn" aesthetics with a tactical underside that bested even the hardest of the hardcore. Unsurprisingly, everyone loved Criterion's take on the modern FPS and wanted more, and it's no surprise that a sequel was expected and anticipated. What was a surprise however, is the fact that said game did NOT get a sequel of any kind, leaving the masses to only imagine what could've been. If Black was able to be the spectacle it was on outdated hardware, imagine what it would be like now?



The creator of Black stepped forward and announced his new project, a spiritual successor in the form of Bodycount and triumphantly announced his return to the world of shooters, and how we would all be rocked by what he has in store for us. Exciting!

...To be honest, it sucked. A bit bland in some spots, a bit spotty in others, it's as if his hubris at having created one of the most intense shooters of the last gen has overshadowed his sight. There are so many shooters now that equal or best the intensity that Black displayed four years ago that his successor feels dated by comparison. These are just alpha impressions though, and while the game does have time to improve, if it keeps looking like this:


I have no choice but to assume that he's lost it, and I need to move on.

However, someone seems to be getting it. Polish developer People Can Fly (most famous for their stellar balls out shooter Painkiller) and Epic Games (Unreal, Gears of War) are putting together a shooter that looks to turn the action shooter on its head. Joystiq has the scoop with a brief walkthrough of one of the game's levels, and I have to admit..It looks like so much fun, it's prospective 2011 release date is going to be agonizing. Relentless destruction, a focus on creative kills and mayhem (with a combo and point system for an extra layer of tactical planning/childlike glee), and visually superb? Sign me up.



No,really. The points system is so robust that you get special bonuses for shooting a man in the ass. This game needs a release date already.

Mr. Black? Do step your game up.