Plot: What’s it about?
Blacklight: Tango Down centers on two rival factions. each hell bent on demolishing the other side. The factions shoot it out in various urban landscapes, using cutting edge weapons and technology. That is all there is here in terms of plot, so hopefully you just want to shoot people and little else. The lack of a narrative, even a minimal one, is sure to lessen the experience for some, but this is a game designed for quick entry and fast paced action. The core of Blacklight: Tango Down is competitive multi-player, but there is a short, generic “story mode” as well. The latter can be played alone or with friends, which is nice. But it is short and is just a tutorial, so don’t expect a full blown campaign. The focus is on the competitive content and that is where the depth is, with numerous modes, upgrades, and customization options. We’ve seen games with large arsenals, but never one with this kind of scope, as far as DLC games are concerned. You can tailor your load out to your exact play style needs, which of course makes the game play itself that much more enjoyable.
The hype behind Blacklight: Tango Down is immense, but can it compete with Modern Warfare 2 or the Battlefield series? To be honest, no. The game offers a great change of pace from the FPS kings, but simply doesn’t have the depth or razor sharp game play to challenge the throne. Blacklight: Tango Down is still a fantastic shooter however, as it offers a lightning fast pace and responsive shooting mechanic that is a blast to experience. The matches move at such a brisk pace because the game is designed to be fast, campers will not find a comfortable home here. You can flip down your Hyper Reality Visor, which shows you all power ups, pick ups, and the other players. So you can run in Blacklight: Tango Down, but you can’t hide. The multi-player modes are generous, the weapon choices are stacked, and the game itself is rock solid. I do wish the campaign aspect was given more attention, but that wasn’t the focus here. If you’re looking for a faster, action oriented shooter that rewards assault over camping, then Blacklight: Tango Down is well worth a look.
Video: How does it look?
The visuals here are impressive, but its obvious this is a DLC title, not a full retail release. The graphics are slick and stylized, but with such limited space, can’t compete with the top tier FPS titles out there. Even so, the dark urban visuals are pretty unique and for a Live Arcade title, are quite impressive. Even as fast paced as the shootouts become, the visuals kept pace and no problems arose whatsoever. As someone who plays a lot of FPS titles, the look of Blacklight: Tango Down was a welcome breath of fresh air from the typical jungles and rural landscapes.
Audio: How does it sound?
The audio is solid, but unimpressive. The gunfire sounds fine, but there doesn’t seem to be the kind of depth you find in other similar games. This is due in part to the setting, but I still think the audio design could have been more immersive. But the basics are covered, so in the end, I can’t be too harsh here.
Supplements: What are the extras?
N/A
