Down with the Octopus thingy
Following the destruction of the alien octopus, I was dropped off on land by the crew who proceeded to take to the air in the helicopter. There was an intense battle on the ground where I had the first chance to use a rocket launcher to take out a couple of soldiers heading my way, but more interestingly I was able to control the gunner in the helicopter by assigning targets for him to shoot at using the simple one-button command. These squad based tactics were far more relevant and significant to this specific segment of gameplay because it offered me some respite from the onslaught of enemies and allowed me to focus on reaching the area safely where I could pick up the rocket launcher.
Blacksite has come a long way since the Xbox 360 demo, which was actually completed in December, and now there is a certain flow to the game that makes it appealing and exciting to play. Due to the simple command system you don't really have to think too hard about what you're doing and assigning commands becomes an intuitive and reactionary process. We're told they'll be co-op mode, which the team seemed to be very excited about, plenty of vehicles to drive, such as ATVs and HMMWVs. In addition there will be the obligatory multiplayer mode, which features a number of traditional online modes, such as Death- Match, Team-Death-Match and Capture-the-Flag as well as some unique modes to the Blacksite franchise.
Click for larger image
Click for larger imageBlacksite is going to be action-packed alright and will undoubtedly gain a following thanks to its accessibility and alien-themed storyline. Whether you're picking up Halo 3 later this year or not, it's certainly worth keeping an eye on. We'll be delivering our definitive verdict on Blacksite in the next couple of months.
