Not a Solo Dance- Blacklight: Tango Down

Whereas many find contentment in the security of protracted relationships, there’s a undeniable constituency  who seek gratification is a series of succinct liaisons. These impassioned itinerants are easily seduced by charm and good looks, often leaving a succession of conquests in their wake.  Admittedly,  I am one of these loping lotharios who jump from one first-person shooter to the next; the  onerous expense of the lifestyle being my sole regret.

Those who desire to maintain a philander’s ways during the current period of economic downturn might want to explore the latest offering from Ignition Entertainment and Zipper Studios. Blacklight: Tango Down delivers many of the thrills of a full-priced FPS- from a persistent player ranking system to seven different competitive mode variants, for a reasonable fifteen dollar price tag. Players who found gratification in last summer’s similarly-priced Battlefield 1943, will discover a comparable amount of depth in Blacklight‘s urbanized warzones.

For the price, gamers are going to have to forgo a few rudiments of any action game. The title’s storyline is nearly non-existent, offering a thinly articulated conflict between covert ops group, the Blacklight and the Order- a splinter faction composed of former Special Forces combats and local militia. Although these small scraps of narrative impetus are buried within the game’s ‘How to Play” menu,  their concealment allows eager combatants to quickly venture into the fray without viewing a cutscene. The game’s other omission isn’t as easily overlooked. Although Blacklight offers a handful of stages which can be player either solo or co-operatively, the mode seems provisional. Foes shuffle back and forth with a minimum of intelligence, relegating these levels to a glorified level grind. Have a diversion similar to the Terrorist Hunt mode found in Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Vegas series would have contributed to the title’s longevity.

Clearly, Blacklight‘s development team concentrated on delivering a rewarding competitive multiplayer experience; this is where the title shines. One of the game’s most interesting additions to the genre is the incorporation of a Hyper Reality Visor. Like Halo ODST‘s augmented appendage , the device allows players to easily spot friendlies, foes, health crates and ammo depots which are strewn across each battlefield. To offset any strategic dominance, players cannot shoot when the apparatus is engaged, fostering engaging tactical decisions. Less effective is the game’s digi-grenade, which create a vision-obscuring field when discharged. Strangely, the stylized blast radius also protects the foe, making their exact location ambiguous. Tango Down‘s extensive weapon customization options rewards dedicated players with a steady stream of components, and even stat-boosting tags. Ultimately, this means the most committed players will have the best loadouts, which can be discouraging for noobies.

Each of Blacklight‘s dozen maps display the capability of the third iteration of the Unreal Engine. Dystopian landscapes are  filled with crumbling walls, unsightly graffiti, and splintering streets while character models appear sufficiently intimidating, but are undermined by the proliferation of advertisements. Map design is quite capable, striking a balance between offering areas on concealment and creating choke points which erupt in the game’s Domination, Retrieval  (Capture the Flag) and Detonation (Search and Destroy) variants.

While Blacklight: Tango Down doesn’t have the depth of a full-fledged retail release, the title does offer a satisfying number of ways to frag online foes. At the same price as a Call of Duty 2: Modern Warfare 2 map pack, Blacklight might be an ideal title for the conquest-oriented gamer.