It’s been a while since I completed and platinumed Black. Today, I decided to play a bit again, just to relive the nostalgia. I first encountered this game years ago on the PlayStation 2. I even clearly remember that my version of the game was both translated and subtitled. Black is one of those titles that truly deserves recognition. Released in 2006 by Criterion Games, the game stood out not only for its intense gameplay but also for the way it brought an explosion of realism and destruction to the PS2—an era when the hardware was still struggling to run something so demanding. It’s still impressive today, especially with the level of environmental destruction.
Essentially, the game puts you in the shoes of an agent from the "Special Operations Division" (or Black Ops as it's called in the game). But what really grabbed my attention wasn’t the story itself—it’s fairly simple, to be honest—but how it immerses you in a series of frantic shootouts and action-packed scenes, all with that intense war movie vibe.
The level design is incredible for the time it was released, especially because of the destructibility. The environments are vast and open, giving you a level of freedom that was almost unprecedented for a first-person shooter back then. The map isn’t linear, and there are always multiple ways to approach a mission.
The game itself is quite challenging. I remember the first time I played, I couldn't even get past the first stage. One aspect worth mentioning is the precision of the shooting. Black doesn’t give you an aiming assist. Every shot had to be well-calculated. This forced you to think before shooting, and the feeling of satisfaction when you hit a distant target was amazing.
The game has a total of 23 weapons. Each weapon has its own weight and distinctive impact sound. There are also the silver-plated weapons, and the M16A2 (M16 with a grenade launcher), which adds another layer of fun.
It may not be the most visually stunning game of its generation, but the intelligent use of light and shadow, coupled with the gritty, war-torn atmosphere, gives it almost a cinematic feel.
There are around 8 missions, totaling about 6 to 8 hours of gameplay. Platinum-ing the game was a bit of a grind, especially due to the body count missions, which require you to kill a certain number of enemies in each stage. I took a long time, particularly on the second stage, which is set in the forest. Completing the game on Very Hard was tough because you die too easily and have to accomplish a ton of objectives, including finishing within a specific time limit. It was exhausting and stressful, but I managed to platinum it in 10 hours. It was really tiring, but totally worth it.
Anyway, it's definitely worth playing and platinum-ing too.
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MAIN THEME:
SOUNDTRACK:
BLACK PS2 SOUNDTRACK 2007
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