Developer : Electronic Arts
Release date : February 24, 2006
Synopsis :
Black is a 2006 first-person shooter video game developed by Criterion Games and published by Electronic Arts. It was released for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox in February 2006. The player assumes control of Jack Kellar, a black ops agent being interrogated about his previous missions involving a terrorist operation. Gameplay involves players confronting enemies by using firearms and grenades. The game is notable for its heavily stylized cinema-inspired action as well as its sound quality and focus on destructive effects during gameplay.
Black received generally positive reviews upon release. Critics praised the gameplay, sound design and presentation, but criticized the game’s short length and lack of multiplayer. Despite Criterion’s desire to develop a sequel, creative differences with Electronic Arts ultimately ended plans for one. As such a spiritual successor, Bodycount, was created by the same developers at Codemasters and released in 2011.
Black is set in Ingushetia and Chechnya, Russia. The protagonist is Sergeant First Class Jack Kellar (Marty Papazian), an inadequately disciplined member of a CIA black ops unit. The unknown interrogator (Paul Pape) questions Kellar about an arms smuggling terrorist organization and gang called the Seventh Wave who have been responsible for a number of terrorist attacks and homicides. Kellar is soon shown that, unless he co-operates, he and his actions will be declassified, meaning he will be convicted at court-martial, dishonorably discharged, and imprisoned for life. Though initially resistant, Kellar agrees to tell his story.
Four days earlier, Kellar and his military unit were attacking a Seventh Wave stronghold in the city of Veblensk. Kellar kills three high-ranking members of the cell but then disobeys orders by rushing inside a terrorist controlled building, where a hitman suddenly ambushes him. However, this hitman did not cause Kellar’s demise, and Kellar learns that his captor is an American, William Lennox, a former CIA wetwork operative. After faking his own death in Cairo, Lennox has apparently become the leader and gang boss of Seventh Wave.
Kellar’s next mission is to cross the border into Treneska and traverse the Vlodnik Canal to destroy a base and weapons cache. He then meets a female black ops soldier named MacCarver (Cree Summer), the commander of black ops Team Bravo, after fighting a wave of terrorists at a farmhouse. Kellar and MacCarver then move to destroy an arms factory in the city of Naszran. To complete the mission, they must navigate an old graveyard and town, both heavily defended. After doing so, they assault the town’s iron foundry, destroying its productive capacity. They then meet a third member of the team, Solomon.
They learn that Valencio, one of the four bosses of Seventh Wave, is hiding in Tivliz Asylum. The team decide to attack the asylum yard, with Keller rushing into the asylum despite Solomon protesting that their order was to hold. Keller finds Valencio after blowing up a concrete machine gun nest and briefly interrogates him for Lennox’s location.
Based on information gathered from the mission, Team Bravo proceeds to a well-defended dockyard, clears the area, and links up with Alpha Team. Alpha Team, however, is destroyed in an ambush while Lennox escapes. In light of the disastrous result, the operation is declared cancelled. Despite this, Kellar leads a retaliatory assault against the Graznei Bridge before leaving his team at the gates of Lennox’s compound to successfully penetrate the defenses both around and inside the Spetriniv Gulag. During the attack, Keller triggers an explosion resulting from the destruction of two concrete barricades, and subsequent explosions in the final room of the underground bunker, presumably killing Lennox.
The interrogator then reveals to Kellar that authorities had, in fact, always known of Lennox’s involvement in Seventh Wave. Kellar had acted predictably, doing what his profile said he would, while his pursuit of Lennox was both expected and welcome – but Lennox is not in fact dead. Kellar is told that a false “death” in a car accident has been arranged for him to provide cover so he could continue his pursuit of Lennox. The game ends with Kellar being told to get ready for his next assignment.
Source : Wikipedia
