BlackSite: Area 51 Image
BlackSite: Area 51
Xbox 360
Midway
Release Date:
Also On: PC, PlayStation 3
Metascore
62
Based on
48 Critics
User Score
6.1
Based on
61 Ratings
Summary Back to top
Featuring a powerful single-player campaign, along with multiple online multiplayer modes,
BlackSite: Area 51 delivers vicious combat action, next generation graphics and A.I., and a plethora of powerful weapons and vehicles. Set in present day, players take the role of a decorated military veteran charged by the government to lead a squadron of "secret soldiers," each with his/her own specialty skill set, into the Rachel, Nevada area to fight off the invasion of unidentified enemyFeaturing a powerful single-player campaign, along with multiple online multiplayer modes,
BlackSite: Area 51 delivers vicious combat action, next generation graphics and A.I., and a plethora of powerful weapons and vehicles. Set in present day, players take the role of a decorated military veteran charged by the government to lead a squadron of "secret soldiers," each with his/her own specialty skill set, into the Rachel, Nevada area to fight off the invasion of unidentified enemy races. The player’s modern-day emotions and fears are driven into a world charged with grave responsibility affecting lives hanging in the balance and eventually finding himself torn between his professional orders and his own ethical standards. In the end, only the actions of the player and his squad can shape the outcome of BlackSite: Area 51 during this potentially pivotal moment in history. [Midway]… Expand
Starring: Brian Hess, Richard Rouse III, Joe Olson
Developer: Midway Studios - Austin
Genre(s): Sci-Fi
# of players: 10 Online
Cheats: On GameFAQs
Rating: T
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Critic Reviews Back to top
Positive:
10
Mixed:
35
Negative:
3
85
Play.tm
In actual fact I found this, while admittedly less spectacular, as enjoyable as anything else I've played on the 360. BlackSite never attempts to be innovative, but knows what it does best. A well-oiled working game is ridiculously hard to find these days and, if nothing else, BlackSite is certainly that.
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75
TeamXbox
Overall, the game does just enough to be good, but stops short of being great. Still, if you're an FPS fan looking for a break from Halo 3 or CoD 4, Blacksite: Area 51 is definitely worth taking a look at.
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70
GameDaily
A decent shooter, jam-packed with targetable Black Ops soldiers and aliens aplenty and showing moderately good production values, despite a few hitches. However, it's lightweight fluff compared to Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare and The Orange Box, especially when it comes to the slapped-together multiplayer and lack of story depth.
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61
Talk Xbox
The game is merely another mediocre bag of wasted potential tossed out that simply begs you to lower your expectations right before diving in.
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60
1UP
I don't dislike this game. Aside from a few minor graphical bugs and hiccups, BlackSite is unquestionably competent at what it does. It's just that what it does isn't particularly notable, or innovative, or memorable -- in either a good or a bad way. It's not even memorably mediocre. It's just...diverting, for 10 hours or so. You could say worse things about a game.
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57
Electronic Gaming Monthly
At best, BlackSite is a poor man's "Resistance"; at worst, it's half of an unfinished game with a few cool set pieces. [Holiday 2007, p.74]
20
NTSC-uk
Instead of creating the game they promised themselves in the design documents, the end result is a spaceship sized wreck of catastrophic proportions and with very little redeeming qualities to prevent it from being placed at the very bottom of the bargain bin where it belongs.
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User Reviews Back to top
Positive:
15
Mixed:
4
Negative:
8
10
G.S.
Nov 13, 2007
Sometimes you just want an arcade shooter, lots of enemies to kill with beautiful backgrounds.
9
MichaelR.
Jan 20, 2008
I'm having a lot of fun playing this game.
8
AndrewS
Jun 18, 2008
Blacksite, was beyond beleif when it came to suspense, but then lead to a horribly short uninteresting ending! Although the alien design was Blacksite, was beyond beleif when it came to suspense, but then lead to a horribly short uninteresting ending! Although the alien design was great the AI'S strategy was pointless… Expand
7
TARGET1058
Feb 10, 2008
Could have been a really good game but the developers didn't put enough work into it. Way too many glitches. Falls short of it's Could have been a really good game but the developers didn't put enough work into it. Way too many glitches. Falls short of it's real potential. Even with the problems it is a fun game for FPS fans.… Expand
5
sinadoom
Jan 19, 2013
Here are some questions to consider. Have you played Gears of War and thought it would work well if it was a military First Person ShooterHere are some questions to consider. Have you played Gears of War and thought it would work well if it was a military First Person Shooter instead? Do you like mediocrity? Can you settle for average? Can you cope with bad programming? Have you played every shooter you can think of and still want more, regardless of quality? Blacksite is the game you're looking for. Imagine Battlefield 3's campaign on a (VERY) tight budget, much lower quality and generally worse in every way. Blacksite is not a bad game, but not one that you would buy unless you have no alternatives. Graphics are not horrible but the lighting is practically non-existent and in desperate need of about 32x anti-aliasing. It runs on Unreal Engine 3 and is one of the more dated games. You can tell it's old from the old-school levels (very simple, walk and shoot), dumb AI and an average cliche modern American war action story. Achievements aren't good either. The only thing that's really impressed me is the shooting mechanics. Finally, a game where you can play purely by hip-firing, but with an ADS option as well. It kinda reminds me of Prey, but instead of making obvious its old-school mechanics it tries to make itself look better than it is. Controls are OK but could be better; certainly much better than some games. What really lets it down is how it FEELS low budget due to the medieval programming. Not so much glitchy/buggy, but when you play it you feel like it's still in the development stage, and that the levels aren't properly finished. Some games try to cover up lazy design subtly. This game makes no such efforts. It feels scripted and coded by amateurs with little concern over user experience; whereas other games flow much more smoothly with fewer faults. If you get this game, you should expect nothing more than a budget shooter.… Expand
4
RobC
Apr 14, 2008
I played this game all the way through, and enjoyed some parts. This game really lacked in storyline and good strong characters. I finished I played this game all the way through, and enjoyed some parts. This game really lacked in storyline and good strong characters. I finished this game wandering why i continued to play it. If u just love shooting and killing alien scum, you'll like this...… Expand
0
JeffA.
Nov 17, 2007
Forget the graphics, controls, audio, storyline. None of that matters in this buggy mess of a game. My Humvie in one area was floating in the Forget the graphics, controls, audio, storyline. None of that matters in this buggy mess of a game. My Humvie in one area was floating in the air. In another section I wasled right through two pickup trucks. Later in the game the framerate drops to the point that the screen freezes. I really wanted to like this game but Midway should never have released a game with so many glitches. Probably the last time I buy a Game with the name "Midway" on the cover.… Expand
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