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BlackSite: Area 51

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4.5 User Score:

Mixed or average reviews

Based on 20 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

Based on 11 votes
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Game Info

Publisher: Midway

Developer: Midway Austin

Genre(s): First-Person Shooter

Players: 16

ESRB Rating: T (Teen)

Release Date: November 12, 2007

Summary

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 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]

Also On The Web: Official Website

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

Cheat Code Central

If you're looking for a ground-breaking experience or a robust selection of multiplayer modes- BlackSite's don't offer much more than a weekend distraction--this isn't it. However, if you find the idea of fighting aliens in your own backyard appealing, you won't do better than BlackSite's relatable, the-truth-is-out-there experience.

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Gamer 2.0

While the game was well paced, there wasn’t much depth to the individual gameplay facets used to break up regular running and gunning, and the lack of variety in weapons was disturbing for a shooter.

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Game Informer

I can see FPS fans having fun with BlackSite since it provides all the standard FPS rollercoaster thrills, but most of us have been up and down those hills a few too many times.

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GameStar

Whole levels look like they've been done between first and second breakfast. The name seems appropiate though - the sloppyness and laziness of execution may cause players to black out.

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Computer Games Online RO

The game is too linear and the freedom of movement is limited, while Crysis, for example, offers a wider environment to explore. At least if this linearity was sustained by a good gameplay, things might have been different.

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Worth Playing

With a disappointingly forgettable story, solid but unremarkable action, and with little else to look forward to in the multiplayer mode, there's not much of a reason to dig for the truth behind this particular conspiracy.

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IGN

The game underperforms in every aspect, and although that doesn't make it bad, it certainly makes it a major disappointment for everyone who was anxiously awaiting this game's debut.

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GameSpot

BlackSite: Area 51 is an ordinary first-person shooter that's held back by a collection of bugs and other issues.

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Game Over Online

Apart from exciting moments that are few and far between, the game is dull and uninspiring.

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VideoGamer

Other than the odd set-piece, Blacksite has nothing to warrant recommending it above the other big hitters and some severe technical issues drag it down considerably.

PC Zone UK

It's a shame this isn't a hopelessly bad game, otherwise I could've called it "BlackShite" and been done with it, but instead it teeters on the edge of being a worthwhile purchase before deciding it's comfortable being ordinary and forgettable. [Feb 2008, p.72]

Gaming Age

Blacksite's biggest issues aren't in the controls, but the lack of what you can do with them, not to mention the horrible enemy A.I.

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PC Gamer

If BlackSite were merely bland, it might be a good time waster, but it has a large helping of technical issues, too. [Feb 2008, p.76]

GameTrailers

BlackSite: Area 51 features a handful of fun moments blasting giant aliens, but there’s too much time spent in forgettable shootouts, the story fails to engage, and it’s so riddled with bugs that not even the Orkin Man can feel safe purchasing it.

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PC Gamer UK

Repetitive, old-fashioned. [Jan 2008, p.86]

MEGamers

Good potential wasted. There are much better shooters out there than this.

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PC PowerPlay

It’s the gaming equivalent of a made-for-TV SF movie in more ways than one, then. Your hoity-toity intellectual forebrain knows you’re too good for this candy floss, but your theme-park glands respond nevertheless. [Jan 2008, p.45]

PC Format

Five or six hours of totally joyless shooterage. I played this game so you don't have to. Don't let it all have been in vain. [Feb 2008, p.110]

1UP

BlackSite the narrative and BlackSite the game never meet in the middle.

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Edge Magazine

Blacksite is a thoroughly unexceptional title for which unrealistic promises were made, and one that is further let down by a wide assortment of bugs and design issues. [Jan 2008, p.83]

What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this game is 4.5 (out of 10) based on 11 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Braydon S gave it a7:
A great story but i must admit the freedom was limited and the graphics could have been better. The Multiplayer modes are really fun aswell.

Sam W. gave it a1:
The absolute worst PS3 game I've played. It would have been better to have simply been a terrible game, but it somehow manages to combine complete forgetableness with an atrocious experience.

Terry D. gave it a7:
BlackSite: Area 51 is just a nice little diversion until some of the big titles materialize a little later. Nothing new here, but fun nonetheless - the aliens are disturbing looking things and a blast to kill. Plus there's some fairly humorous dialog along the way. Not bad, just not great.

Jhon S. gave it a5:
So so game. not the greatest graphics, stale story line. not even good game play. so so.

Daniel S. gave it a3:
Even not having played all the way through i can safely say that this game is not worth the 12gb of space on my hard disk. Very un-impressive graphics engine, makes the source engine look like cheese to this mouse. Performance wise as well, the game completely lacks any sort of polish- even though what it really needs is a complete re-do. (no in the development world you do not get re-dos) I will not be playing any more of this horrendously aweful game.

Kayin M. gave it a2:
This game is 11 gigs of suck. After a run of amazing first person shooter games released lately, Midway fails to deliver a game worth playing. Orange Box, Bioshock, Call of Duty 4 have raised the bar. And Crysis eats that bar and makes a new one with games like this.

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BlackSite: Area 51

Game Info

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What The Critics Said

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