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50 Cent: Blood on the Sand

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6.8 User Score:

Mixed or average reviews

Based on 54 critic reviews
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Based on 26 votes
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Game Info

Publisher: THQ

Developer: Swordfish Studios

Genre(s): Third-Person Shooter

Players: 2

ESRB Rating: M (Mature)

Release Date: February 24, 2009

Summary

After performing a sold-out concert in a fictional war-torn country, 50 Cent and the G-Unit are robbed of their cash and paid in kind with a priceless diamond encrusted skull, which is subsequently stolen by the local crime-lord’s gang. Determined to collect his payment and enact revenge on the gangsters foolish enough to disrespect him, 50 Cent sets out to get rich or die trying. 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand features intense third-person action/shooter gameplay, an intuitive cover system, drop in and drop out online multiplayer co-op, merciless melee counter-kills and a soundtrack that combines 50 Cent’s greatest hits with 18 exclusive new tracks. 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand puts players in control of their own virtual action film by blending visuals from the Unreal 3 game engine technology with an over-the-top story and voiceover work by 50 Cent and the G-Unit’s Tony Yayo, Lloyd Banks, and DJ Whoo Kid. [THQ]

Also On Metacritic

GAMES: 50 Cent: Bulletproof

Cheat Codes & Hints: Cheat Code Central

Also On The Web: Kotaku Review 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...

PGNx Media

50 Cent: Blood on the Sand is a fairly typical third-person shooter at its core.

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Games Master UK

Gloriously absurd shooter backed up with fast-paced and entertaining combat. [Apr 2009, p.76]

GameFocus

Despite the few flaws we found, 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand is extremely fun to play, especially to those who were looking for a bad-ass co-op game to play with their buddy. Just remember that the game doesn’t try to take itself seriously…and neither do you. Turn off your brain, grab your bullet-proof vest and give 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand some love, ‘shawty’.

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MondoXbox

Without introducing particularly innovative elements, Swordfish Studios managed to ably mix and leverage already successful and well-known gameplay elements, delivering us a very entertaining dense hip hop style. Suggested to every lover of third person shooters, but mainly to Rap fans, that will find in this game all the traits of the gangsta lifestyle.

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Kombo

It's fun, funky and action loaded game with addicting gameplay to warrant a purchase even for the most skeptical gamer thinking that this rap mogul couldn't pull off a worthwhile game.

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AceGamez

50 Cent: Blood on the Sands is a really good, solid action game. It's silly, exciting and channels the best aspects of some of the 360's favourite hardcore shooters into some brainless arcade fun.

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Destructoid

If you are a fan of mindless, old-school action games you really owe it to yourself to give Blood on the Sand a try. I promise you will be thoroughly entertained. The minute things start to feel repetitive, the game throws in a random driving level or a ludicrous cutscene that you only wish could be rewound and watched again.

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G4 TV

Is it derivative? Yes. Is that a bad thing? No. Have I spent the last week of my life beating this game 6 times over and STILL going back for more? Um, what I do in my spare time is between my consoles and me.

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GameDaily

A huge improvement over the below-average Bulletproof.

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Da Gameboyz

If you are a fan of 50 Cent, and enjoy arcadish shoot em' ups, then 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand should be right up your alley.

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Gameplayer

We really had an absolute riot playing this bad boy. It was a mesh of the best aspects of a bunch of different titles we dug and a blast to knock out, though the repetitive boss battles irked us a little.

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Game Informer

50 Cent’s first foray into video games (50 Cent: Bulletproof) was a hot mess of action clichés and poor control, so kudos to new developer Swordfish Studios for delivering a vastly improved sequel. It’s a thuggish, high production value exercise in excess – not unlike the music of the man that inspired it.

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Gamervision

Seriously, it’s a good game! The graphics are all right, the gameplay is addicting, and story is good, stupid fun.

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Extreme Gamer

Fiddy proves his gaming career is more than wanksta dreaming with Blood on the Sand. You would almost have to be lifeless not to enjoy a few minutes of 50 this action packed shooter.

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Cheat Code Central

This is simply a blast to play, and there's a lot of replay value. The only problem is that the campaign is short, maybe five to seven hours.

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Play.tm

Surprisingly good. It may lack some of the fine polish and epic sense of scale found in the triple-A titles it so obviously borrows from, but that's no reason to ignore it completely. It is a game that revels in its absurdity never taking itself seriously, an attitude that breeds a certain amount of forgiveness for its shortcomings.

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IGN UK

A near-perfect popcorn game. Its gunplay is solid and backed up by a plethora of neat ideas, its co-op is strong and there's an undercurrent of savvy humour that helps to negate the heavy posturing and more dubious elements of the paper thin plot.

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HellBored

Goddamn if I don’t look back at the time I spent on it and grin. It’s significantly longer than you’d imagine too, with perhaps 15 hours game time if you try and challenge yourself a little bit and put it on Hard. So really, what more can you ask for – reasonable physics, good soundtrack, loads of gaming, multiplayer, replayability? Believe me, nobody is as surprised as I am by that sentence. But I tell you, this is worth a go.

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Gameplanet

His previous foray into videogames left the self professed P.I.M.P. more than a little L.I.M.P. But Swordfish Studios have pumped the lead back into 50 Cent’s pencil with the very respectable Blood on the Sand.

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Worth Playing

50 Cent: Blood on the Sand does a good job of alleviating the mistakes of its predecessor thanks to the better controls, great graphics and a foray into co-op.

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IGN AU

This is great mindless fun, with a huge head-nodding Fiddy soundtrack, highly competent visuals and a high score aesthetic that clicks enough to keep you playing.

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ZTGameDomain

The co-op is fun, the action is intense and in fact the only negative things about this game are the camera, story, and pop in graphics. If you can get past all of those things underneath you might not find the ultimate 50-Cent experience but you will at the very least find a pretty good action arcade shooter.

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GameShark

At the end of the day, if you can look past the utterly stupid story and just enjoy the game for what it is, a fast paced, high scoring, arcade shooter, you'll probably find yourself having a lot of fun.

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IGN

Blood on the Sand isn't broken, but it is at times unimaginative. If Gears of War 2's mantra was "Bigger, badder, more bad ass," then BOTS's should have been "Fiddy, Fiddier, more fiddier." Instead it's just one five-hour "Fiddy." There's no mistaking that this is a fun game to play -- particularly with a buddy -- but it's in no way excellent.

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Xbox360Achievements

You do not have to be a fan of 50 Cent to enjoy this cheesy slice of shoot ‘em-up pie, and if you have a friend to play it with all the better. That being said, the game is pretty damn short and you will have zero inclination to play it again so it is probably better saved for a rent.

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SpazioGames

50 Cent: Blood on the sand exceeds every early expectation; it's good action, with a good cover system and a funny arcade shooting experience. Replayability is allowed through lots of unlockables and weapons to buy, and of course the funny ccoperative mode. Not only for 50 Cent and G Unit fans, but every action lover will have fun with this Swordfish Studios' joint.

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PALGN

Not only is 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand a competent third-person shooter, it's a hoot to play - either by yourself or with a buddy in tow.

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Boomtown

So to summarize, Blood on the Sand doesn't suck. After Bulletproof it didn't look to have much of a chance, but the game plays to its strengths by not being anything too serious or demanding, giving way to a simple, solid, unpretentious and surprisingly enjoyable third-person shoot-'em-up.

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Official Xbox Magazine UK

A likeable shooter and a solid weekend's entertainment. [Apr 2009, p.78]

GameSpot

This isn't the best action game you'll play this year, but that doesn't mean you won't have a damn fun time playing it.

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MS Xbox World

I've been pleasantly surprised at how solid the game is. It's far from perfect, completely cheesy, copies other games, but ultimately offers a fun no-nonsense shooting experience.

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GamePro

There's no denying it: Blood on the Sand is completely senseless, wholly obnoxious, incredibly thoughtless, and insanely fun. Hampered by a sore lack of multiplayer, Fiddy's second console excursion still remains an entertaining, if completely mindless experience.

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Computer and Video Games

It's just balls-out shooting from start to finish, with 50 Cent tunes to bop along to as you go. It's not too tough and not overly complicated. You just have fun with guns, and that's all there is to it.

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X360 Magazine UK

Light, silly and undemanding but also surprisingly fun, Blood On The Sand will never compete with the big boys of the shooting genre but it’ll keep you amused more than you may think. It’s worth a look.

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Eurogamer

While this is never amazing, it's a competent, enjoyable third-person cover shooter with a sense of humour.

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VideoGamer

50 Cent fans are going to love every minute, and non-fans are likely to have a pretty good time too. Just don't expect a deep gameplay experience.

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Teletext GameCentral

50 Cent's second game is an enjoyable slice of dumb fun that has plenty to teach more serious shooters.

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DarkZero

The biggest chunk of praise needs to go to Swordfish, though, who have managed to take what – on paper, at least – is an awful idea and turn it into a decent shooter, even in a very crowded market.

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InsideGamer.nl

Fans of 50 Cent, rest assured. 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand is way better then 50’s first game. Sometimes it is even a lot of fun to play. The combination of 50 Cent’s music and shooting around gun blazing creates a perfect setting for fans to enjoy.

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Totally360

Overall 50 Cent: Blood On The Sand is an enjoyable game.

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3DJuegos

50 Cent: Blood on the Sand proves that with effort and good material a more than acceptable videogame can be created. Obviously this is not a game that will set standards, on the contrary, but it is nevertheless an entertaining and easy consuming game that will appeal to all Curtis Jackson's fans.

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Meristation

A mixture of genres that lacks personality, with a very light script, not very original and with limited cooperation between characters. It offers a great move set and weapons, and it's a fun experience, but not a deep experience.

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GameZone

As long as you remove high expectations – which I have no clue why anyone would have any for a 50 Cent title – then you’ll come away having a blast with 50 Cent: Blood in the Sand. It’s not the most original or clever title to release in 2009, but it’s a good 10-15 hours of mindless fun where you can shut off the thinking part of your brain and have a great time blowing up everything in your sight.

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Official Xbox Magazine

You’ll also have no one to remind you to leave your brain at the door and enjoy this game as it was meant to be taken - as a fairly well-built, over-the-top testosterone fantasy without all the fancy polish or (dare we say it?) smarts of, say, Gears of War, but still an incredibly satisfying shot in the arm for co-op addicts like us.

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Gamer's Hell

Though 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand can boast fluid controls and a well-designed co-op mulitplayer, there isn't much to push the game past it qualifying as either an expensive XBL/PSN arcade title, or interactive merchandise for the 50 Cent brand.

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Xbox World 360 Magazine UK

Brainless, brash and brave: a decent shooter, that can't quite sustain the thrills. [May 2009, p.68]

games(TM)

Broken up with vehicle and on-rails sections that aren’t nearly as horrible as tradition dictates they should be, Blood On The Sand is an entertaining action title with absolutely no imagination. [Apr 2009, p.102]

Wired

Although 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand has enough novel gimmicks in its shooting gameplay to keep things interesting, everything else is no better than average.

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Gamer.nl

50 Cent: Blood on the Sand doesn't take itself too seriously and never tries to be anything more than easy entertainment. If you look at the game in this perspective, then you'll have no problem in liking the game. Especially when you're playing it with a friend. But there are a few things missing, like a splitscreen and an online mode. Or a high difficulty setting. Making the game far from perfect for the experienced gamer.

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Giant Bomb

Parts of this 50 Cent adventure are downright enjoyable, but I think the most enjoyment I got out of Blood on the Sand came ironically. The action is pretty generic, but it's functional enough to keep you moving from one bout of unintentional comedy to the next.

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D+PAD Magazine

Blood on the Sand has been developed to plough straight down the middle and appeal to the largest possible demographic; it's a jack of all trades, and master of none. It's not as bad as his previous game, disastrously melodramatic movie attempt or second album. It is, however, entirely standard.

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1UP

Blood in the Sand takes its missteps in stride. The game doesn't takes itself too seriously and if you try to, it completely unravels. Similarly, go in looking for old school street cred and you'll come up empty.

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GameCritics

Although I got a few good laughs out of the first hour or so, the appeal of calling men in turbans "bitches" while plowing through repetitive environments ran out long before the credits rolled. I walked away from the game bored and left it unfinished, having no regrets.

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Gaming Nexus

Unremarkable aside from its boisterous nature, Blood in the Sand is fleeting if not occasionally mind-numbing with its fun. It’s not only unoriginal, it poorly copycats its older siblings to lesser effect.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this game is 6.8 (out of 10) based on 26 User Votes

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

Chris L gave it a3:
Oh don't get me started. It was fun for the first 10 minutes. Then bordem ensues. The repetitive action is only broken up by small side-missions that are more like a full fledged task in some ways. I will say that the array of weapons and upgrades for "Fitty" were somewhat decent. The dialogue spoken by 50 and his partner was just the unrecognizable dribble we call slang, filled with humorless swears for added "gang-ness." I will also say that the cover system and graphics looks like they were taken right outta Gears, but plastered with pure defects. The story was intuitive. But one diamond-encrusted skull does not make this game a beauty.

t b gave it a9:
This is one of the funnest games I've played in years. It is a complete rip off of one of the greatest series of all time, Gears of War. There isnt the epic feel or production values of Gears, the middle east isnt nearly as varied or pretty as Gears, the enemies suck and aren't nearly as many or as cool as Gears enemies, playing as 50 sucks, and the game lacks the awesomeness of the chainsaw, gore, and curb stomping, but it has the near perfect controls and camera of Gears, its faster paced and it even improves a little on what I thought were the flaws of Gears. He runs a bit quicker and can aim a bit quicker when zoomed in, you can hold 4 guns instead of 3, grenades work better, and I always thought it would be cool if you could purchase weapons and upgrades and if there was a scoring system in Gears (which adds a lot of replay). As much as I hate 50 as a person, musician, and video game character, this game was a blast. After playing the craptacular controls of Killzone 2 this was a pleasant change.

Critty S gave it a9:
There is something to be said about a game that is fun. Why is it....that every game today HAS TO SO REALISTIC? Was Megaman realitc? NO. How about Mario? NO. This game is not a good buy for you must-have realism fans. It's got a crazy story, tons of "un-realistic" explosions and more Fiddy-Cent smart-mouthed dialogue than you could fit on a rap album....but man....is it fun. Lighten up people and just have some mindless fun!

Mike C gave it a5:
This game rocks back and forth between mildly enjoyable and an utterly embarrassing mess. The slow motion feature is useless, the cover mechanic is useless since you regenerate health almost instantly, the graphics range from fair to absurd, it's unbalanced, repetitive and dull. It's hard to get excited for the next battle when the previous battle was exactly the same. The sound is atrocious (the gatling guns sound like quickly popping bubble wrap instead of fearsome weapons like in GRAW2). Overall, whatever enjoyment I got from the game's pretending to be "The Club" (which was a far better example of this kind of game) it was ultimately sucked away by feeling like the enemies guns were filled with spitballs instead of bullets and the downright embarrassing and utterly juvenile story.

Joseph S. gave it a10:
Games are supposed to be fun, and this game delivers that in spades. Explosions? Check. Over-the-top story? Check. Hilarious dialogue? Check. Nearly non-stop action? Check. Seems like a lot of folks just need to lighten up and remember that if something is entertaining, then it's worth its weight in crystal skulls.

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50 Cent: Blood on the Sand

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