Black is a first-person shootervideo game developed by Criterion Games and published by Electronic Arts for PlayStation 2 and Xbox. The game is notable for its heavily stylized cinema-inspired action as well as its sound quality and focus on destructive effects during gameplay.
Story[edit]
Black takes place in Ingushetia and Chechnya, Russia. The protagonist is a black ops operative named Sergeant First Class Jack Kellar (portrayed by Marty Papazian). Kellar tells most of the story in first-person at an interrogation four days after the events in the story begin.
Kellar is an inadequately disciplined member of a CIA black ops group and a veteran of several conflicts including Guatemala, Colombia, Iran and Croatia. The unknown interrogator (portrayed by Paul Pape) questions Kellar about an arms smuggling and terrorist operation called the Seventh Wave. Seventh Wave have been responsible for a number of terrorist attacks. Kellar is told that, unless he co-operates, he and his actions will be declassified, he will be dishonorably discharged and imprisoned for life. Though initially resistant, Kellar at last agrees to tell his story.
Four days earlier, Kellar and his group were assaulting 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 terrorist ambushes him. However, the man did not kill Kellar, who learned that his captor is an American, William Lennox, a former CIAwetworks operative. After faking his own death in Cairo, Lennox has apparently become the leader of Seventh Wave.
Kellar's next mission is to cross the border into Treneska and traverse the Vlodnik Canal, destroy a base and weapons cache, then meet a female black ops soldier named MacCarver (voiced by Cree Summer), the leader of black ops Team Bravo, at a farmhouse. Things do not go as planned; however, Kellar defends and clears the farmhouse and later meets MacCarver.
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Kellar and MacCarver begin a mission to destroy an arms factory in the city of Naszran. To safely 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. The two black operatives then meet a third member of the team, Solomon.
With the information regarding the position of Valencio, one of the four bosses of Seventh Wave, is hiding in Tivliz Asylum. The team decide to attack the asylum yard with Keller rushed into the asylum despite Solomon protested that their order was to hold. Keller found Valencio after blowing up a concrete machine gun nest and briefly interrogated Valencio for Lennox's location by electrocution and threatened to hurt his wife and children.
Based on information gathered from the mission, Team Bravo has proceeded to a well-defended dockyard, cleared the area and linked up with Alpha Team. Alpha Team, however, is destroyed in an ambush while Lennox escapes seconds beforehand. In light of the disastrous result, the operation is cancelled as well. Despite these events, 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, and his pursuit of Lennox was both expected and welcome - and that Lennox is not yet dead. Kellar is told that a false 'death' has been arranged for him, providing cover so he could continue his pursuit. The game ends with Kellar being told to get ready for his next assignment.
Gameplay[edit]
The player, armed with the SPAS-12, faces multiple enemies on the Naszran Foundry chapter. The red crescents in the center of the screen indicate that he is taking damage from multiple angles.
The gameplay is essentially a straightforward first person shooter. Players can only carry two weapons at a time; therefore, strategy is needed when choosing weaponry, with weapons differing in characteristics. The player can also carry grenades, which can be thrown without switching weapons. Land mines and grenades can be detonated prematurely by shooting them.
The game is mission-based, with each mission separated by a cut scene video. On harder difficulties, there are more objectives that must be completed before the player can progress. These extra objectives involved collecting various intelligence documents, blueprints, or destroying parts of the environment. These are all indicated by the HUD cross-hair changing color when the player points at the relevant object.
Successful completion of the objectives over all missions in all difficulties above 'Easy' results in the awarding of Silver Weapons (infinite bullets) and unlocking the M16-A2 (40mm underslung grenade launcher attachment) as the starting default weapon with infinite 40mm grenades. When unlocked, these features are permanent and cannot be removed without starting a fresh storyline.
Development[edit]
Criterion intended to 'do for shooting what Burnout did for racing - tear it apart',[1] with dual emphasis on destructible environments and the handling and behavior of real-world firearms. Motorola gm300 radio doctor download. Bullets that hit buildings, terrain and objects leave visible damage; moreover, the guns are rendered with great detail and accuracy, though some weapons' features are stylized or exaggerated.[2] The emphasis on the appearance, function, and sounds of the weapons led the developer to label the game as 'Gun-Porn.'[3] Another notable and original feature is the use of real-time blur while reloading, giving a depth of field and more perspective to the game. Similarly, when the player drops below two bars of health, the screen turns black and white, the sound of the character's heartbeat become the dominant noise and the game goes into slow motion, and the large and small motors in the control pads match the sound of systolic and diastolic part of the heartbeat.
The game was not developed with an overarching plot structure in mind and this was implemented as something of an afterthought towards the end of development. The initial idea for relating the plot in-game came from Black's director, Alex Ward, who wanted to have a radio-play-style voiceover spoken over a 'black' screen.
Sound[edit]
Emphasising the game's action film heritage, sound effects for the weapons in the game were based on various sounds from films. For example, Bruce Willis' Heckler & Koch MP5 in Die Hard, Jack Bauer's pistol in 24, and Arnold Schwarzenegger's Uzi in True Lies.[4]
Realising in the chaos of a heavy gun battle the heavy mix of sound and music would produce a cacophony of noise, the sound designers developed the 'choir of guns' concept. Whereas, traditionally in a shooter game, each weapon model would be assigned a different sound, Black assigns each enemy their own 'voice', similar to the way in which each member of a choir would have their own distinct voice. For example, there are three enemies firing, one would be assigned a low voice, another a medium voice, and the third a high voice. This allows all the weapons being fired in any particular scene to harmonise and deliver a distinct sound for the game.Black's sound was nominated for Best Audio at the 2006 BAFTA Video Games Awards, and won Best Art & Sound jointly with Burnout Revenge at the 2006 Develop Industry Excellence Awards.[5]
The music for Black was composed by Chris Tilton, using a theme co-authored with Oscar-winning composer Michael Giacchino. It was recorded at the Newman Scoring Stage.[6]
Reception[edit]Will Black 2 Ever Be Released Video
Black's PlayStation 2 version received a 'Gold' sales award from the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA),[26] indicating sales of at least 200,000 copies in the United Kingdom.[27]
Black received 'favorable' reviews on both platforms according to video game review aggregatorMetacritic.[24][25]
In Japan, Famitsu gave the PS2 version all four eights, for a total of 32 out of 40.[10]The Times also gave the game four stars out of five and stated, 'As the entire game is played at fever-pitch, you soon find yourself looking forward to the next mission briefing, if only for a chance to catch your breath. The only mystery to Black is why there is no multiplayer mode, since such intense battle settings would make for great competitive bouts.'[23]The Sydney Morning Herald similarly gave it four stars out of five, saying, 'Little strategy is required for each stage, with abundant health packs and aggressive opponents of little intelligence. But there are many strategies and the use of cover is vital.'[28]Detroit Free Press gave the Xbox version three stars out of four and said, 'The action is intense and the effects are splendid, though the un-reality applies also to the worlds in which you battle.'[22] However, The A.V. Club gave the game a C+, stating that it was worth playing for 'Six hours. Pretty good hours, but still, The A.V. Club can't stress that number enough'; and added that 'That was awesome for Doom, a free download with 16 extra maps available after registration. But 40 bucks for Black's eight levels, with no multiplayer mode, and unlockable difficulty settings the only incentive to replay? The question is really whether renting this lovely oversized tech demo is worth a whole weekend.'[29]
In 2013, IGN listed the game at 99 in the list of 'Top 100 Shooters'.[30]
Future[edit]
In an interview, co-creator and designer Stuart Black revealed that plans for Black 2 were underway, but are now scrapped due to differences with Electronic Arts. Stuart Black and many of the developers of Black worked on the now released Bodycount; a spiritual successor to the game which, developed by Codemasters, was released on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 during Q3 2011.[31][32]
References[edit]
External links[edit]
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Black_(video_game)&oldid=903860255'
Black Desert Online (Korean: 검은사막) is a sandbox-oriented fantasymassively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) developed by Korean company Pearl Abyss and originally published for Microsoft Windows in 2015. It has been known as Black Desert Remastered since 2018. A mobile version titled Black Desert Mobile was released for the Android and iOS in 2018. The Xbox One version, known simply as Black Desert, was released in 2019. The PlayStation 4 version is are currently in development. The game is free-to-play in some parts of the world, but follows a buy-to-play business model in other editions, including the English-language ones.
Gameplay[edit]
The combat in Black Desert Online is action based, requiring manual aiming and free movement similar to those found in third-person shooters. The game offers housing, fishing, farming, and trading,[1] as well as large player versus player (PvP) siege events, and castle battles.[2] One of its noted aspects is a very advanced customization system for player characters.[3]
An active combat system requires precise manual aiming, dodging and using combos, unlike the tab-targeting system seen in most MMORPGs. Players are also able to engage in mounted combat.[4][5] Skills can be activated through use of combos for attacking, dodging or blocking. Mounts are acquired by taming in the wild and players are able to breed special mounts by mating certain types,[6] require feeding and care, cannot be stored in the inventory, and may be killed.[7]
The game includes a number of features to assist with immersion and the sandbox aspect. One is the dynamic, worldwide weather system includes large-scale events such as typhoons and will influence gameplay.[8] Localized weather will include events such as temporary fog which players may exploit to launch surprise attacks on rival guild structures.[9] There is also a dynamic day/night cycle with a gradual progression of lighting effects. During the night some non-player characters (NPCs) will become unavailable as they return home and the monsters will drop more loot. Different game content is available depending upon whether it is night or day.[10][11] Player housing is instanced and varies in size and location. Players are able to furnish and equip their housing by purchasing furniture through NPCs or through crafting.[12][13]
Setting[edit]
Black Desert Online takes place in a high fantasy setting and revolves around the conflict between two rival nations, the Republic of Calpheon and the Kingdom of Valencia.[14] Calpheon is very materialistic whereas Valencia is very spiritual.
Long ago, the four main areas, Calpheon, Serendia, Balenos, and Mediah, have been at peace. This all changed when the Black Death started spreading via merchants from Valencia, an area east of Mediah that controls trade. Many around the world die of the plague. Some who did not were expelled due to paranoia. Eventually, the three main areas made an alliance and began a war that lasted 30 years and Mediah profited the most by harvesting black stones and trading with everyone. After the war, the alliance slowly started to trade with Valencia again. Tensions rose again when the others discovered the importance of black stones. Desperate to gain wealth, the others started to search for black stones. Calpheon has no area that harbors the precious black stones and because of this they started to steal from others. This raises conflicts with Valencia due to Valencia's vast Black Desert that holds the black stones.[15]
Development and release history[edit]Early PC development and release[edit]Will Black 2 Ever Be Released Youtube
Original Korean logo
Black Desert Online has been in development since 2010. The Korean studio Pearl Abyss was founded in September 2010 by Kim Daeil,[16] previously a developer with Hangame and NHN Gaming, and began development of Black Desert Online shortly after.[17][18][19] The gameuses Pearl Abyss' custom Black Desert game engine specifically created to handle the fast rendering required for its seamless world and large-scale castle sieges with a lot of characters.[17][14]
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After agreeing a Japanese publishing deal with GameOn Japan on 8 September 2012 Pearl Abyss began releasing details of the game to the public.[17][20] In November 2012 the game was demonstrated at G-Star.[21]Black Desert Online was also showcased at gamescom 2013.[8][22]
Original international logo
Black Desert Online entered closed beta testing (CBT) in October 2013.[23][24] A second, three week long closed beta test begun in April 2014.[25][26] Open beta was launched in December 2014.[27]
The game was released in Korea, Japan and Russia in 2015, in North America and Europe on 3 March 2016,[28] in South America, Turkey, Middle-East North Africa (MENA) in 2017 and South East Asia in 2018. Black Desert Online uses a free-to-play model in Korea, Japan and Russia,[29][30][31] while in Taiwan, South East Asia, Europe, North America and South America the game uses a buy-to-play model.[32]
Post-launch PC development[edit]
Promotion at gamescom 2016
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The Mediah Expansion was released in the North American / European version on 30 March 2016.[33] Mediah Part 2 was released on 4 May 2016.[34] The new classes called the Musa, the Maehwa, the Kunoichi and the Ninja were released for play in 2016,[35] followed by the Dark Knight[36] and the Striker[37] in 2017, the Lahn in 2018,[38] and the Shai in 2019.[39] The Valencia I Expansion was released in the North American / European version on 29 June 2016.[40] All expansions and class additions have been free of charge in the buy-to-play model, with no plans of charging for additional future content stated. An updated PC version retitled Black Desert Remastered, featuring new visuals and new audio, was released on 22 August 2018.[41]
In October 2015, Black Desert Online was published and localized in Russia by Cypriot publisher GameNet. This contract expired on October 12, 2018 without an agreement as to account information, including character data. Pearl Abyss has apologized to Russian players and announced they would self-publish in Russia when their own localization efforts were completed.[42] In April 2018, Pearl Abyss announced that it would be changing service providers on North American servers to improve stability.[43] In February 2019, changes were made to the Marketplace to create the new Central Market, which features more user friendly ways to buy and sell items from the Marketplace.[44]
Console versions[edit]
At the Taipei Games Show in January 2017, Pearl Abyss stated Xbox One and PlayStation 4 versions of the game are in development, and was confirmed again by Pearl Abyss in March.[45][46] The Xbox One version, simply titled Black Desert, was revealed during Microsoft's E3 2017 press conference. It was launched live in North America and Europe on 4 March 2019,[47] following its multiple beta releases since 2018. Content-wise, however, the Xbox version of game was about three years behind the PC version upon its release.[48] The Striker, Dark Knight, Lahn, and Musa classes were made available for the Xbox One players in April 2019.[49]
The PlayStation 4 version is to be released in 2019.[50]
Mobile versions[edit]
In August 2017, Pearl Abyss has released an official teaser for Black Desert Mobile.[51] It was released for the Android and iOS in February 2018,[52] initially only in Korea, Japan and Taiwan, with the English version announced to arrive in 2019.[53]
Reception[edit]
Black Desert beta has been well received.[29][58] The full game has received mixed or average reviews from critics, currently holding a score of 73/100 on Metacritic.[54]
In April 2016, the publisher Kakao Games announced that Black Desert Online had achieved sales of 400,000 copies in its first month on the European and North American markets, and was showing an average of 100,000 concurrent users.[59][60] By March 2017, Black Desert had 3.4 million registered players in North America and Europe.[61] By May 2018, more than 1.2 million copies of the game have sold on Steam in Europe and North America.[62] As of September 2018, the game had over 10million registered users worldwide.[63] By April 2019, the game has had over 18 million players and its total revenue has passed $1 billion.[64]
References[edit]
External links[edit]
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Black_Desert_Online&oldid=903535440'
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