Blacklight: Tango Down Revealed

This really looks like a winner (still early but just saying).

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US, March 1, 2010 - The low-priced digital download had modest beginnings. Casual games and classics ported to new systems were the norm, but this has changed in recent months. Games like Shadow Complex and Battlefield 1943 proved there is a huge market for projects of a larger scope. The trend towards bigger and more complex games is not about to change if Blacklight: Tango Down is any indication of what to expect. This fully-featured multiplayer shooter is on the way to the Xbox Live Arcade, PlayStation Network and PC this summer and it is targeting a price of just 15 American Dollars.

The way Blacklight was described to me roughly fits the same set of features you would expect out of a videogame you'd find at your local game shop. There will be 10 maps, ranging from small to big open arenas. Each can be played on four or five different modes with teams of up to eight on a side. At its heart is the Unreal Engine 3 pumping out hi-res and slick looking visuals, even at this early pre-alpha phase.

I got a look at this early build of Blacklight in action and it certainly does visually impress. The arena combat takes place in a dystopian future version of Eastern Europe. The visual style of the map I got to see fit this time and location -- it looks a bit like an old European town had some futuristic glowing signs and buildings slapped on top of it. It's almost as if the future came too quickly to this part of the world and the city planners couldn't keep up. At war are two factions, the Blacklight and the Order, a convenient excuse for some team-based combat.

Most of the action I saw looked like pretty standard first-person shooter fare, though Blacklight does have a couple of features that make it unique. The biggest is that each player is equipped with an HRV visor. When activated, the player can see through walls to see foes and objectives to gain some intel. The catch is that while using the HRV, the player can't shoot. That means to use it effectively, you'll have to work as a team. Countering the HRV is a digi-grenade, which can shut down an opponent's vision entirely.

Perhaps the most intriguing part of Blacklight is that, despite the fact that it is a low-priced digital download, it will still have a complete leveling system similar to what you can find in Call of Duty. Playing well will level you up through 70 ranks, unlocking modifications for your weapons and armor. This will allow you to customize your look and load out, shaping everything from the barrel and grip to the scope and accessories on eight different weapon classes.

The download will be a hefty one at roughly 1 GB, which shouldn't come as any surprise given its look and scope. IGN will have an update just as soon as we get our hands on Blacklight to see if the mechanics can match the look. Keep an eye out for Blacklight this summer on Xbox Live Arcade, PlayStation Network and PC, coming courtesy of development studio Zombie and publisher Ignition.

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