Delta Force: Black Hawk Down

Delta Force: Black Hawk Down
Developer(s)	NovaLogic Climax Group (Xbox Version) Rebellion Developments (PS2 Version) Aspyr (Mac OS X Version)
Publisher(s)	NovaLogic Aspyr (Mac OS X Version)
Designer(s)	NovaLogic
Series	Delta Force
Platform(s)	Microsoft Windows PlayStation 2 Mac OS X Xbox
Release	Windows Mac OS X PlayStation 2 & Xbox
Genre(s)	First-person shooter
Mode(s)	Single-player, Multiplayer

Delta Force: Black Hawk Down is a first-person shooter video game set in the early 1990s during the Unified Task Force peacekeeping operation in Somalia. The missions take place primarily in the southern Jubba Valley and the capital Mogadishu. The game was developed by NovaLogic. It was released for Microsoft Windows on March 23, 2003; for Mac OS X in July 2004; and for PlayStation 2 and Xbox on July 26, 2005. It is the 6th game of the Delta Force series.

Scenario

The player begins the game as a soldier with Task Force Ranger, commanding 3 team members: Huck, Mother, and Preacher. They take part in the Unified Task Force peacekeeping operation during the Somali Civil War. Following the third mission, the player assumes the role of the same soldier. He/she is assigned to 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta, taking part in Operation Gothic Serpent, a military operation conducted during the Battle of Mogadishu on October 3, 1993. During the latter section of the game, the player will still play as that soldier, but is now sent to the 3rd Ranger Battalion and the 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta, commonly known as Delta Force.

Gameplay

The gameplay in Delta Force: Black Hawk Down differs heavily from earlier instalments in the series. While all earlier Delta Force games focus on long distance outdoor combat and have open ended mission design, Black Hawk Down focuses on close quarters combat in urban environments with heavily scripted missions more similar to the then-recent Medal of Honor: Allied Assault. Many of the series' trademark features, such as bullet ballistics and later weapon sway, were abandoned in favour of simpler action-focused gameplay. Black Hawk Down stays true to the series' "one shot, one kill" gameplay, however, with enemies rarely surviving even a single hit.

The scale of the encounters and aggressiveness of the enemies are vastly increased compared to earlier Delta Force games, with some missions featuring more than a dozen of friendlies and up to several hundred hostiles who often engage out of alleys or rooms in all directions. Enemies also make use of mounted machine guns, often on top of technicals. In most missions large numbers of civilians are preseint. Gunning down too many of them results in a mission failure.

Several notable mechanics from the earlier games, such as the ability to not only crouch but also go prone or different firing modes for many weapons, make a return in Black Hawk Down. Several new mechanics were added, however, such as the ability to use aim sights (while earlier games only allowed to use scopeds) or lean or roll depending on the character's stance. The player is also able to use mounted weapons or sit on the bench of an MH-6 Little Bird helicopter. Like in earlier Delta Force games the player is able to select his equipment on a loadout screen before going on a mission and can also access armouries during missions to change his equipment on-mission. Ammo boxes and medkits, which replenish the players health and ammo, make a return in Black Hawk Down. Another addition to the game are different states for characters: after being hit surviving characters briefly enter a pain state, sometimes characters get briefly suppressed if fired upon and flashbangs can incapacitate characters for an even longer time period.

Like in earlier games a stealth element is present in the game. The player is able to use silenced weapons and for the first time in the series enemies' vision is hugely limited during night-time and in dark interiors, allowing the player to eliminate individual enemies at a low distance without alarming nearby hostiles.

Notably, while earlier Delta Force games have the player perform missions on his own or with limited support from fellow operatives who follow orders imposed by the mission design, in Black Hawk Down the player is usually accompanied by a squad of three AI-controlled soldiers. Outside of scripted sequences, which have them perform specific actions, they closely follow the player and attack enemies on sight. The player is able to give simple commands such as the order to hold fire, hold position or throw a grenade. In pre-defined spots an "area takedown" order can be given which makes the team throw a flashbang through a doorway and clear the room behind it. These comrades are recurring characters and as such cannot die. They can take massive amounts of damage and even if they are gunned down radio messages imply that they are only heavily wounded.

Like in earlier Delta Force games the campaign in Black Hawk Down is divided into distinct missions. While the campaign is linear, most of the time three missions are available at the same time, allowing the player to complete them in any order. Completing a mission saves the campaign progress and usually unlocks a new one. However, once the player reaches Operation Irene, which is the first mission about the Battle of Mogadishu, it becomes necessary to play missions in order. Already completed missions can be accessed from an "instant action" list. The player is also able to save the game during missions but the number of available saves per mission is limited. Longer or harder missions allow the player to save more often.

Multiplayer

In addition to the singleplayer campaign, Delta Force: Black Hawk Down features LAN and online multiplayer with support for up to 50 players in a single match. The online multiplayer is powered by NovaWorld which tracks players' statistics, gives them increasing ranks and has a matchmaking system. Various gameplay modes are available including Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch and King of the Hill as well as objective-based ones. Like in the previous two Delta Force games players can choose one out of several character classes with individual characteristics.

Engine

Delta Force: Black Hawk Down uses a new engine based on Comanche 4 which allows for more detail and advanced visual effects thanks to shader support. Also vehicle movement is not restricted to specific pre-defined paths anymore and the AI drivers are able to avoid obstacles. It is the first engine used by the series to support platforms other than PC.

Expansion Pack

In 2004 an expansion pack titled Team Sabre was released for the PC and PlayStation 2 versions of the game, adding two campaigns which take place in Colombia and Iran respectively.

Reception

Reception

Aggregate score

Aggregator	Score
	PC	PS2	Xbox
Metacritic	77/100	58/100	61/100

Review scores

Publication	Score
	PC	PS2	Xbox
Edge	7/10	4/10	N/A
Eurogamer	7/10	N/A	N/A
Game Informer	N/A	6.75/10	6.75/10
GamePro		N/A	N/A
GameRevolution	N/A	D+	D+
GameSpot	5.6/10	5.7/10	5.7/10
GameSpy
GameTrailers	N/A	N/A	7.2/10
GameZone	N/A	6/10	6.9/10
IGN	8.9/10	5.5/10	6.8/10
Official Xbox Magazine (US)	N/A	N/A	6.2/10
PC Gamer (US)	79%	N/A	N/A
PlayStation: The Official Magazine	N/A	5.5/10	N/A
The Cincinnati Enquirer		N/A	N/A
Detroit Free Press	N/A	N/A

The PC version received "generally favorable reviews", while the Xbox and PlayStation 2 versions received "mixed" reviews according to video game review aggregator Metacritic.

Maxim gave the game a score of eight out of ten, first saying of the PC version, "While it would be impossible for the game to mimic the raw emotion and chaos that defined this mission-turned-disaster in real life, the graphics are the best we’ve seen on a battlefield"; and then of the PS2 and Xbox versions, "Drink in your fill of military realism in crowded, confusing war zones where you can drown in rivers, kill civilians, and partake in friendly fire—just like we did—before heading to boot camp to apologize. If that's not enough carnage, you can also engage in 32-player (50 on Xbox Live) online deathmatch missions, which is technically twice the bloody chaos of Halo 2. See, foreign policy can be fun!" The Cincinnati Enquirer gave the PC version a score of three-and-a-half stars out of five and stated, "If you can forgive the game's lighter approach - one that emphasizes action instead of strategy - then you'll enjoy Black Hawk Down." However, Detroit Free Press gave the Xbox version two stars out of four, quipping, "Diehard military combat fans might want to rent this one just to partake in the giant chaotic skirmishes." The Sydney Morning Herald gave both the PS2 and Xbox versions two-and-a-half stars out of five, stating, "The solo campaign lacks the pizzazz of other military shooters, but decent multiplayer options prevent it from feeling pilotless."

External links

• Delta Force: Black Hawk Down at MobyGames