Instead of going with a direct follow-up to its average Xbox/PlayStation 2 game Area 51, Midway instead went with a different approach on its conspiracy-laden sequel BlackSite: Area 51. It still involves aliens and the government, but it’s a more action-oriented experience. It’s just too bad that it still lacks the substance needed to hold its own against the big boys, in this case the far superior Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare and The Orange Box.  In the game, you’re a soldier called in to investigate goings-on in Iraq, alongside loyal comrades that follow commands with a press of the right bumper button. Their characteristics are questionable, though. One simply goes by the book; another writes his own rules and wisecracks to the point that he actually quotes Star Wars; and a third shows heartlessness, leaving a soldier behind in the heat of battle, only to reveal compassion out of nowhere later on in the story. Throughout the game, you’ll battle alien creatures and mysterious Black Ops forces, starting in Iraq and eventually landing in the troubled town of Rachel, Nevada.  The single player adventure takes a while to get going.

    You start out through a mostly intense mission in Iraq and then find yourself on a not-so-scenic drive to Rachel that takes a good half-hour to forty-five minutes, depending on your skill. Once the aliens pop out of the woodwork, however, Blacksite does a solid job of giving you lots to shoot at. You’ll find many weapons throughout the game, both human (machine gun, sniper rifle) and superhuman (a spiffy shotgun that almost resembles a Nerf gun we have at the office). The gameplay is stable, if a bit unoriginal. You shoot with the right trigger, zoom in with the left, use the left bumper for grenades, etc. Don’t look for anything involving here, just the stuff to help you get the job done.

"Keep your eyes peeled, soldier!"

    Likewise, the story just doesn’t have that hook to keep you motivated. You won’t give a crap about anyone on your team (even someone initially presumed dead at one point – one of your soldiers even admits he went "to his funeral"); the twists and turns are foreseeable from a mile away; and the whole thing ends on a sour note instead of having a riling conclusion. It’s decent fun as you go through it the first time, but there’s hardly anything worth returning to Rachel for.

    Then we come to multiplayer, which is average aside from one key ingredient. You have the usual modes here, including Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch and Capture the Flag, supporting up to ten players. It can be a good time, but nothing compared to the rich, bold multiplayer experience of Call of Duty 4. Worse yet, there’s no co-op campaign. It would be awesome to go on an alien hunting binge together with friends, but it just doesn’t happen. The main thing that stands out with multiplayer is the Abduction mode. You’ll either play as a human fighting off against "taken" soldiers (corrupted by the aliens) or vice versa, attempting to enslave fighters for your cause. It’s a nice twist on an otherwise typical set-up.