The digital delights of Sony’s scrumptious PlayStation Network service know no bounds. Aside from letting punters compete in online gaming, stream films, browse the Internet and more, its premier attraction rests in the copious supply of downloadable games ripe for the picking. From PSN exclusives to PSOne Classics, minis and plain old add-on content, Sony’s online space is chock full of goodies battling it out for your hard-earned digital dollars.
Welcome back to another installment of Inside PlayStation Network, where every Monday – Friday we’ll pluck a PSN release—be it new or old—and put it in the spotlight for a thorough dissection. Fancy getting a new PSN game but don’t know what one to plump for? Perhaps this feature will help. Didn’t realize that a game was available in your region until now? We’ve got you covered. Or, perhaps you were musing over what those lucky Japanese folk were tucking into over in the Land of the Rising Sun? You can be sure our coverage will extend to those rare regional exclusives as much as those firmly embedded on the public consciousness.
Kicking off this week, we take a look at shooter Blacklight: Tango Down.
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Developer: Zombie Studios
Region(s) available: North America, Europe
Players: 1-16
Blacklight: Tango Down is just the first endeavour in what promises to be a wide-reaching multimedia franchise, taking the form of an online multiplayer-centric shooter. Set in Russia in the not-too-distant future, Tango Down centres on an on-going battle between U.S. commandos Blacklight and rogue faction The Order, who are turning people into mindless zombie-like beings. In all honesty though, the narrative plays second fiddle to the on-screen action, and all you need to know is that a bunch of tech-savvy soldier types are embroiled in massive shoot-outs.
As mentioned, multiplayer is the core focus of the game, with solo play taking a back seat in the Black Ops section. Here, you’ll pick from one of four maps and embark on a killing spree until you’ve dried up all on-screen enemies, allowing you to open up a barrier via a short mini-game. The action ends when you kick the bucket, and there’s no save option either so you better be a dab hand at landing headshots, or bring a few mates along to give you a helping hand via the game’s co-op mode.
The real meat of Tango Down lies in the online multiplayer however, which packs seven modes of play for your consumption. While most of them are your rudimentary offerings such as Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, Last Man Standing and Retrieval (basically Capture the Flag), there’s more than enough here to keep you both busy and entertained. Furthermore, there’s plenty of different roles to take on, from sneaky snipers to trigger-happy assault-rifle types. Naturally you’ll level up as you gain experience during matches, which unlocks weapon and equipment upgrades such as stocks, barrels and other related goodies.
Maps themselves are packed full of cover points in the form of a variety of innocuous objects like dumpsters, alcoves, automobile wreck and more. As such, the tactical options available to you are vast and provide a nice mental workout as you figure out your next move while dashing for cover under a hail of gunfire. Tango Down also features some flashy gadgets for tech-heads to make use of, including the hyper-reality visor, which lets you tag enemies via their heat signature as well as useful items such as health and weapon pick-ups.
Tune in again same time tomorrow as we once again go gallivanting around Inside PlayStation Network.