Bodycount

The thing about nostalgia is that while things may look appealing while they’re rapidly disappearing in life’s rear view mirror, if you were to hit reverse you’d often realise that they’re not as good as you remember.

Black was great at the time, but over the years the focus of the FPS genre has shifted from single player that saw you mowing down waves of unchallenging AI to competitive multiplayer that sees you mowing down waves of unchallenging newbies while shouting insults at them.

Bodycount sees you take on the role of Jackson a standard manly protagonist working for a shadowy organisation that nurtures world peace by heading to a warzone and kicking both sides asses while sporting fetching lycra jumpsuits. The signature destructible environments from Black are back in full force alongside arcade style scoring mechanics, skill kills and a special meter that can be used for temporary damage and health boosts. The action is fast and furious with some meaty feeling weaponry that tears through buildings and scenery like hot piss through snow.

Mines and grenades are plentiful, as are helpfully placed exploding barrels and your arsenal can be upgraded by achieving high scores, unlocking both new weapons and bonus items like adrenaline, explosive rounds, and airstrikes.

Overall the game feels solid, arcadey and fun, but with today’s focus on competitive multiplayer, Bodycount’s multiplayer options looking anaemic at best and some huge FPS releases on the horizon Bodycount is unlikely to draw much of a crowd.

If you’ve got some cash burning a hole in your pocket and want an old skool stopgap between now and Battlefield 3/MW3 it’s definitely worth a punt, but if you require more than single player carnage with a rich colour palette to get your juices flowing, it could well leave you wanting.