I've decided to get rid of my 360 games, but to try give them one last play before I box them up for selling, specifically I'll see how long each game can hold my interest before I say goodbye.
First up was "50 Cent: Blood on the Sand", 50 Cent's second game after the risible "Bulletproof" game 4 years previously. The fact I played the game through to completion, and then went back to pick up a couple more achievements should suggest that this is a much better game.
Following a gig in an unnamed Middle Eastern country, 50 Cent and his G-Unit team are paid with a diamond encrusted skull which is then immediately stolen by a paramilitary team. From there, I have to admit that I get hazy on exactly who we're shooting and why, but the aim is to get that skull back by killing waves of non-descript guys and occasionally a helicopter.
If I was a bit glib in that description of the plot I feel I should immediately counter it by saying almost none of that matters. Shoot the people who are trying to kill you is really all you need to know and in that regards it's one of the better examples of 3rd person cover based shooters that I've played. It feels largely like a reskin of "Gears of War" with its snap to cover, pop out and fire mechanism. The shift between sections of levels by lifting and dropping metal gates also is reminiscent of "Gears". It does offer more variety in the close combat kills though, by becoming a timed mini game. There's a huge variety of weapons and combat kills that can be bought, though I have to admit I used the same three guns for 90% of the game, never bothering with any sniper rifles, shotguns or most of the machine guns.
Variety in gameplay though is something that the game ultimately lacks. There are two missions when you drive a vehicle and another when you're on a rail mounted gun of a helicopter but the vast majority is on foot combat, reacting to the notifications of incoming troops that you get and picking your shots. It's fun, and the game constantly enhances these with little objectives that earn you points but I'm glad that the game wasn't any longer. I finished it in a few sittings on its hardest difficulty setting, and I think I'd have thought less kindly about it had I paid full price for the game in 2009.
Massively dumb though it maybe, I had some fun with this game and there are a lot worse cover shooters still being made years later.
