Game Card
50 Cent: Blood on the Sand (PS3)
- Publisher:
- Sierra Ent.
- Developer:
- Swordfish Studios
- US Release:
- 20.02.2009
- EU Release:
- n/a
- Number of players:
- n/a
- Type:
- Action
- Perspective:
- Third-Person
- Extra:
- Streets
- Blood Level:
- Bloody
- Age:
- Modern Times
Review
We play 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand...
It is with no lack of incredulity that we declare this to be the second 50 Cent game to see release on consoles, the underwhelming 50 Cent: Bulletproof being the first on PlayStation 2 and Xbox. Now Fiddy’s back for more in Blood on the Sand, possibly the most ridiculous third-person action game to ever see the light of day. A brief synopsis of the story tells you all you need to know about the game with Mr. 36 Pence reaching the end of a tour in the Middle East only to receive his $10 million payment (bit steep) in the form of a priceless bling-encrusted skull. Naturally, said skull is duly nicked by a mysterious female mercenary before falling into the hands of a nefarious terrorist scumbag spurring Fiddy and his G-Unit buddies to embark upon a mission to retrieve what is rightfully theirs. As luck would have it, the guys happen to have performed their latest gig in full Kevlar gear, complete with clips, grenades and an intimidating pump-action shotgun to hand. You know that you're onto a winner when the very first word uttered is motherf*#&er. We’re not making this up.
So, with the preposterous set-up out of the way, how does the game itself fare? Well, what initially seems like a solidly satisfying all-action shooter steadily reveals itself as one of the most derivative games we’ve ever encountered. Blood on the Sand shamelessly cherry-picks various components from other better games with Gears of War being the most notable and predictable influence, lending its cover system, D-pad weapon selection and even overall structure to 50 Cent’s game. There’s the kill-combo mechanic lifted from Bizarre Creations and Sega’s The Club, the repetitive co-op action from Army of Two and some crummy QTE combat from a million other games. Remarkably, Blood on the Sand takes these features and somehow manages to ham-fist their execution by making some cover impossible to shoot over and rendering the co-op moments even more repetitive and aggravating than they were in Army of Two. We’d lost count of the number of times we had to consult our co-op buddy to boost us up a high wall - with the exact same stock animation replayed each time - or lift a steel shutter to progress to the next area. Each of these interactions are also garishly marked out by an unsubtle, glowing orange G-Unit symbol, in case by the fiftieth steel shutter you still haven’t grasped the concept.
It would be easy to tear into Blood on the Sand, casting a cynical view over a cynical game, but the fact is that it isn’t altogether awful. Underneath the brash, hip-hop veneer, there’s a fairly solid third-person shooter to be enjoyed. The fundamentals work well enough although the influences are hard to dismiss, especially when Fiddy slows down for a cut-scene, communicating via his headset like Marcus Fenix or when your partner is downed and calling out for resuscitation. Inevitably, die-hard 50 Cent fans will forgo all of the obvious borrowing from other games and enjoy the game at face value. The inclusion of numerous music videos and exclusive tracks will obviously be a huge draw for the Fiddy completists, making finishing the game a worthwhile endeavour. For the rest of us though what we get is a half-decent yet uninspired action game that may nevertheless succeed in providing a few hours or so of hilarious gameplay. However the lack of splitscreen co-op is a massively disappointing one, especially for a game of this type. If Gears of War and Army of Two can do it, then surely Swordfish should have gone the extra mile to get this feature into Blood on the Sand. Online co-op is included though, so you and a friend can indulge in the OTT excess while laughing over a headset. Still, Blood on the Sand’s single-player campaign is a slight affair that doesn’t last particularly long, which makes the lack of local co-op an annoying oversight. You can’t help but feel that the ridiculous nature of the game would have been better enjoyed with a friend in the same room and would have added some much needed longevity, but alas you’re only multiplayer option remains strictly online.
While the single-player mode lasts, Fiddy has a range of gratifying weaponry at his fingertips, which he can purchase using the money and gold that he accrues from dispatched enemies and breakable crates. Ammunition is plentiful with pick-ups strewn across the streets, in alcoves as well as dropped from dead foes. Buying weapons is a simple case of finding a public phone and calling up Raoul, your friendly weapons dealer who’s always on hand to sell you rocket launchers, submachine guns and a whole host of other destructive ballistic tools. In addition to acquiring weapons, Fiddy can also buy new melee kills and - best of all – extra colourful verbal taunts to spout in the heat of a gun battle. You’ve never really enjoyed shooting someone until you’ve called them an array of four letter words as you’re riddling their twitching body full of bullets.
Grenades, Molotovs, pipe bombs and other goodies are rewarded by completing mini tasks that pop up in the top left hand corner of the screen and usually involve simple targets such as killing several types of a certain enemy highlighted in red. Success in these intermittent challenges is met with thousands of points and a few handy items added to your arsenal. In fact points are handed out constantly, building towards your end of level totals. Collecting posters, shooting hidden targets and amassing gold crates all help boost your score, while building up your orange adrenaline meter above Fiddy’s health bar allows you to activate ‘Gangsta Time,’ a brief burst of slow-motion accompanied by a blurry effect at the edge of the screen, which allows you to rack up multiple kills to further enhance your score. Higher point tallies unlock extra items such as videos or tracks at the end of each level so keeping an eye out for scoring opportunities is integral if you want to access everything in the 50 Cent vault.
Whether the added content is of any consequence depends on how big a 50 Cent fan you are. There’s a wealth of music to choose from and you can even compile your own playlist from the generous catalogue of tracks featured in the game. For those who don’t particularly care for Fiddy’s own brand of commercial rap mutterings however, the soundtrack will prove a massive source of annoyance with constant pounding beats playing over the weak sound effects for the duration of the game. Turning the music off exposes a desolate aural soundscape with very little in the way of atmospheric sound effects, meaning that you’re effectively stuck with the music unless you’re prepared to mute the sound altogether.
Blood on the Sand is possibly one of the shallowest experiences we’ve come across in a long time. While the control system is tight and the monotonous gameplay somehow manages to draw you in and ultimately provides an entertaining blast, there’s no escaping the fact that the game is decidedly average drivel when all is said and done. Swordfish have made about as good a game you could ever expect given the nature of the source material, with a fair chunk of content for 50 Cent fans to lap up. If you can stomach the ridiculous storyline and the repetitive gameplay, then Blood on the Sand may hold some appeal if you’re after some undemanding, explosive action that’s guaranteed to raise a wry smile.
Top game moment: The driving sections are a welcome break from the relentless shooting, but the best moments are when you're firing off RPG rounds at an attack chopper.
So, with the preposterous set-up out of the way, how does the game itself fare? Well, what initially seems like a solidly satisfying all-action shooter steadily reveals itself as one of the most derivative games we’ve ever encountered. Blood on the Sand shamelessly cherry-picks various components from other better games with Gears of War being the most notable and predictable influence, lending its cover system, D-pad weapon selection and even overall structure to 50 Cent’s game. There’s the kill-combo mechanic lifted from Bizarre Creations and Sega’s The Club, the repetitive co-op action from Army of Two and some crummy QTE combat from a million other games. Remarkably, Blood on the Sand takes these features and somehow manages to ham-fist their execution by making some cover impossible to shoot over and rendering the co-op moments even more repetitive and aggravating than they were in Army of Two. We’d lost count of the number of times we had to consult our co-op buddy to boost us up a high wall - with the exact same stock animation replayed each time - or lift a steel shutter to progress to the next area. Each of these interactions are also garishly marked out by an unsubtle, glowing orange G-Unit symbol, in case by the fiftieth steel shutter you still haven’t grasped the concept.
 |
 |
|
| Blood on the Sand's visuals are uniformly robust, if a bit drab. The effects aren't too shabby either. | You can choose either Lloyd Banks, Tony Yayo or DJ Whoo Kid to accompany Fiddy on his mission. |
It would be easy to tear into Blood on the Sand, casting a cynical view over a cynical game, but the fact is that it isn’t altogether awful. Underneath the brash, hip-hop veneer, there’s a fairly solid third-person shooter to be enjoyed. The fundamentals work well enough although the influences are hard to dismiss, especially when Fiddy slows down for a cut-scene, communicating via his headset like Marcus Fenix or when your partner is downed and calling out for resuscitation. Inevitably, die-hard 50 Cent fans will forgo all of the obvious borrowing from other games and enjoy the game at face value. The inclusion of numerous music videos and exclusive tracks will obviously be a huge draw for the Fiddy completists, making finishing the game a worthwhile endeavour. For the rest of us though what we get is a half-decent yet uninspired action game that may nevertheless succeed in providing a few hours or so of hilarious gameplay. However the lack of splitscreen co-op is a massively disappointing one, especially for a game of this type. If Gears of War and Army of Two can do it, then surely Swordfish should have gone the extra mile to get this feature into Blood on the Sand. Online co-op is included though, so you and a friend can indulge in the OTT excess while laughing over a headset. Still, Blood on the Sand’s single-player campaign is a slight affair that doesn’t last particularly long, which makes the lack of local co-op an annoying oversight. You can’t help but feel that the ridiculous nature of the game would have been better enjoyed with a friend in the same room and would have added some much needed longevity, but alas you’re only multiplayer option remains strictly online.
While the single-player mode lasts, Fiddy has a range of gratifying weaponry at his fingertips, which he can purchase using the money and gold that he accrues from dispatched enemies and breakable crates. Ammunition is plentiful with pick-ups strewn across the streets, in alcoves as well as dropped from dead foes. Buying weapons is a simple case of finding a public phone and calling up Raoul, your friendly weapons dealer who’s always on hand to sell you rocket launchers, submachine guns and a whole host of other destructive ballistic tools. In addition to acquiring weapons, Fiddy can also buy new melee kills and - best of all – extra colourful verbal taunts to spout in the heat of a gun battle. You’ve never really enjoyed shooting someone until you’ve called them an array of four letter words as you’re riddling their twitching body full of bullets.
Grenades, Molotovs, pipe bombs and other goodies are rewarded by completing mini tasks that pop up in the top left hand corner of the screen and usually involve simple targets such as killing several types of a certain enemy highlighted in red. Success in these intermittent challenges is met with thousands of points and a few handy items added to your arsenal. In fact points are handed out constantly, building towards your end of level totals. Collecting posters, shooting hidden targets and amassing gold crates all help boost your score, while building up your orange adrenaline meter above Fiddy’s health bar allows you to activate ‘Gangsta Time,’ a brief burst of slow-motion accompanied by a blurry effect at the edge of the screen, which allows you to rack up multiple kills to further enhance your score. Higher point tallies unlock extra items such as videos or tracks at the end of each level so keeping an eye out for scoring opportunities is integral if you want to access everything in the 50 Cent vault.
 |
 |
|
| Your buddy is always available to lend a hand and they do a pretty good job taking care of themselves too. | The cover system borrows heavily from Gears of War, but is slightly flawed in that you can't shoot over the top of most cover. |
Whether the added content is of any consequence depends on how big a 50 Cent fan you are. There’s a wealth of music to choose from and you can even compile your own playlist from the generous catalogue of tracks featured in the game. For those who don’t particularly care for Fiddy’s own brand of commercial rap mutterings however, the soundtrack will prove a massive source of annoyance with constant pounding beats playing over the weak sound effects for the duration of the game. Turning the music off exposes a desolate aural soundscape with very little in the way of atmospheric sound effects, meaning that you’re effectively stuck with the music unless you’re prepared to mute the sound altogether.
Blood on the Sand is possibly one of the shallowest experiences we’ve come across in a long time. While the control system is tight and the monotonous gameplay somehow manages to draw you in and ultimately provides an entertaining blast, there’s no escaping the fact that the game is decidedly average drivel when all is said and done. Swordfish have made about as good a game you could ever expect given the nature of the source material, with a fair chunk of content for 50 Cent fans to lap up. If you can stomach the ridiculous storyline and the repetitive gameplay, then Blood on the Sand may hold some appeal if you’re after some undemanding, explosive action that’s guaranteed to raise a wry smile.
Top game moment: The driving sections are a welcome break from the relentless shooting, but the best moments are when you're firing off RPG rounds at an attack chopper.
-
50 Interview
Posted 18.02.09
Length 01:36 Views 529 -
The G-Unit Trailer
Posted 03.02.09
Length 03:49 Views 456 -
Skull Retriever Trailer
Posted 05.12.08
Length 00:54 Views 345
User Comments
By grimreaper (SI Member) on Mar 09, 2009
By Wowerine (SI Elite) on Mar 09, 2009
By BoneArc (SI Core Veteran) on Mar 10, 2009
By Wowerine (SI Elite) on Mar 10, 2009
By crawlroman (SI Core) on Mar 10, 2009
By benny180 (SI Core) on Mar 10, 2009
By homebrewer (SI Newbie) on Mar 11, 2009
By Wowerine (SI Elite) on Mar 11, 2009
By benny180 (SI Core) on Mar 11, 2009
By Wowerine (SI Elite) on Mar 11, 2009
By benny180 (SI Core) on Mar 11, 2009
By Wowerine (SI Elite) on Mar 11, 2009
By Arxen (I just got here) on Apr 02, 2009
Screenshots
Game Score
Our Score:
.............
5.8
Press Score:
.............
7.1
1 reviews
User Score:
.............
n/a
19 more votes required
Final Score:
6.5
select your score
Game Stats
| PS3 Rank: |
99 (of 573) |
| Overall Rank: |
1045 (of 10,202) |
Game popularity is:
Rising
+ 116 since yesterday
+ 116 since yesterday
traffic
time
