I must say that video games are a very strange phenomenon.  Sometimes we see things we can’t believe, and other times we see so much potential lost via poor marketing or lack of polish.  A couple years back, 50 Cent released his first video game titled “Bulletproof”, and man did it suck…seriously, I had to force myself to finish the first full chapter.  Not only were the graphics and game play extremely sub-par, but it just didn’t feel like this game should have ever been made.  Now the strangeness of the game industry strikes yet again- “Blood on the Sand” is actually a pretty good game.  Yes, you read that correctly- there is a ton of fun to be had in this game. 

I usually don’t mention too much about story in my reviews because I don’t like to spoil things- in this case, I won’t mention much because it just isn’t necessary.  The story in this game is really silly- a guy owes you money, pays you with a skull covered in diamonds (hey, 50 Cent needs his bling), and you then must recover said skull after it is stolen from you in a heist.  Yes, it is that terrible, but thankfully the rest of the game makes up for the ridiculously written plot.  My favorite types of games are third-person shooters that include a cover system (perfect examples are “Uncharted” and “Gears of War”), and this game has that.  As a matter of fact, it has created its own cover system quite successfully, and it rivals that of the aforementioned titles. 

The game is a simple, no-nonsense shooter- you run into areas and annihilate everyone in your path using both your standard assortment of guns (shotguns, pistols, etc) and your more over-the-top far like rocket or grenade launchers.  It may seem like it gets repetitive, but the well implemented cover system and inclusion of partner AI make the game play a blast.  If you want, you can have a friend sign in on Xbox Live and take the place of the computer controlled member, and there are some instances where co-op tactics are necessary to advance through the levels.  Sure, they aren’t as well fleshed out as “Arm of Two” or “Resident Evil 5’s” tactics, but it is always fun to team up with somebody. 

To add a little replay value, the developers included targets hidden throughout the game, as well as posters on the wall that the player can grab.  Grabbing or shooting these unlocks money and bonuses you can spend on the black market for guns and hand-hand kills.  By the way, the hand-hand combat is pretty satisfying- you run up to the enemy and hit the melee button, and each the halo appears around you and the enemy, you must hit the melee button again.  Sure, its simple, but the animations are very fluid and sometimes quite brutal.  One other thing worth noting is the inclusion of in-chapter timed mini-goals.  These are usually pretty straightforward, and typically include “defeat certain number of enemies before time runs out.”  Though they are simple to complete, each time you succeed at a couple of them, you get a clip of explosive or incendiary ammo for your pistol- great fun, trust me. 

Now of course this review can’t go on without mentioning the gripes.  First, if you are more into story and voice acting, you will hate this element of the game.  I honestly muted most of the cut scenes because I just didn’t care to hear about the silly plot details or worthless swearing.  The game tried to add some variety in vehicle missions, but they felt pretty tacked on.  There are two driving missions, which are pretty lame because the second one is the final mission of the game, and you can finish it in literally two minutes.  Also, if you are playing single player, you always have to drive- only the AI or a co-op partner can man the gun, which is a shame.  The other level variation is a helicopter level that started out pretty fun but quickly got old.  I know that there’s not a whole lot more they can do than steer you around and have you shoot things, but it just didn’t seem memorable to me- it felt like something was missing.

The only other gripe I have was the lack of multiplayer.  Even though this game wouldn’t dominate the charts of Xbox Live, I still feel that all games should try and include some sort of competitive multiplayer- especially shooters.  The game only runs about 6-8 hours in length, and if you find everything on your first play through, there’s not really much else to do afterwards.  Sure, the co-op is fun, but trust me, there are tons of other games with a more engaging and lasting experience.  Unless you are a die hard fan of 50 Cent (completing missions unlocks his music videos and photos and such), I can only suggest to rent this game.  As I said, I really did like the game and was pleasantly surprised- however, some people will finish this game in a day or so, and have nothing left to do afterwards.  The bad plot writing and lack of multiple endings guarantee that the game doesn’t really warrant another play through.  Either way, any shooter fan should definitely play this game- it’s not the best out there by any means, but the level of enjoyment ranks pretty high up there.

Game: B minus

Multiplayer: N/A

Overall: B