Imagine a brutal cyberpunk future in which ruthless, technologically-enhanced mercenaries slug it out with each other in a never-ending battle against a dystopian backdrop of guerrilla warfare, plague, and urban blight.Sounds like fun, doesn’t it?Blacklight: Tango DownIf you think so, Ignition Entertainment's "Blacklight: Tango Down" may be right up your graffiti-speckled alley. Developed by Zombie Studios, this upcoming, download-only online shooter combines a fleshed-out sci-fi backstory (soon to be expanded via a comic book series and possible movie spin-off) with intense, tactical gameplay that should fall right into the wheelhouse of veteran "Counterstrike" fans.The basic storyline, as described by Ignition representative Marcus Beer, is "Blade Runner meets Apocalypse Now": rival factions of mercenaries (the relatively virtuous Black Lights and the ruthless rogue agents of The Order) battle for control of a series of wasted futuristic cityscapes. Property values may have taken a dive in this neighborhood, but don't tell that to the mercs, who are happy to spill blood for every inch of ground they can hold.Blacklight: Tango Down Image GalleryBlacklight: Tango DownBlacklight: Tango DownBlacklight: Tango DownBlacklight: Tango Down“Blacklight” comes with plenty of content – 12 maps, 7 multiplayer modes (including Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, Capture Point, and Bomb Defusion), and four co-op missions that pit one to four human players against waves of computer-controlled enemies. Your avatar can ascend through 70 skill levels, unlocking new weapon upgrades, armor, and camouflage along the way; and the gameplay features some clever high-tech twists on shooter conventions – including a "digi-grenade" that scrambles your headset in a mess of oversized pixels, and the HRV, or "Hyper Reality Vision," which increases your vulnerability but allows you to see enemies located behind walls and in the darkness.All this is powered by impressive high-def graphics – courtesy of the formidable Unreal engine – and will be offered for the very competitive price of $15. "Nobody else is delivering this much content for the price," Beer asserts. Take a look at these screenshots and videos and see if you concur."Blacklight: Tango Down" is set to release in July on Xbox 360, Playstation 3, and PC.
