Xbox 360 Kinect FPS "Blackwater" Fails to Wow the Critics

Xbox 360 Kinect FPS “Blackwater” Fails to Wow the Critics

Blackwater was supposed to be the first visceral first person shooter experience for the Xbox 360 Kinect motion controller. While the game has only been on store shelves for a couple of days, it’s quickly becoming one of the worst reviewed Kinect games in the device’s one year history.

First FPS for Kinect Fails to Impress

Blackwater was supposed to be the first visceral first person shooter experience for the Xbox 360 Kinect motion controller. While the game has only been on store shelves for a couple of days, it's quickly becoming one of the worst reviewed Kinect games in the device's one year history.

The game which touts itself as including "unprecedented levels of immersion" from the Kinect functionality doesn't appear to be living up to the hype. The first reviews from these reputable gaming outlets are pointing to the experience as being abysmal. With one score hitting a low of 10/100 on Metacritic.

IGN writes - "This is a bad game from top to bottom, and it doesn't deserve a moment of your attention".

Games Radar had this to say about the recent release - " Blackwater is both an insult to gamers and a step backward for the Kinect."

Pretty harsh words indeed. Maybe some things were just meant to be played with a controller.

By William Schwartz on November 3, 2011

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Adam
Definitely. I think its exponentially harder to make something like Kinect work for an FPS than a Wii or PS3 Move set up. Personally, I wish Microsoft would drop Kinect completely.
Personally I’d love to see them push VR with the next console. Put on a helmet and be surrounded by the game, but still use a controller : D. Mind-Gasm.
Agree or Disagree: 0 3
- Donky Dic
  I am just LOL @ 10/100 on Metacritic.
  Agree or Disagree: 1 1
greenthumb66
My kids have kinect it sucks piles.
Agree or Disagree: 1 2
ragglefraggle1
wow, you can officaly put the tags “games suck” & kinect together lol
Agree or Disagree: 0 2
bozmanbeyond
Hands free FPS is just lame in it self.
Agree or Disagree: 1 0
IHATEHIPSTERS
i didnt need to play it to know it was shit lol
Agree or Disagree: 1 0
Bacon
I wonder if the kid thought he will get popular cause of the game lol
Agree or Disagree: 1 0
Hoppsy
i’ve said it before and i’ll say it again kinnect/move = party games and fun for the kids, controllors = core games.
I dont think this will change for a very long time
Agree or Disagree: 0 1
- nick
  umm motion control isnt necessarily as competitive as dual analog or mouse controls, but they’re really immersive. I got my hands on MAG with move a few months ago. Its awkward at first, but when you get used to it its REALLY fun to control. Dont discount all motion as kids toys. Theres just a strong learning curve associated with motion that most “hardcore” gamers havent gotten over.
  Agree or Disagree: 1 1
- Hoppsy
  I might just be being a bit of a gaming snob, but there not for me. if i want immersion i prefer to do it in a game like fallout or elder scrolls. thats true immersion in my opinion
  Agree or Disagree: 0 0
nick
GOTY PLEASE
Agree or Disagree: 0 0
drake
I think it sucked mostly because it’s a game by A COMPANY of hired mercenaries not that there’s anything wrong with that but their focus isn’t exactly gaming is it? this is just a shallow attempt to get improve their image with gamers or atleast young people because of all those negative PR in iraq.
Agree or Disagree: 2 0
A113n
I called this, I mean come on it’s laggy, unresponsive, misreading command $hit. That’s what kinect is, always will be. The only good game for kinect is Dance Central which neither requires accuracy or a quick response time.
PS Move isn’t for everyone and I do agree motion gaming takes a little away from our beloved core experience. But Move is the right way to do it.
I love Nintendo but seriously, have you played a good game with it? It’s hard as hell, awkward and the motion games mostly suck.
Move is an optional motion control, the #1 control for most PS3 games that use move is still the controller. But you have the option to clip the move onto a gun and use it on some of the best shooters of this generation.
Plus the party games and family games on move are hell of fun. It’s the most accurate and responsive motion control, games like start the party and sports champions proves that the move can be used successfully as a sword or light saber.
Games like Killzone, Resistance, Goldeneye 007 prove that move is a great core game.
Games like NBA 2k11 and Tiger Woods PGA tour, MLB the show prove that move makes a great sports motion gaming device.
Basically kinect sucks donky balls
Nintendo Wii mote should be more accurate & they should have an option to play some of the core games on something other than wii mote/nunchuck
And Move is the perfect motion control with the most accuracy, 99% games on PS3 move is optional & has great hard core games out there right now.
Again, Nintendo is awesome, always has been and always will.
Agree or Disagree: 2 3
- Cool dude
  If your so smart, tell $ony to sell some thing that ACTUALLY sells next time.
  Atleast people buy kinect.
  Ive never heard of this game though.
  Agree or Disagree: 0 2
Adam
Resistance and Goldeneye aren’t anywhere near the best FPS’s of this generation O_o. That goes to Halo, CoD, BF2&3, and Gears of War (Yes, its a TPS, but its played just like any other shooter)
This article isn’t even about the Move Allen, so shut up with the trolling. And while Move is “supported” in those FPS games, it doesn’t mean anyone who wants to play the game seriously is going to use it, and it wasn’t designed with the intention of everyone using it. Especially online.. And for that matter, the Wii does have some very good games, Metroid Prime 3, Monster Hunter Tri, and Geometry Wars off the top of my head. Not a TON of blockbuster hits, but they’re definitely there.
I think the motion control we have now across all platforms is just a novelty and casual game phenomenon. When you get right down to it, it never really ADDS anything to a game. I remember when Twilight Princess came out, I got it and about an hour into it once I got down all of the controls, I realized that its just USING the motion control scheme…it wasn’t enhancing my experience at all. Flicking my wrist instead of flicking my thumb to swing my sword doesn’t do anything for me, and its actually easier to use a traditional controller. Until the technology is vastly improved, or some really amazing games come out that make you want to use the the remotes, motion control will never be for hardcore gaming. Honestly, Metroid Prime 3 is the ONLY game that I have ever played that actually made me want to use motion controls.
@ Allen stop putting your opinion in when you’re trying to prove a point. Don’t go, “dance central is teh oly good kinect game. But Start The Party and Sports Champions rule!”
Agree or Disagree: 1 1
- Black_Napalm
  >.< Gears of War is NOT a first person shooter ….. Just saying.
  Agree or Disagree: 1 2
- Adam
  I know….I even said that its a TPS dude, read the second sentence xD
  Agree or Disagree: 1 1
- Hoppsy
  if your including halo in that list and gow then surely killzone, resistence and unchartered should feature in it?
  Agree or Disagree: 0 1
- IHATEHIPSTERS
  adam you are allens arch nemisis lol
  Agree or Disagree: 0 1
- Black_Napalm
  Yeah I stopped readIng when it became apparent you have no fucking idea what your talking about.
  Agree or Disagree: 1 0
- Adam
  Do tell me what I don’t know about? The only thing you brought to your case was that Gears of War isn’t a First Person Shooter. Which I rebutted by telling you to read another sentence into my post.
  Word of advice Black_Napalm: Read someone’s entire argument before you try to flame them. You’ll sound a lot smarter than you currently do.
  Agree or Disagree: 1 1
- Black_Napalm
  When your first sentence is completely invalid why should I give a shit about what you have to say?
  Agree or Disagree: 1 1
njb
Games are already immersive. Silly motion controls dont make it any more immersive. The kinect has yet to do.anything well. Except dance games. Games have been and will continue to be immersive. Examples. Metal Gear Solid. Final Fantasy, uncharted……… Games that have an amazing stiry, mindblowing plots, deep charcters. And so on. Blackwater trys to do what namco cracked over a decade ago. Give me a ps1 or 2, a lightgun and a copy of time crisis 1 or 2 anyday.
Agree or Disagree: 0 0
- nick
  Yeah they do. Try Red Steel 2 on Wii. Yeah, its a Wii game, but hear me out its actually REALLY FUN. And no I dont mean the first RedSteel. That game was a peice of crap. RedSteel 2 is a great example of how motion control can take something otherwise generic and make it memorable and amazing.
  Agree or Disagree: 0 0
Wipeout
No Allen’s nemesis is the staff of this website lol
Agree or Disagree: 0 1
reality
Any true gamer knows motion controls are for kids. That includes PS Flop, I mean Move.
Agree or Disagree: 0 1
- nick
  I beg to differ.
  Agree or Disagree: 1 0
Wipeout
I like chicken!!!
Agree or Disagree: 0 1
Lolall3n
Okay this is pointless with some people motion gaming is for whoever likes it if you don’t like kinect then why are you in this article….too fanboy it up. Check every kinect commercial it’s families & friends playing together…I have one and can say dance central is not the only god game I have 10 that do what kinect is advertisd as, a way for everyone to game together without the need of remembering where buttons are on a controller. Move is nice but I would spend to much to play with more then 2 people even playing with 2 people is almost 200 bucks, with kinect 150 I get 4 players without having to pass of a controller just in and out. Seriously kinect works as advertised, if you feel it’s laggy or unresponsive cause you’ve actually had it in your home then cool but if your are going off of reviews then pleasse don’t post. Thank you have a nice day
Agree or Disagree: 0 1
- abc
  i thumbed you up. well explained
  Agree or Disagree: 0 1
- Allen
  it’s not $200 to get 2 people to play Move. In fact games like start the party only need 1 controller for 4 people. Sports champions is better with a second controller.
  Right now we are looking at $130 for move, sports champions and 2 controllers.
  Kinect does not fucking work as advertised. WTFE you freaking lying piece of crap. Games like Blackwater (per reviews) and my personal experience with “fighters uncaged” are unplayable they are so crappy and full of lag &misreading commands.
  Agree or Disagree: 2 0
- Cool dude
  One problem though, no one buys PS move because people don’t enjoy it. People buy kinect because people actually enjoy it.
  BTW, Kinect will always fail at Hardcore games. Stay at casual-party like audience like gunstringer or dance central.
  Agree or Disagree: 0 1
- Donky Dic
  Dude, why do you keep saying that?
  Move has sold more than 8 million units and that was like 4-5 months ago. Not as much as Kinect but who cares, 8 million is more than enough to get some software units out there. Hell my sister is buying it now too they had so much fun at my house with it.
  Agree or Disagree: 0 0
PILLS HERE
Nothing can beat keyboard/mouse and controller!
Agree or Disagree: 1 0
- nick
  for competitive gaming yeah. For immersion Mouse/keyboard is probably the worst. Some of my PC gaming friends use dual analog controllers for campaigns just because they’re more involved.
  Agree or Disagree: 1 0
Lolall3n
I’m a lying piece of crap wow that’s mature, cause i develop my own opinion. Homie get a life I have it it works for me and my family and friends we have fun and enjoy it. But since every game doesnt get great reviews the thing sucks lmao you wanna tell me that every ps move game got great reviews????? Lol all3n my friend grow up and release copying and pasting the same stuff is a waste of your time go play uncharted 3 as I am about to do after I play kinect with my family for bit.
Agree or Disagree: 0 1
- Adam
  Don’t feel bad man. This community is riddled with idiots who honestly don’t even read comments before flaming people. They just look at the name of who wrote it and “Thumb Down” it because they’re mad that they don’t agree with them. Allen is probably the worst of them, POSTING IN ALL CAPS LOCK AND SAYING F UCK A LOT BECAUSE PEOPLE DON’T THINK THE PS3 IS AWESOME.
  I think you bring up a great point in saying that Kinect does its job well for families.
  Agree or Disagree: 0 1
Jeff
While its true that xbox developers have failed to produce a decent FPS kinect title, that is not true of the PC Kinect community. As an example, here is a video of Bulletstorm using the Kinect, which seems much more functional than say the controls of Blackwater. Check it out, what do you think?
Agree or Disagree: 0 1
Jeff
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jp8HLje7BJc
Agree or Disagree: 0 1
ari-free
ArmA2 + TrackIR= the best fps and the best motion tracking experience and it’s for the PC. No aim assist, no glowing sex toys and no silly shooting with your hands.
And if you want to play as PMC well there’s also
http://www.arma2.com/pmc
:)
Agree or Disagree: 0 0