Black Hawk Down - Team Sabre Add-on - PC review

10 February 2004 18:12 GMT / By Stuart Miles

When Delta Force: Black Hawk Down first launched in the UK, Britain was about to go to war and while the backdrop was Somalia not Iraq, the desert scenery meant for some the line between fiction and reality was too fine. (However, it didn’t prevent sales of over a million copies). With the Team Sabre add-on, the operations have changed. There are now two further campaigns to choose from; Iran and Columbia, with Columbia providing the greatest change from the desert strewn landscapes.

You will need the original to play this add-on and players of Black Hawk Down will be pleased to see that all the commands and controls have stayed the same, you can still control your team, jump into vehicles and use the 50 calibre machine guns when found. There are a few changes, such as armoury caches allowing you to swap out weapons in the field. And this allows for you to choose weapons perfect for the task ahead if you didn’t have the foresight to load up with it at the beginning. As you would expect new weapons and vehicles have been introduced, although don’t expect to see huge changes here.

Suffering from the previous issues, six of the eleven levels can be chosen straight away and while this allows you to get past the difficult levels it does remove the storyline element.

Graphics are still top notch albeit identical to the original - although this is only an add-on so we weren’t expecting much and the sounds of weapons fire will still get you immersed into the action.

For the multiplayer fan there is plenty on offer. 35 new maps in actual fact and this version now supports up to 50 players in one game online at any time. This certain makes for interesting if not manic gameplay to say the least and shows Novalogic’s willingness to aplease the online gaming bodies.

Verdict

At £20 this makes for a great add-on, if you've already warn out the original version. With the change of scenery in Columbia offering a break from the desert landscapes. Be warned, however while on the surface the 11 new single player levels might seem paltry they certainly aren't a walk over. More of the same still doesn't get dull. A highly impressive add-on.

Score

Review Recap

Made by: Novalogic
Price as reviewed: £20
The good: Great multi player
The bad: Some graphical glitches remain
Quick verdict: The original was a million-selling single player classic, the add-on bolsters the multiplayer and makes a great package
Score
Winner