Blacklight: Tango Down

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Blacklight: Tango Down is a multiplayer shooter game with warfare and science fiction themes. It was developed by Zombie Studios and was released on July 14, 2010. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and neutral reviews from players.

In Blacklight: Tango Down, experience the bleeding edge of advanced warfare. Participate in the “NetWar”: a hyper-realistic battlefield letting you fight tomorrow’s conflicts with or against your friends in the gritty Blacklight universe. Make your stand across seven game modes with 12 different maps in intense online battles supporting up to 16 players. Or fight through four intense Black Ops mis…

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42%

Audience ScoreBased on 464 reviews

story14 positive mentions

stability12 negative mentions

The game offers a unique wall-hack mechanic that adds a tactical layer to gameplay, reminiscent of titles like Rainbow Six Siege.
For its low price, the single-player and co-op modes provide decent entertainment, especially for fans of the Blacklight series.
The art style is influenced by 90's cyberpunk aesthetics, creating an interesting visual experience.

The game is heavily reliant on the now-defunct Games for Windows Live, making it nearly unplayable for many users.
The multiplayer community is virtually non-existent, leading to long wait times for matches or an inability to find players at all.
Gameplay can feel repetitive and lacks depth, with only a few missions available and limited content overall.

story
66 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
64%
15%
The game's story is largely criticized for being minimal and poorly developed, with many reviewers noting that it feels tacked on and lacks depth. Players mention that the single-player and co-op modes consist of only four linear missions, which do not provide a compelling narrative experience. While the atmospheric setting is appreciated, the overall consensus is that the story is weak and not a significant draw for the game.
- “Very minimal first-person gunplay combined with a small but unique story while all being focused on a convincingly real futuristic world of electronic warfare.”
- “Although it has a decent story, you need to play because no one plays it for good reason.”
- “The executive producers and the developers put out a couple of minisodes that explained the universe behind Blacklight, but I was terribly shocked by the quality of the game to retain a rather drab story.”
- “The campaign only knows four missions; you die, you start all over again.”
- “There's not really so much a story as much as it was a tacked on description of the two factions -- the Blacklight team and the Order -- which I will be copying word for word directly from the game for notes.”
- “The storyline sucks; sometimes it makes me wonder if there is even a story at all, very amateurishly written.”
graphics
29 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
45%
45%
10%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the art style that blends 90's cyberpunk influences with modern military aesthetics, creating a unique and trippy visual experience. However, others criticize the muddy graphics, particularly noting that they fall short even by 2010 standards, and mention limited graphical options. Overall, while the visuals are appreciated by some for their creativity and detail, they are marred by technical issues and inconsistencies.
- “The art style takes some influence from 90's cyberpunk like Akira mixed with modern military equipment while being set in Eastern Europe.”
- “The aesthetics in this game are ostensibly giving a bleak apocalyptic setting, and your hyper-reality visor pretty much takes you out of the vision that you might be playing a liquidated Fallout game.”
- “Amazing graphics and mechanics for an arcade game, and the price is a steal. Plus, the future setting really sets it apart from other first-person shooters.”
- “Muddy graphics (even by 2010 standards).”
- “Graphics do support up to 1080p, but there are pretty much only two options out of the entire list, and that would be shader details (which are on a number-based option, from 1-5), and the resolution.”
- “Controls are jittery and stiff at the same time, graphics are so-so, visual style is rather neat, but just overall an unpleasant few minutes before removing from my system.”
gameplay
27 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
59%
15%
The gameplay of Tango Down features a unique wall-hack mechanic that allows players to gain an advantage at the cost of vulnerability, which some find engaging despite the game's overall solid but glitchy mechanics. While the game offers a mix of familiar FPS elements reminiscent of titles like Call of Duty and Battlefield, it suffers from a lack of content, repetitive gameplay, and a dwindling player base, leading to a less favorable multiplayer experience. Overall, while some players appreciate its innovative features, many criticize the game for its broken hitboxes and empty lobbies, making it a mixed bag for potential players.
- “This is a good opportunity to get used to the game's mechanics before heading into multiplayer.”
- “The mechanics of the game are solid for an FPS, though it does take a bit of getting used to.”
- “In terms of gameplay, this game is amazing despite multiplayer being dead.”
- “The interesting element of a built-in wallhack as a gameplay feature makes it stick in my mind, but it had speedhackers on day one and its cripplingly small player base dried up weeks later.”
- “Not what I would recommend, the gameplay is glitchy and the multiplayer lobbies are empty.”
- “This game is terrible, hitboxes are broken and gameplay is repetitive.”
stability
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game has been criticized for its significant stability issues, including numerous glitches and poor support, which can lead to frustrating troubleshooting experiences for players. Many users report that the game is buggy and overwhelmed with complicated menus and overlays, making it less enjoyable for those who prefer a smoother gaming experience.
- “Out the gate, Blacklight: Tango Down was plagued with poor support and game-ruining glitches.”
- “Too many glitches.”
- “Buggy and overwhelmed with menus and game overlays.”
atmosphere
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
25%
25%
The game's atmosphere is described as atmospheric and moody, enhanced by a Russian-accented mission voiceover. However, some users feel that the overall ambiance comes across as unrealistic and cheap.
- “Atmospheric, moody, with Russian-accented mission voiceover.”
- “The entire atmosphere of the game feels unrealistic and cheap.”
emotional
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players highlight the emotional depth of the game, particularly in moments that evoke strong feelings related to family and personal stakes. The narrative resonates deeply, with impactful scenes that can bring players to tears, enhancing the overall experience, especially in single-player and co-op modes.
- “I was about 10 years old when my mother said to him, 'If you ever want to see your grandchildren graduate, you have to stop immediately.' Tears welled up in his eyes when he realized what exactly was at stake.”
music
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The music in the game is likened to a 'one-hit-wonder,' suggesting that while it may be catchy or memorable, it lacks depth or variety, potentially leading to a fleeting impact on players.
- “This game would be a 'one-hit-wonder' if it was in the music industry.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Players appreciate the game's decent replayability, often revisiting the short missions for nostalgia every few months. This suggests that while the missions are brief, they maintain enough appeal to encourage repeated playthroughs.
- “The missions are short, but they have a decent replay value, and I find myself running through them every few months just for nostalgia purposes.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is largely perceived as lacking, with multiple users expressing that its poor quality fails to elicit any comedic value.
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious due to a low player base, which makes searching for servers through the matchmaking system a frustrating experience.

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70%Critics’ scoreBased on 2 critic reviews

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Frequently Asked Questions

Blacklight: Tango Down is a shooter game with warfare and science fiction themes.

Blacklight: Tango Down is available on PC, Windows, PlayStation 3, Linux and others.

Blacklight: Tango Down was released on July 14, 2010.

Blacklight: Tango Down was developed by Zombie Studios.

Blacklight: Tango Down has received mostly positive reviews from players and mostly positive reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its stability.

Blacklight: Tango Down is a multiplayer game with local co-op support.

Similar games include Lost Planet 2, Section 8, Umbrella Corps, Battlefield 3, Resident Evil Operation Raccoon City and others.

Blacklight: Tango Down

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