Blacksite: Area 51 Announced

Even though Area 51 didn't set the charts blazing, I enjoyed the mindless violence and healthy arsenal of weapons it boasted of, so I was pleasantly surprised when I heard Midway was planning a sequel.

www.ign.com got the lowdown on this game and here's what they had to say:

While details on the storyline are scarce at this point, it sounds as if you'll be given choices along the way that will allow you to dictate the moral standing of your character. The game description words this as follows: "The player's modern-day emotions and fears are driven into a world charged with grave responsibility affecting lives hanging in the balance and eventually finding himself torn between his professional orders and his own ethical standards. In the end, only the actions of the player and his squad can shape the outcome of BlackSite: Area 51 during this potentially pivotal moment in history."

More from News Analysis

Speaking of the squad, you're now in complete control of a Special Forces squad. Their morale will play a part in how well they perform. Properly commanding them will have them at their best, but running them poorly into bad situations will negatively affect their aim, wear down on their fatigue and make them even lose the will to fight. Squad commands are said to be contextual, utilizing a single button to take care of all your available commands without the need to scroll through menus or whatnot.

The game will use the most excellent Unreal 3 engine and will be released for the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC later this year.