Lured by a gothic lolita statue wielding a gigantic scythe, I slipped into Perfect World's booth to take a look at their free-to-play, massively multiplayer games. They were so overjoyed that I took a shine to Rusty Hearts (a game I'll discuss in detail in a future post) that they invited me to an afternoon press event where I would get quiet hands-on time with it and the two other titles they had. What I didn't realize at the time was that Blacklight Retribution was one of them.

Last year I played Blacklight: Tango Down in the Ignition booth and concluded that it was just okay at the time. Unfortunately, Ignition used my write up in the game's press package. When I finally played the full version it wasn't at all how I remembered, and I reviewed it accordingly.

Now published by a Korean MMO developer, Blacklight is a free-to-play multiplayer shooter rather than an XBLA game. I didn't know this before I agreed to a last-minute appointment. If I had, I might not have been so eager.

It's not that Blacklight is terrible or anything, but it is an extremely average shooter. Tango Down was an unappealing assortment of objective-based missions swathed in completely uninspiring multiplayer. Taking that concept to a free-to-play format will likely draw a number of curious gamers, but it isn't really enough to make up for how bland the mechanics feel.

Retribution is visually striking, but so is Tango Down. The engine is stunning and capable, but visuals only go so far. The environment feels cluttered and meandering after a while, and in the demo they showed, it was very easy to lose your sense of direction. If I'd spent a little more time with it, perhaps accidentally doubling back wouldn't be such an issue, but the action is so mind-numbingly dull that it's difficult to even want to.

For the second year in a row, I'm left in an awkward position concerning a Blacklight game...only this time I'm making it quite clear that it's not that good. What's sad is that it should be. It looks good, and the controls are responsive and easy to pick up. It's lacking...a real sense of substance and direction.

These days, anyone can make a squad-based shooter. The trick is finding that little spark of creativity and innovation that compels players to dig in. For Blacklight Retribution, the free-to-play model will likely grab more casual shooter enthusiasts, but it isn't going to save the day.

Next year, I'm going to ask every publisher I meet whether they're showing a Blacklight game. I never want to do this again.