50 Cent: Blood on the Sand Review for PlayStation 3 (PS3)

System: X360, PS3	Review Rating Legend
Dev: Swordfish Studios	1.0 - 1.9 = Avoid	4.0 - 4.4 = Great
Pub: THQ	2.0 - 2.4 = Poor	4.5 - 4.9 = Must Buy
Release: Feb. 24, 2009	2.5 - 2.9 = Average	5.0 = The Best
Players: 1-2	3.0 - 3.4 = Fair
ESRB Rating: Mature	3.5 - 3.9 = Good

Whether you like the sound depends on whether you like two other things: 50 Cent's music and classic rail-shooter noises. The soundtrack features an amazing number of 50 and G-Unit tracks, 18 of them new, though for some reason it will keep looping the same few over and over again unless you head to your playlist and add the songs as you unlock them. As for the rest of the aural experience, plan on lots of profane chit-chat, and every time you pick up a power-up, there'll be some over-the-top effect or another.

50 Cent: Blood on the Sand screenshot

The controls, meanwhile, are cribbed from other games, but they're cribbed well. You won't really think about them while playing, except to figure out where the taunt button is and to mentally thank the developers for including a grenade button instead of making you cycle through your weapons to find one.

The big question: can the exceptionally high fun factor, coupled with the various replay features, make this game worth buying instead of just renting? It really depends on what kind of gamer you are. If you're the type who likes to beat games thoroughly, right down to the last side challenge and the high score, this will give you hours upon hours of fun. It's also great for those who like online co-op, though there's no local multiplayer or online competitive play.

If, by contrast, you're a "beat it once on medium difficulty and trade it in" type, there's no need to keep 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand for more than a weekend, thanks to the short campaign. It'll be a heck of a fun weekend, though.

By Robert VerBruggen
CCC Freelance Writer

RATING OUT OF 5

RATING DESCRIPTION

4.1

Graphics
Surprisingly good use of the Unreal Engine 3.

3.7

Control
Nothing innovative, but they work.

3.5

Music / Sound FX / Voice Acting
There are 50 Cent songs. If you like 50 Cent, you'll like the music. Sound effects and voiceovers are intentionally corny and over-the-top, but they never grate.

4.5

Play Value
This is simply a blast to play, and there's a lot of replay value. The only problem is that the campaign is short, maybe five to seven hours.

3.9

Overall Rating - Good
Not an average. See Rating legend above for a final score breakdown.

Game Features:

Fast action-arcade-shooter gameplay.

Brawler-style combat with 20 brutal Counterkill finishing moves.

Drop-in/drop-out co-op online.

Arcade-style points system: Earn money and points via kills and by uncovering loot caches. Use money to purchase new weapons, Counterkills, and taunts.

Up to 720p (Standard HDTV).