Deep Black: Reloaded – a third-person shooter video game developed by Biart Studio. The publisher globally is 505 Games, and in Russia it’s “Nовый диск”.
If you have read the remarkable science fiction works of Dmitry Yankovsky about naval units fighting against the biomechanical spawn of World War III, then Deep Black: Reloaded will surely evoke pleasant memories of those wonderful books. However, the game itself may not elicit any positive emotions. Various reputable publications unanimously rated the game very low and advised against playing Deep Black. What could be the reason for such consensus among reviewers and respected authors? Perhaps it’s simply that Deep Black: Reloaded is indeed not very good and can hardly be called a masterpiece.
The action of the game takes place in the near future, when significant political changes have occurred worldwide due to the emergence of global corporations. There is no war yet; it is merely approaching. Meanwhile, the warring parties are employing mercenaries to carry out special operations. We play as the combatant Cyrus Pierce from the “Charon” unit, who must complete a specific mission – infiltrate the base of the bad guys (or terrorists), navigate through fire and water, battle various robotic underwater systems, and save hostages. The hero's main strength lies in his suit, which allows him to move swiftly in water and feel comfortable on land. On his back is a health indicator that shows how much life is left. Interestingly, this is meant for player convenience, but how does it benefit the hero? After all, he cannot see how close he is to death – a human head cannot turn 360 degrees.
The locations that offer land exploration frequently switch to water. Unfortunately, the physics in Deep Black: Reloaded falters significantly in such environments. Shooting does not become more difficult, and bullets fired from assault rifles pierce through the water as easily as through air. Moreover, the mercenary swims in an extremely unnatural manner, giving the persistent impression that he is not in water, but in an airy atmosphere. He also possesses a harpoon, which he can use to unlock doors, destroy robots, and hook unsuspecting terrorists. The destruction of aquatic and other mechanoids that venture too close to the hero is presented through one or two cutscenes, so a constantly repeating image can quickly become tiresome. Furthermore, the player's involvement in the process is minimal – you need to rapidly press the same button to achieve results. Overall, Deep Black: Reloaded is an average shooter with numerous borrowings from other projects. The developers probably liked the Dead Space project at one time because the meticulous copying of Isaac Clarke’s suit can be explained in no other way.
The graphics of Deep Black: Reloaded is the best thing you can find in the project. Everything is drawn at a fairly high level, although the game doesn’t reach for the stars. In general, this project is strictly one-time. You can play for a couple of evenings and even complete the story campaign, but the replayability of the project is extremely low.