Where to get it

2012 · Zombie Studios · Cyberpunk · First-person shooter

Blacklight: Retribution

PlayStation console exclusive

Take firefights to a futuristic new level in Blacklight: Retribution, a free-to-play FPS. See through walls with the HRV, deploy mechanized Hardsuits, and customize your weapons to dominate the opposition.

Released: 3 April 2012
Platforms: PlayStation 4 Windows
Genres: Cyberpunk First-person shooter Shooter
Developers: Zombie Studios
Publishers: Arc Games
Series: Blacklight
Modes: Multiplayer
Perspective: First person
Themes: Action Science fiction Warfare
Engine: Unreal Engine 3
Country: United States
Age ratings: PEGI 16 ESRB T
Languages: English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Russian, Spanish (Spain)

About

Blacklight: Retribution was a free-to-play first-person shooter video game developed and published by Hardsuit Labs (formerly Zombie Studios) for Microsoft Windows and PlayStation 4. It was initially published by Perfect World Entertainment on April 3, 2012, with a full Steam release on July 3. A PS4 version was released as a launch title in North America on November 15, 2013, followed by Europe and Australia on December 4.

The sequel to Blacklight: Tango Down, the game is a cyberpunk-themed, arena style shooter that features a number of game modes, including a training mode and others commonly found in games of the same genre. Unique mechanics include weapon depots, which are used to acquire health, ammo, and special weapons, and the Hyper Reality Visor (HRV), which allows players to locate hazards through walls and other obstacles. Completing matches rewards the player with experience and GP, the latter of which can be used to buy additional weapons, armor, and cosmetic items, including skins and tags. Additional game modes were added after its release, including OnSlaught and Siege Mode.

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Media

The articlegameplay, story, development, reception

Gameplay

Blacklight: Retribution takes place in a cyberpunk setting and possesses a number of game types and maps. The game currently has no single player other than a controls tutorial level, a zombies game mode titled OnSlaught and a "practice" mode pitting players against AI or "bot" enemies. The game types are: Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, Capture the Flag, Domination (a ticket type of game), King of the Hill (objective capture) and Kill Confirmed (Similar to Team Deathmatch, but players must collect tokens from their dead opponents for the kill to count for the team. They can also be picked up for extra Combat Points.

Friendly players may pick up the token of a dead teammate to deny their enemies the kill point and to gain extra Combat Points). Siege Mode, where one team advances a Scorpion Tank through checkpoints into enemy territory, was added in August 2012. In March 2013, OnSlaught mode was added, in which players collect tokens to gain XP and GP.

Development

On 14 January 2011, Zombie Studios revealed that it would be developing Blacklight: Retribution with a free-to-play business model. At the 2011 Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), the company announced that Perfect World would publish Blacklight: Retribution. The game went to open beta on February 27, 2012 and went live on April 3, 2012. It was released on Steam on July 3, 2012.

In December 2012, Zombie Studios announced that Blacklight: Retribution would be released for the PlayStation 4, aiming for a Q4 2013 release. It was later confirmed that the game will be part of the PlayStation 4's launch lineup and it was released in North America on November 15, 2013.

Reception

Review aggregation website Metacritic gave Blacklight: Retribution 75/100, indicating "generally favorable" reviews, while its predecessor received a 61/100 indicating "mixed or average" reviews.

IGN gave Blacklight: Retribution an 8.5 out of 10, praising the game for its graphics, gameplay and deep customization. GameSpot's review was more harsh, giving the game a 6.5 out of 10 ("Fair"). Although they praised the shooting mechanics and item balance, they criticized the game for being too generic and hoped that the planned Siege and Netwar modes will help it stand out.