Preview

Bullets And Taunts Fly In 50 Cent Blood On The Sand

June 12, 2008

“Show me your money, bitches!” Even if there wasn’t a virtual 50 Cent pictured on the screen you’d know the voice. That particular phrase, one of many taunts built in the game and voiced by 50 Cent, came out after Curtis hosed down some terrorist-stereotypes with a 50-caliber machine gun. During Sierra’s press event yesterday I got a tour of the latest “alpha candidate” build of Blood on the Sand, Sierra’s upcoming sequel to 50 Cent’s last game, Bulletproof. Producer Aaron Blean described the action on the screen while associate producer Tim Tran handled the controls. And yes, it looks a hell of a lot better than the original.

According to Blean, the developers tried to impart Blood on the Sand with an arcade feel without offending hardcore fans. You rack up points for kills (you score extra for including the aforementioned taunts) and collect money that falls out of their dead bodies. The cash buys new weapons, taunts and new hand-to-hand “counter kills” over pay phones you’ll find ringing through the game. On the taunt menu screen I saw different “packs” available for purchase with names like The Pimp Taunt pack and Gangsta Taunt Pack. No questions people, just fucking go with it.

The one counterkill I saw involved 50 punching an enemy’s lights out followed with neck break and a thousand yard stare into the distance as the terrorist’s inert body dropped to the ground. While the moves look like cut scenes they are actually interactive and keyed off of button sequences. Miss a button and the counter breaks off and you’ll have to resort to simply filling your enemy with bullets.

You won’t have to play alone. Gamers get to pick from G-Unit members Lloyd Banks, Tony Yayo and DJ Whoo Kid, each of which have their own signature weapon. In the single player mode the computer A.I. controls your sidekick. Playing online gives you the option of playing co-op, but only one of you gets to be Fiddy. Rounding out the rap appearances, Swizz Beatz created 19 exclusive tracks to score the game. Blood on the Sand plays out mostly on foot as a third-person action shooter. But Blean spoke of two levels involving driving aspects and one level played from the gun deck of a helicopter. Which, coincidentally, was the only level we saw where 50 didn’t talk any smack to his dead victims.

The game hits shelves this November. Click the link to pre-order your copy of Blood on the Sand.