Modern Combat 5: Blackout
Modern Combat 5, also known as Modern Combat 5: Blackout is a 2014 first-person shooter developed by Gameloft Bucharest and published by Gameloft. It is the fifth installment of the Modern Combat series and the sequel to Modern Combat 4: Zero Hour. It was released on July 24, 2014 for iOS, Android, Windows Phone 8, Windows 8.1 and BlackBerry 10, on October 24, 2018 for Steam, and for Nintendo Switch on February 14, 2019. It is the first game in the series that is developed by Gameloft Bucharest.
| Modern Combat 5: Blackout | |
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| Developer(s) | Gameloft Bucharest[lower-alpha 1] |
| Publisher(s) | Gameloft |
| Composer(s) | Vincent Labelle |
| Series | Modern Combat |
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| Genre(s) | First-person shooter |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
Plot
The World Liberation Army, a terrorist organization, had attacked Venice to steal chemical weapons held by the United Nations. Cayden Phoenix (a minor character in Modern Combat 4), a freelance military contractor working for Gilman Security, is sent to Venice as part of a security task force to counter the terrorists. His companion, Jonathan "Bull" Taylor, is dismissed for suspicions of illegal arms sales.
After the counter-insurgency, Phoenix travels to a battle-destroyed Tokyo for a Gilman Security cybersecurity summit, where he concludes with his supervisor, Sophie "Roux" Daviau, that the attack on Venice was supported by Gillam Security. Phoenix also reveals the company's blackmail tactics, forcing him to not investigate further as to risk damage to his daughter. However, Phoenix is intercepted by an explosion, and he awakes in the Rinnōji Temple. Phoenix escapes from the raider-controlled temple with assistance from a nurse, and meets with Isaac Tukura and a man named Andrews. They travel back to Tokyo to a safe house.
Their travel is intercepted by raiders and Gilman Security drones. As they arrive at their safe house, attacks continue before Roux and others disperse drone forces. Now safe, Roux and Phoenix continue their conversation, where Roux reveals that Bull will make a deal with terrorist Everett Saunders. It is also revealed that Gilman controlled the World Liberation Army, and that they planned to start a world war via cyber security attacks and chemical warfare.
Phoenix kills Bull before he can work further with terrorists, and upon returning, he plans to infiltrate Gilman headquarters to retrieve information that would prove Gilman's involvement with terrorist organizations. They hack Gilman and retrieve information, only to be intercepted by Saunders. In a final confrontation, Phoenix kills Saunders, and later, the information Roux gathered is given to the UN. Gilman executives are arrested, and warfare in Tokyo ends.
Gameplay
Gameplay in Modern Combat 5: Blackout is similar to previous entries in the series. The player can shoot, crouch, sprint, throw grenades, aim, reload their weapons, leap over obstacles, knife enemies, change/pick up weapons, and use abilities supported by the equipped class. A new key feature to Modern Combat 5 is the ability to choose soldier classes ranging from Assault, Heavy, Sniper, Recon, Support, Bounty Hunter, Sapper, X-1 Morph, Kommander, and Marauder. Each of which has its own different perks and weapons), although a player's class does not prevent the player from picking up different classes' weapons in-game. As the player continues in certain classes and acquires a "weapon score", new guns and attachments to use in both the campaign and multiplayer are unlocked. Modern Combat 5 is the first Modern Combat game in the series to use DRM and requires a constant internet connection to play (an internet connection is required for the campaign as well as multiplayer).
One major change in the campaign of Blackout, compared to previous Modern Combat titles, is that the missions are shorter. A mission can last five to ten minutes, noticeably shorter than missions of previous entries. Modern Combat 5: Blackout also introduces allies, characters who follow along with the player, often joining in during conflicts.
Like Zero Hour, the campaign missions in Modern Combat 5: Blackout vary in style. The game is primarily a first person shooter, but missions include controlling turrets on boats, helicopters, and even drones.
Multiplayer
The multiplayer of Modern Combat 5 is similar to other first-person shooters. The weapons carry over from player's campaigns. Players can also form "squads", a feature new to the Modern Combat series. Another new feature is Private Chat, which allows chat between squad members.
Currently there are 7 modes: Free For All, Team Battle, VIP, Capture the Flag, Rush, Zone Control and Cargo. There are 9 maps, ranging from canals in Venice and construction sites to office maps and military hangars.
There is also a Battle Royale mode, added into the game after update 27 and before the 28th update of the game. The battle royale mode is currently still in a beta state.
Reception
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The game was met with mostly positive reviews from critics. The iOS version holds an aggregate score of 79 out of 100 on Metacritic based on 17 reviews.[1] Reviewers praised the game's visuals and sound but criticized the slow-paced gameplay and performance issues. A review by TechRadar explains that the campaign is impersonal. Its review was 3.5 out of 5 stars. However another review by GamesLover, explained that the campaign is too repetitive and boring, giving the game one out of five.
Notes
- Additional work by Gameloft Montreal, Gameloft Saigon, Gameloft Seoul & RedSteam Art Studio
References
- "Modern Combat 5: Blackout for iPhone/iPad Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved August 2, 2014.
- "Modern Combat: Blackout for Switch Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved March 12, 2019.
- Ford, Eric (July 24, 2014). "'Modern Combat 5: Blackout' Single Player Review – Blurring the Lines Between Single and Multiplayer". TouchArcade. Retrieved July 5, 2018.
- Ford, Eric (July 28, 2014). "'Modern Combat 5: Blackout' Multiplayer Review – A New Standard in iOS FPS MP". TouchArcade. Retrieved July 5, 2018.