Delta Force: Black Hawk Down

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Delta Force: Black Hawk Down

Developer(s)	NovaLogic
Publisher(s)	NovaLogic
Designer(s)	Rebellion Developments
Release date(s)	2003, 2005
Genre(s)	First-person shooter
Mode(s)	Single player, multiplayer
Rating(s)	ESRB: Teen (T)
Platform(s)	PC, PS2, Mac, Xbox

Using a sniper rifle

Delta Force: Black Hawk Down is the 6th game of the Delta Force series. It takes place in Somalia during Operation Restore Hope in 1992 and Operation Gothic Serpent in 1993. The game uses a more realistic engine compared to the previous Delta Force games. The player starts out as a 10th Mountain Division soldier taking part in Operation Restore Hope as part of the United Nations-backed humanitarian effort to end the famine which had killed 300,000 civilians. However after the third mission the player takes the role of a member of Task Force Ranger taking part in Operation Gothic Serpent, which fought in the Battle of Mogadishu on October 3, 1993. This section of the game is divided, with the first few missions having the player take the role of a U.S. Army Ranger of the 75th Ranger Regiment, while the latter half has the player assuming the role of an operative in the 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta, more commonly known as Delta Force. The first few missions are designed to familiarize the player with gameplay concepts. However, later missions will require more advanced techniques like "taking down" rooms with flashbang grenades. It might also be noted that during the later missions, you play almost exclusively as Delta Force operatives.

1 Gameplay
2 Trivia
3 Weapons
4 External links

[edit] Gameplay

The game is completely based on the 1992-93 UN peace missions in war torn Somalia. The first few missions in the game are designed to make the player accustomed with the different types of weapons, their usage, enemy AI, terrain types and combat techniques. The majority of the missions involve providing security for food distribution, convoy security, taking prisoners, etc. The game ultimately takes the player all the way through to the Battle of Mogadishu, which of course is the centerpiece of the game. As the player goes on completing missions they become harder and require much more skill. In the final mission, "Aidid Takedown", the player will have to play almost on his or her own.

The downed chopper in the mission valiant soldiers

Humvees, UH-60 Black Hawks, and Hughes H-6 Little Bird helicopters play very important roles in the game. There are also a few missions where locally-made motorboats and trucks are used. Several times the player is dropped in the field by helicopters in a nice cinematic environment and similar sound effects to create a nice action situation. The mission design aims at realism and the game is to be played along with three fellow soldiers who are steered by AI.

Inside a black hawk

One characteristic of the game is that while on a humvee or helicopter the player will have to think, aim and shoot extremely fast to protect himself and the convoy. However, on foot the player must approach extremely slowly, with patience and taking cover when necessary. The player will have to act according to the command of the operative. The AI of the accompanying soldiers react well when fighting attacks from the enemies but they can't follow the player's instructions and the player will always have to take the lead and show them the way in the missions. As the game proceeds the fellow soldiers becomes more dependent on the player and in several times the player will have to protect them from opponent assaults. There is no way to command them directly, which is problematic. However, throughout the game the accompanying soldiers provide assistance or take the lead in certain critical situations to aid the player.

The most dangerous in-game enemy assault comes with the rocket propelled grenades (RPGs) which the enemy patrols may fire on helicopters, Humvees, and soldiers. In several missions, the most important duty of the player is to protect his convoy and team from oncoming assaults from the enemies armed with RPGs.

The PC version of the game has an expansion set called "Team Sabre", which features two additional campaigns. One involves a mission to shut down a drug cartel in Colombia, and the other involves a mission against a rebel group in Iran.

[edit] Trivia

During game development, the Novalogic developers asked Mark Bowden if they could use his description of the Battle of Mogadishu from his book, Black Hawk Down: A Story of Modern War, for the game. Bowden however declined the offer, wanting to honor the people that fought during that particular battle. Instead, the developers took creative liberties when it came to developing the missions around that particular battle.

Although it is true that the 10th Mountain Division was stationed in Mogadishu prior to the arrival of Task Force Ranger, it is unknown if the missions detailed in Delta Force: Black Hawk Down were accomplished by the 10 Mtn. Div. The same applies to the various missions that the player must go through as either a Delta Force operative or Ranger. One exception; however, is the fourth mission concerning Osman Otto. Although he did exist and was present during the Battle of the Black Sea (a.k.a. Black Hawk Down) only the pilots of the Little Birds engaged his compound on the day of October 3, 1993-not before the day of the battle. Another exception was the fifth mission concerning the rescue of Pakistani soldiers. The battle in which 24 Pakistani forces were killed by Habr Gedir was in fact the reason for President Clinton's authorization of the deployment of Task Force Ranger. This meant that the rescue of the Pakistani soldiers occurred before Task Force Ranger was even conceived.

Another half truth was the mission "Irene". Irene was the name of the mission on October 3, 1993. The discrepancy; however, lies in the reinforcement of Chalk 4. Chalk 4 was under such heavy fire that it was not picked up until the "Lost Convoy" arrived. The "Lost Convoy" mission was also incorrect as no Delta Force members ever left the convoy to aid the original survivors or CSAR team. The Lost Convoy did in fact come within 20 meters of the first crash site but could not proceed and never did link up with the CSAR team or the original assault force. The "Valiant Soldier" mission did occur but not in the glorious manner described. The real trek to the crash site by the original assault force was a helter-skelter dash made by Delta Force operatives and Rangers. No soldiers were lost or unaccounted for except for Chalk 4 which had returned to base and several Rangers who had, in the confusion, hunkered down with Delta Force units rather than with their chalks. The "Last Stand" mission was also pure fiction as the only mortars mentioned were those that regularly bombarded Task Force Ranger's base. No mortars were recorded as being used during the battle. Finally, the "Mogadishu Mile" mission was true. The Pakistani tanks were not portrayed during this mission, but the Malaysian APCs (Armored Personnel Carriers) were. It was true that these carriers were used to transport Task Force Ranger troops to the soccer stadium. It is also true that these same APCs could not hold all the Task Force Ranger troops and they were forced to follow the convoy on foot. Reluctant to expose themselves to enemy fire, the APCs sped off on some of the soldiers leaving them to run on their own towards the stadium. Finally, the last mission "Aidid Takedown", is questionable. Mohammed Farah Aidid did die in 1996. The media reported that he had died during inter-clan fighting so the truth in this mission detailing a single Delta Force operative assassinates Aidid is doubtful.