If you just need to shoot something, look no further.
Black's primary strong suit is its presentation. The graphics and sound are spectacular, especially in regards to the guns and the explosions. As a result, an immersive environment is created; the vibrations of the controller and sounds of bullets whizzing past your head create an impressive sense of danger that makes you want to find cover as quickly as possible. While it's nowhere near as adrenaline pumping as a game like Call of Duty 2, namely due to the lacking realism of the fighting itself, it's still a definite rush. However, one thing this game does that most others do not is create a destructible environment, though there are limitations. You can't blow holes in everything; there are always set objects that can be shot off, shot through, shot up or blown up. Sadly, it's pretty obvious what things are. There are way too many fuel tanks in places that don't seem like they'd need fuel tanks.
There is one major flaw in the fighting that even I couldn't overlook, and I wasn't looking for 100% realistic with this game: the hit detection. Simply put, these terrorists are almost comically hard to take down, and not in a way that makes the game more of a justifiable challenge. Even more slmply put: it's terrible. One universal truth is that if a person is hit in the head with a bullet, he or she is certain to fall down, or at least get dumber. Criterion doesn't agree with the universe, apparently, because these suckers require anywhere between 2 and 5 headshots to take down. this means that if you try to make a stealth kill, you'll have to fire off a few well-aimed rounds as quickly as possible, taking into account any weapon recoil and any nearby enemies that will start shooting you after you get your first shot off. This detracts from the satisfaction of the shooting, as accuracy - the most rewarding part of shooting - is pretty much irrelevant.
This isn't to say the firefights are unsatisfying, however; there is lots to do, and almost no time to stand still. Figuring out how to navigate territory without getting detected or getting shot to death can be quite a difficult feat, and while this game is an overt action game, a covert state of mind is often very helpful when faced with a large number of enemies. The whole "blasting your way through enemies" concept is a bit too reckless in this case, as the enemy would most likely blast through you first.
Since Black is more reminiscent of early first-person shooters, the mission objectives - both primary and secondary - aren't anything to write home about. They usually involve reaching a certain destination, finding a piece of evidence (usually on a wall or table), or destroying evidence. They aren't very rewarding, nor is the game's story itself, but they're basically ways of moving the action along. This is an extremely obvious point, due to the fact that there really isn't much plot going on during the actual missions. Instead, you just get radio chatter from your teammate(s) or yourself, which indicates your next objective or simply adds another element to the fighting. What you actually need to accomplish in Black isn't the most gratifying part of the game, but since it isn't the most important part of this particular game, it doesn't ruin the experience.
All in all , Black does what it attempts to do quite well, while being flawed enough to keep it from being a truly outstanding shooter. If you're a fan of the essence of first-person shooters, i.e. shooting, then this is a title that is worth your time, as it's a game you'll probably come back to. However, if you require more than the run-and-gun style of the games that initially defined the genre, you'll most likely get bored after the first few levels.