Black Final Hands-On  We check out a near-final version of
Criterion's much-anticipated shooter for the PS2 and the Xbox.
Over the years, there have been games that have made splashy
debuts, but after repeated viewing, their luster seems to fade.
Criterion's Black seemed, in many ways, to be a prime candidate
for such a fate. After seeing an eye-popping demo at E3,
followed by flashy glimpses in the ensuing months, we had a
positive impression of the title, which promised first-person
gun-based insanity on the PlayStation 2 and the Xbox. However,
could such a thing be achieved outside of slickly produced
trailers and short movie clips? Or, even more importantly, how
on earth could such an experience be sustained while keeping the
meatiness of the game intact? These and other questions loomed
in our minds as we played through a near-final version of the
game.  If it looks like something you should be able to destroy,
there's a good chance that you can.  The integration of Black's
story into the game experienc