BlackSite: Area 51

Midway Studios Austin

Industry	Video game development
Headquarters	Austin , United States
Key people	Harvey Smith (designer)
Products	BlackSite: Area 51
Owner	Midway Games
Parent	Midway Games

BlackSite: Area 51 (known simply as BlackSite in Europe and Australia) is a first-person shooter video game released on Xbox 360 and Microsoft Windows on November 12, 2007, in North America, with a subsequent PlayStation 3 launch on December 10, 2007. Developed by Midway Studios Austin and published by Midway Games, this title bears little connection to the 2005 game Area 51.

Gameplay

In BlackSite: Area 51, players engage in first-person shooter gameplay featuring a health regeneration system that enables the absorption of substantial damage. The player can equip two weapons simultaneously from a selection of six, including the primary firearm, an M4 carbine outfitted with a holographic sight for enhanced zoom targeting. Additionally, players have access to grenades and melee combat options.

A significant gameplay element involves squad tactics: the player is supported by two AI-controlled teammates who can be directed through context-sensitive commands to advance, concentrate fire, operate mounted weaponry, or deploy explosives. While squad members cannot be permanently eliminated, they can become temporarily incapacitated. The game incorporates a morale mechanic that influences squad performance—morale increases with enemy eliminations and headshots but declines when the player or teammates sustain damage.

Certain segments require operating vehicles such as civilian vans or military Humvee units across hostile environments while defending against attacks. Players may leave vehicles to gather resources or utilize mounted armaments.

Multiplayer offerings encompass Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, Capture the Flag, Siege, and Human VS. Reborn modes. The Siege and Human VS. Reborn modes emphasize control over territories and capture mechanics. Online play supports up to ten participants; however, there is no option for local multiplayer.

Plot

During the 2003 invasion of Iraq, Captain Aeran Pierce and Delta Force Echo Squad are assigned to investigate a weapons storage facility. Accompanying them is Dr. Noa Weis, a leading scientist. They confront mutated humans and creatures known as Xenos—products of an alien crystal discovered within the bunker. The crystal incapacitates Pierce, forcing a retreat that leaves Lieutenant Logan Somers behind.

Three years later, a militia occupying Area 51 releases alien beings identical to those encountered in Iraq. Echo Squad and Weis are tasked with retaking the facility, beginning their mission in Rachel where they uncover that the militia consists of cybernetically enhanced American soldiers called Reborn. Survivors disclose that Somers has risen as a Reborn commander. He reveals that the Reborn initiative aimed to replace voluntary U.S. military personnel with expendable supersoldiers forcibly recruited from marginalized populations. One Reborn led a rebellion due to severe experimentation.

At Area 51, Echo Squad discovers Weis previously led the now-defunct Reborn program and that soldiers were sealed inside the base. Somers orchestrated their breakout using an alien device connected to the Iraq crystal. After revealing his leadership role, Somers betrays Echo Squad and flees as Xenos and Reborn forces launch an assault. Echo Squad initially repels the attack but is ultimately annihilated during a subsequent offensive; Pierce is captured.

Within Area 51, Pierce learns that Xenos are generated by spores emitted from the alien device Somers uses to propagate them worldwide. With Weis’s assistance, Pierce disables the device and kills Somers. The narrative concludes with Pierce and Weis evaluating the destruction caused by the Xeno spores.

Development

The title is built on a customized version of Midway's Unreal Engine 3, which delivers lifelike visuals and effects such as raindrops rebounding off weapon surfaces. Although numerous objects within the game world can be destroyed, the majority of the surroundings remain static. The initial Xbox 360 demo was released on May 11, 2007, with a subsequent demo following the official launch. The development process lasted approximately two years.

Reception

Across all platforms, the game garnered generally mixed or average feedback as reported by the video game review aggregator Metacritic.

On November 29, 2007, Harvey Smith, who served as the game's designer, publicly acknowledged that an accelerated development timeline limited adequate testing opportunities, which played a role in the unfavorable review outcomes. He left Midway shortly after making this statement.