At the end of 2002, the Delta Force franchise will be returning, and this time it will be taking players to Somalia in 1993.  Appropriately titled "Black Hawk Down", the game will give you the chance to take part in the Operation Restore Hope and Task Force Ranger campaigns and battle the oppressive warlords surrounding the city of Mogadishu at that time.

“In Operation Restore Hope the men of Task Force Ranger fought a fierce battle in what is now recognized as the war on terrorism,” said Lee Milligan, President of NovaLogic. “In Delta Force – Black Hawk Down, gamers will step into the shoes of US Special Operations Forces tackling some of their most dangerous missions,” he added. “We dedicate this game to the men who were there, to Delta Force, Rangers, Navy SEALs and the 160th SOAR.”

You'll take part in these missions as a member of the US Army Rangers and, of course, the elite Delta Force.  As in the prior Delta Force games, you'll experience these missions from a first-person perspective, and have a variety of authentic, real-world weapons at your disposal.  You'll also have the ability to man vehicles, as a passenger, the driver, and a gunner.

Black Hawk Down was on display at E3 in Los Angeles, and we were able to get a close look at one of the game's missions in action.  The mission opened with a helicopter insertion into a Somalian town - not with the player on the ground after being airlifted in, but with the complete low-level flight over the arid landscape and the landing in an open square in the town.  The entire insertion operation takes place from the first-person perspective, making you feel more a part of a complete mission than you could if you merely watch an opening cinematic introducing the mission.  Also of note is that by 'town' I don't mean the typical cluster of eight or so buildings found in most games.  The town in this mission was over 1 km², and the player is free to explore its streets and alleys.

The game is being built on NovaLogic's latest graphics engine and it can produce some impressive effects.  During the chopper ride portion of the mission seen at E3, a distorted view of the passing landscape could be seen through the scope on the player's weapon while it was held by his side.  Sure it is really just a small touch of "eye candy", but it is these small touches that add up to make a more immersive experience for the gamer.  The game's environments and characters were looking quite good at E3 as well, so gamers can expect a very nice looking game once it is completed.

While it was a little hard to tell at E3, NovaLogic has stated that it is putting a lot of work into the game's AI.  Computer-controlled enemies will have the ability to track the player, so don't expect your foes to exhibit the ostrich-like mentally of "if I can't see you, you're not there" common to many action games.  Should you prefer the ultimate test of facing human adversaries, Black Hawk Down will be shipping with full multiplayer support as well.

Although still half a year away from release, Black Hawk Down was looking really good at E3.  Fans of tactical first-person shooters will want to follow the development of this game closely, and we'll bring you more details on the game as they become available.