BlackSite: Area 51 - hands-on

Beyond the bizarre enemies, however, BlackSite: Area 51 is trying to be as frighteningly realistic as possible. You play an experienced soldier called upon to protect the small town of Rachel, Nevada, which just happens to play host to Air Force Flight Test Center, Detachment 3. Commonly referred to as Area 51. But despite its claim to infamy, the Rachel depicted in the game looks like it could be any suburban city in America.

We killed something that looked half canine, half Venus fly trap right next to an old-fashioned water tower. We were narrowly missed by a plummeting meteor right outside a neighborhood pizza joint. We started our demo standing next to a soda vending machine and ended it in the parking lot of a strip mall. These settings may not sound exotic, but that's the whole point. They're completely pedestrian, bringing the sci-fi horror experience unfolding there a bit closer to home for the player.