Black

With the release of Black less than a month away, EA has unleashed a batch of new pics of the shoot-'em-up.

The FPS, which has been developed by British studio Criterion (best known for the Burnout series), looks set to take console shooters to a new level with its hard-boiled attitude and remarkable effects.

Black is a refreshingly straightforward shooter: these new screenshots feature all the on-screen information that appears in the game, which is just ammo and health. There's no complicated squad-based manoeuvring here, it's all about blasting to survive.

Also displayed in these shots is the unique effect that's used when you choose to reload. The background becomes blurred as the gun is raised into the frame so you can witness every detail involved in the clip change. This is partly done to simulate the amount of concentration needed to reload in battle, but also emphasises that it's the guns that are the real stars of the show.

Black will be released for PS2 and Xbox on 24 February