There are many hidden gems or at the very least, some video games that may have flown under the radar for many gamers. Perhaps one such game is 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand.
Released in 2009, developed by the now defunct Swordfish Studios and published by THQ, 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand stars rapper 50 Cent as is the sequel to 2005’s 50 Cent: Bulletproof. For a while now, fans have been calling for the sequel to be remade, though that’s not likely to ever happen anytime soon.
Check out the 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand trailer below!
When it was released, it’s fair to say that 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand wasn't met with much critical acclaim, garnering a moderately average score of 71 from critics and 6.1 from users on Metacritic. However, that’s not the be-all and end-all of a game's success, especially when it comes to the paying customer. Even if a game isn't the most technically gifted, it can have a certain charm to become somewhat of a cult classic and that’s perhaps the category in which 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand falls into.
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50 Cent: Blood on the Sand is an easy pick-up-and-play action title with pretty much a basic requirement to shoot everything that moves and blow things up. It’s the equivalent of a ‘switch-your-brain off’ popcorn movie if you will. Oh, and it even stars Eminem as a corrupt cop, so there you go.
What’s more, one of the best features of the Xbox Series X|S (and Xbox One), is its backwards compatibility and in some cases, not only does it boost the game with flush 4K visuals, but it may even provide a 60fps boost. Sadly 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand is a game that only benefits from a resolution boost, but that singular boost still gives it a distinct advantage over the Xbox 360 and PS3. Yet, despite looking at the clip below, it seems to perform at a very steady framerate.
“Genuinely one of the most fun co-op experiences I've ever had, 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand,” exclaimed Redditor p4ul1023 kicking off the discussion on the thread. “It’s just pure, mindless fun. Being able to play this on the Series X is just amazing.”
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“Haha, such a ridiculous game. I'm happy to see this has an appreciation in 2023. I don't remember anyone liking this when it came out,” replied Dirtydubya. “A classic. A pricey classic nowadays but I love this game,” said RealEatMeImaDanish.
Sadly, 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand has long been delisted from the digital Xbox Marketplace, possibly due to music licence issues. As a result, you can only purchase physical copies from third-party sellers.
I’ve just checked the US eBay website and copies are selling between $50 to $100. In the UK, the prices are far more reasonable ranging from £20 to £30, and can also be purchased from retailers such as CeX. Regardless, if you manage to acquire a copy of this beloved game, at least you know that it's still backwards compatible with modern Xbox consoles.
Featured Image Credit: THQTopics: Xbox, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X