International crisis looms...command a team of elite soldiers and lead strikes in the jungles of Columbia and the deserts of Iran. Featuring an enhanced version of the Delta Force: Black Hawk Down game engine, battle across 5 new terrains and 30 multiplayer game types.
As the US army’s elite special operations soldiers you are the most potent ‘smart weapon’ known to man. You are the ‘tip of the spear’ for covert operations around the world - you are the first line of attack. Nothing stands in your way.
From the war torn streets of Somalia you have been re-deployed to take out targets in Colombia and Iran. As the US military’s preemptive strike force you must work with your team to get the job done.

No developer creates the feeling that you're part of a bona fide Special Forces operation better than NovaLogic. From the briefing to the exfiltration, playing Black Hawk Down is an intense, visceral experience. Team Sabre expands on the original with three new vehicles and weapons, as well as 11 original missions set in Columbia and Iran.
The BHD engine, though a little old, has had every last drop of flavor squeezed out by the level designers – each setting does an excellent job of recreating the ambience of a real-world location. In addition, the missions showcase quite a bit of variety. Whether it's a quasi-track shooting sequence where you're manning a .50-cal while trying to break into a fortified compound, clearing out a bunker with a shotgun, or taking out anti-aircraft guns before your choppers get into range, Team Sabre never falls into a rut.
Though three additional firearms and vehicles isn't a whole ton, there was certainly no shortage of either in the original BHD. Playing as a British SAS commando, new in Team Sabre, is definitely cool – there's nothing like listening to your squadmates complain about Yanks and their myriad failings. And, of course, the new weapons, skins, maps, and everything else just add to the fun of multiplayer.
That's one thing BHD has head and shoulders above the competition – multiplayer support. NovaLogic's Internet service, NovaWorld, does everything from tracking tons of player stats to hosting servers for players around the globe to battle it out. I can't stress enough how much I appreciate being freed from the minimal functionality of GameSpy. And who doesn't enjoy seeing just how elite their skills are?
Team Sabre does suffer from the technical limitations of the BHD engine, however. Draw distance could be better, squad command is very average, and many of the textures can only be described as unfortunate. The biggest problem, though, is the ridiculously small cone of fire for each and every weapon in the game. Also, there's no waver when using a sniper scope, making camping a bit too effective. Enemy AI doesn't react very well to player action, either – most of the time it seems to be stuck on either "suicidal assault" or "completely oblivious."
Anyone who doesn't already have BHD has been missing out on one of the best FPSs of recent times, and Team Sabre is just icing on the cake. It may not be the most revolutionary expansion pack in the world, but it integrates seamlessly into BHD, and is more than worth its $20 price point for any FPS fan.

Concept:
Prove that you don't need a Tom Clancy license to make a good Special Forces FPS

Graphics:
Somewhat dated technically, but the environments are varied and cohesively designed

Sound:
Sub-par firearm effects, but incredible music

Playability:
As good as it gets. Being able to roll while prone is nice, and there's no better lean function to be found

Entertainment:
Black Hawk Down continues to be one of the better FPSs around, and you can't go wrong by putting Team Sabre on top of it

Replay:
High

Rated: 8 out of 10
Editor: Adam Biessener
Issue: March 2004

2nd Opinion:
Team Sabre is a welcome addition to one of the most popular recent FPS titles. Since it is an expansion, the gameplay is essentially the same as BHD, but with some extra goodies thrown in here and there. Unfortunately, improved AI is not one of those goodies. I just don't feel like a tactical powerhouse when the smugglers I'm plowing through can't even point their guns straight, or when they inexplicably fire rockets at their own installations. There are plenty of enemies to make those mistakes, too, since generic opponents seem to generate magically offscreen, like in old 2D brawlers. I would have rather seen the endless strings of enemies replaced by fewer, more intelligent ones. Thankfully, Team Sabre has an impressive online component, so you can spend more time outwitting human opponents than fighting an AI that practically fights itself.

Rated: 7.75 out of 10
Editor: Joe Juba

-- Game Informer Review