- Bionic Commando brings the original 8-bit game into an era of high definition graphics
- Explore the beautiful, free-roaming 3D world of Ascension City
- Bionic arm allows players to swing, grapple, and attack enemies
- Multiplayer options allow up to 10 simultaneous players
- Nathan Spencer voiced by Mike Patton
Product Description
Brand new and Sealed XBOX 360 Game. Backed by a 45-day guarantee.Amazon.com Product Description
Bionic Commando is back, now on the Xbox 360, 20 years after the NES classic was initially released. And returning... More >>
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I had been anticipating this release for quite some time. I saw a gameplay trailer for it almost two years ago and had been waiting anxiously for it ever since. I’m not disappointed, but some gamers might be.
There’s a lot of ground to cover, so I’ll try to be succinct.
Unfortunately, if you’re not into this game for the nostalgia factor then you’re probably going to grow tired of it somewhat quickly after you complete the story mode once or twice. The multiplayer may grab your fancy and keep you coming back, but if you’re a CoD or GoW or Halo (later referred to as “The Big 3″ in this same review) online player than likely you will find yourself putting your “drug of choice” back in when you need an MP fix.
If you played the original Bionic Commando for the Nintendo Entertainment System this game will have lots of retro flare for you (the Title screen music is the original title music from the NES game redone on piano) and many references to the 1988 game. For those of you who never played it, you’re still in for a fun 3rd Person action/adventure/shooter.
I myself am the type to flip through the game manual for a few minutes before I take the game itself for a spin. And at first glance I have to admit I thought the controls would be rather complicated, but I was wrong. Most actions in the game are simple and can be completed with one or two button presses. Use of the Grappling arm (that pretty much IS Bionic Commando) is extremely simple, and fun as well. Some swinging tricks take a little getting used to, but anyone who’s played a Spider Man game on 360 will likely have no trouble at all adapting. But fear not if you haven’t, it still really simple to get the hang of.
The game looks impressive. The colors are vivid, the shading is nice, and water and shadow effects are pulled off nicely. Sometimes it looks a bit fuzzy, but I blame that on my TV. The levels/areas themselves, unfortunately, feel somewhat restrictive, and life-threatening radiation often prevents you from swinging to an enticing perch.
When it comes to achievements, Bionic Commando is probably a pretty easy completion (1000/1000 GS) for most avid gamers. The achievements are based around the game’s Challenges, which require you to perform certain actions throughout the game and reward you with weapon and armor upgrades. Most challenges are relatively simple, but progress in difficulty throughout the game.
The weapons in the game are diverse and fun to use. Enemies die with satisfying replicated agony, and Spencer (your character) makes many little wise-cracks and quips throughout the game. Sure, it’s nothing original in that respect but always amusing when done well. I think it was done well in this case.
Unfortunately, the game doesn’t really offer much in the way of replay value. There are 3 difficulty levels, and many collectibles stashed throughout the games areas. There are achievements in the game centered around finding all of the collectibles and completing all of the challenges, but you must find/complete them all in one play-through to unlock the completion achievement. That is really the only replay value I see in the game for those just looking for something new to play.
The multiplayer is nothing new or innovative when it comes to game-type selection. Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, and Capture the Flag are available. But, if you’re looking for something a little different than the aforementioned “Big 3″ than this might grab your attention for a while. The grappling hook can make battles very interesting.
So, if you really liked the original 1988 NES release of Bionic Commando, you’re going to like this game as a matter of principle alone when it comes to content and story. The gameplay mechanics and vivid scenery will keep you playing. There’s even and old friend or two who pop up to say Hi.
If you never even knew there was a 1988 NES Bionic Commando until you read this review, you still may enjoy this game if you like 3rd person action/adventure/shooter games with a few unique mechanics and quippy dialog.
Rating: 4 / 5
The mechanics of the game are basically fun: Swinging from building to building is pretty awesome when you get it right, and the beat-em-up battles allow you to make quite a bit of creative use of that gigantic robot arm.
But the game is marred by a lot of flaws: Control can be awkward. It seems _almost_ like an open-world game until you realize the levels are basically narrow linear corridors lined with deadly radiation. The main character can’t swim, which makes sense, but missing a jump and drowning in an oversized puddle really breaks the feeling of being a nigh-invincible super-soldier.
The storytelling is surprisingly good, though, implausible final plot twists aside.
Anyways, I don’t regret having played this one, but I do regret having bought it new. Rent or buy used if you feel like it.
Rating: 3 / 5
This game seems very unfinished. They have one thing right: the grappling hook. Its very fun to swing around like spiderman and grab on to everything and fly in the air and all that good stuff. Too bad the game fails miserably at everything else. From the dreadlocked bratty-mouthed cyberdouche main character to the horrid gun system to the boring enemies this game is just plain old NOT FUN.
The world is set up strangely. You have these big open cityscapes to explore, and the exploration would be 10 times funner if not for the random stupid radiation clouds which kill you pretty quickly and the ridiculous water pools which you cannot escape. Why even bother putting an oxygen meter in the game when you can’t get out of the water anyway? You fall in water = you die. I think I only grappled myself out once. So half the game is outside in the city, but the other half is inside buildings. This is achieved with the most boring repetitive design ever. Big square hallways and big square staircases that all look identical.
I don’t understand why they even put an “aim” function for the guns because all it does is take your field of view from “super wide” to “pretty wide”. It serves no purpose, especially when you are swinging around on a grappling hook most of the time anyway. No way you can aim and shoot. The only success I had with any guns was to grapple an enemy first and shoot down the line.
Rating: 2 / 5
It was a well put together game, I couldn’t put it down. The story line about spencer’s wife was a little far fetched. And I had expected more in the ending then there was. The bionic swing was probably my favorite thing in the game. My fav weapon, throwing stuff at my targets. The thing I would change would be the story line about the wife. (My wife is still confused about it). Look forward to a second one (Hint hint)
Rating: 4 / 5
To start out, I am not someone who grew up on the original Bionic Commando. Up until recently, i hadn’t even played the original. Now that we know I don’t have some fanboy grudge or anything like that, lemme go on. This game is merely ok. The “gimmick” of the game, the bionic arm and swinging physics, is what breaks this game. Swinging is fun at first, but it lacks a fluidity (for lack of a better word). Swinging and shooting anything but the overpowered shotgun? Don’t even dream about it. Online is kinda fun. The story is really well done, although people who don’t know anything about the original would do well to look it up the story of it on Wikipedia or play through the remake on XB Live or the Playstation Store. To sum up my rantings, a decent game that is hurt by the gimmick that made the original such a classic.
Rating: 3 / 5