Bionic Commando Review
Posted on 27. May, 2009 by tawnos in Game Reviews
In 1987 Capcom released for the arcades a new gamers’ hero who was sent to infiltrate the enemy base armed with just his bionic arm and a pistol. The Bionic Commando earned action classic status due to its exciting gameplay. Fans all say that the challenging level of difficulty made the game fun to play. For many playing and completing the game was a real accomplishment which has made them look forward to the next chapter with Rad Spencer. A remake of the original, the “Bionic Commando Rearmed” won critical acclaim last year. Its true sequel, the “Bionic Commando”, however was done by GRIN almost a year later. Although there is some confusion as to the naming and the systems used in each game, for its many action fans the latest Bionic Commando is a great addition to the series.
The game’s setting is 10 years after the original, where Nathan “Rad” Spencer’s autonetic augmentations are once again taken up. The times are not so good for Spencer as he faces antagonism as he was blamed for an incident which sparked hatred for people who underwent bionic enhancements. This results to him being thrown in prison with a death sentence hanging over his head as well as being technologically unstrapped. But a streak of good luck causes him to be released and reinstated. The terrorist group, Bio-Reign sets off a nuclear weapon that devastated Ascension City and wiped out a major part of its population.Spencer’s CO, Super Jo, was once again in command and he commissions Spencer to uncover the reason for the attack.
For the most part, the story keeps moving at a reasonable pace. Although not a totally edge-of-the-seat bustle, the viewers’ attention is still well-kept. Some new characters were introduced and this helped connect it to the original game. Some scenes were rather flimsy and some were genuinely badass moves but all in all it still is a fun game with its many twists and the integration of other settings which may well be introductions for sequels in the future.
Ostensibly the Bionic Commando’s game play is centered on Rad’s bionic arm, which has set it apart from the other games in the era. There is an interesting twist however as you strive to maneuver moves minus the bionic gear which gets separated from Rad for a few minutes until you manage to secure it from an errant drop made by your forces. Having been separated from it for quite some time Spencer needs to adjust to it as his body slowly remembers what feats the bionic arm can do. It’s grappling reticule makes possible swings and vertical leaps. The arm turns blue when it attaches to a surface and a momentum indicator signals the best time to propel yourself.
You may take a considerable time getting the hang of it but once you do, there’s no limit to the stunts you can perform with great speed and agility. Don’t overdo it though, a missed leap will cause you to land in an irradiated area or in deep waters which will take you back to a distant checkpoint minus the equipment and items you have picked up on your just finished journey. Avoiding this hazard entails familiarity with the skills you have acquired in the game’s older NES version.
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