Review: Bionic Commando (360, PS3)

Nathan “Rad” Spencer, star of the 1988 Nintendo game, returns to action in Bionic Commando for the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360.

Spencer was the hero in the 8-bit game but had subsequently been persecuted after public opinion turned against him and the rest of the bionically-enhanced humans. In his case, Spencer was imprisoned and sentenced to die on ginned-up war crimes.

But trouble hits Ascension City when some of the exiled bionics – the BioReign – invade. Spencer is freed from prison and assigned the mission of investigating, defeating the invaders and retrieving a mysterious weapon.

To aid in his mission, he is given back his mechanical arm that allows him to grab and swing from almost any surface. The arm is also useful in attacking foes big and small.

Initially only equipped with a pistol and his grappling arm, Spencer receives new weaponry through Insertion Pods sent from his commander. These pods deliver machine guns, grenade launchers and rocket launchers at appropriate times in the fight.

Grappling and swinging are an integral part of the game, which is a problem since it’s also a skill that’s difficult to master. When swinging from point to point, the game is inconsistent as to when you can successfully attach to a surface and when you can’t.

This results in many deaths and restarts when trying to traverse areas with nothing but water under you, since Spencer sinks like a stone and drowns due to his heavy arm. In fact, here’s a quick game playing tip: when you start to drown – and you will – just reload your game from the main menu rather than wait and watch the drowning. It’s quicker that way.

On the other hand, when the mechanic works, it’s works very well. Swinging through the bombed-out landscape like a latter-day Tarzan is fun and addictive.

The opposition that Spencer has to contend with are made up of a lot of foot soldiers of varying skill and armament; biomechs, both on the ground and in the air; and heavily-armed enemy aircraft.

Defeating larger groups of foes can be made easier employing some of Spencer’s specialized attacks, especially the accurately named “death from above.”

Jumping from a significant height and tapping the Y button, Spencer hits the ground with enough force to kill or injure several opponenets at once.

He can also grab them with his bionic arm and pull them to him or leap into the air and deliver a quick incapacitating blow.

Bionic Commando also sports a multiplayer mode, with three gametypes – deathmatch, team deathmatch and capture the flag – fairly routine offerings with up to 8 players online. The thing that distinguishes it from other games is the verticality of the gameplay.

Online play involves a much more vertical strategy, with players striving for the high ground as much as getting better weapons and flanking opponents.

Bionic Commando is not without its flaws. The single-player campaign is short and the swinging controls can be wonky, but it presents a fun campaign – while it lasts – and looks great while doing it.

It starts a bit on the slow side, but gathers speed as it races to the final showdown. It brings dramatic tension to the forefront while also supplying a slam-bang final act.

Platform: Playstation 3, Xbox 360 Rating: Mature Manufacturer: Capcom Score: 8.5 grappling chilies