Bionic Commando: Rearmed by developer and publisher Capcom—PC review written by Hamza.
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
Grin's 2008 HD remake of the 1987 seminal classic, Bionic Commando, is one of those case studies on how to translate an old property to a contemporary audience.
In Bionic Commando, you play the role of the titular hero named Spencer. Your primary task is to rescue Super Joe, who has been taken hostage by who can be said as one of the most memorable villains ever to grace video games; Generalissimo Kilt. Playing pretty much similarly to its side-scrolling, action contemporaries, Bionic Commando was unique in this fact that the Spencer could not jump. Instead our hero is given a rather cool method for traversing around: grappling hook.
Considered the first video game to implement the grappling hook, you can use this device to swing off ledges, lamps, platform edges, and just about any surface you can hook it to. The hook (or claw as it is sometimes mentioned) can also double as a weapon. You can reel-in enemies and throw them at each other; or you can reel-in barrels and other hard-to-reach items and use them as either defensive shields or projectiles.
This ability is at its most effective during boss battles. Your weapons, both primary and secondary, have infinite ammo, meaning you never have to worry about strategy and all that nonsense. Love the rocket launcher a little too much? Why not use it for the entire level, and then when the boss appears, tear him a new one? Fancy the machine-gun more? No problems, it's yours for the keeping!
The visual style of Rearmed is simply gorgeous. A perfect marriage between 2D and 3D - with 2D being the backdrops and the 3D characters - Rearmed is simply eye-candy from start to finish. Some of the scenery requires more than mere minutes of observation, and don't be too surprised if you catch yourself gaping at a particularly impressive art longer than you usually would. A further extension for reason one is also the animations; smooth, crisp and a delight to watch. While you're falling from great heights, your character starts to yield his bionic arm in relation to the decreasing altitude. This subtle effect, coupled with the landing animation, will make you want to fall off high places more - as weird as that sounds.
Then we come to the co-operative gameplay. This should go unelaborated but what the hell, I might just as well. Up to two players in campaign mode - and four in competitive deathmatch and similar matches - the carnage is best experienced like this. Player two gets to control Super Joe, who is basically Luigi to the titular hero's Mario. The thrill of taking down the enemies with your best buddy is beyond 11; the co-operation required to take down a boss simultaneously imminently leads to victory shouts and smug happiness should the other die in the process. You will notice that in co-operation mode, you and your buddy will gradually focus all your energy from killing soldiers to being the first commando to find the elusive "extra life" icon or secret areas; and believe me, it is in this distraction that the fun will really begins.
The only mildly frustrating thing about two-player mode is the responsive nature of the screen. Should either of you get too far from each other, the screen splits in two; sometimes horizontal, sometimes vertical, depending on the plane you're in. Though it's not a major deal, a great many cheap deaths have occurred due to its unfortunate timing to split the screen. Also, many areas will require the both of you to stay together if you're to stay alive because once the screen's split, you won't be able to see more than a few feet ahead of you.
Notwithstanding certain flaws, like untimely glitches and minor - but game ruining - bugs where your character would get stuck half-way in a wall, Bionic Commando Rearmed is a quintessential modern co-operative game. The single-player campaign is fun, but with a friend the fun doubles, triples even. You may not know now, but Rearmed will be the source of your fondest, epic gaming memories a few years later down the line. I highly recommend it.
Score: 9 / 10
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