Bionic Commando Review (PS3, Xbox 360) By Sayed Islam Published: 06/16/09 PrintEmail
Coming off of the heels of the successful Bionic Commando Rearmed, Bionic Commando is Capcom’s first foray into a three dimensional adaptation of this franchise. The storyline transpires approximately one decade after the events of the original Bionic Commando on the Nintendo, and the protagonist is Nathan Spencer. Spencer is a skillful operative, and he is working for a faction known as the Tactical Arms and Security Committee. Regrettably, Spencer was deceived by his very own government and incarcerated under false pretenses. Fortunately for Spencer, he was released from prison because BioReign unleashed an overpowering weapon. As a result, many innocent civilians were caught in the midst of the blast radius and were butchered instantaneously. With another plausible terrorist threat looming, the only option was to give Spencer a second chance and demystify the root of the hostility. The narrative is inane, and it is arduous to distinguish any poignant parts.
In terms of the gameplay, there is one straightforward passageway throughout the duration of the game. Along the way, Spencer will encounter various adversaries that range from rudimentary troops to elaborate mechanical robots. The majority of the gameplay goes back and forth between platform jumping or swinging and combat. At the bottom right corner of the screen, there is a miniature map that accentuates your waypoints and your location. Likewise, the bottom left corner of the screen shows the weapon and ammunition. The combat boils down to utilizing weapons and the bionic arm. His right arm is used for shooting with firearms, and his left arm is for his bionic arm. It can take some time to get acclimated to the controls (especially the swinging in particular). Nevertheless, there is definitely a feeling of swinging that would be analogous to Spider-Man. Blue icons will represent where Spencer can latch on to hurl his bionic arm. Moreover, the bionic arm can be used as a weapon. Gamers can pick up objects and toss them at enemies from afar. On the trivial foes, he can lift them and throw them at other opponents. Without a doubt, his bionic arm is significantly better than conservative weaponry. Speaking of the armaments, they are not too different from what we have seen in other third person shooters: hand guns, grenade launchers, sniper rifles, machine guns, shotguns, and even a rocket launcher. The rocket launcher has an automatic targeting schematic that helps you aim and hit your targets. This lock on feature is extraordinarily pivotal during an aircraft boss battle because the boss will unload chaff. Because the chaff misguides your rocket shots, you have to be locked on to your target. Albeit there is single player experience, the multiplayer mode is the real enjoyable aspect of Bionic Commando. Standard matches like deathmatch and capture the flag are playable. Furthermore, the bionic arm can still be used to swing across obstacles and transverse the environments. There is such a gigantic emphasis on soaring through the air, and it is the epic chase sequences that separate the single player from the multiplayer. There are some items that can be retrieved, and these items unlock artwork which can be viewed later on.
Graphically, the visuals are not abysmal but far from immaculate. The flora is flavorful, and the buildings did capture the essence of a derelict setting. It is somewhat like looking at a woman who you think is attractive from long range. But when you in close proximately with that woman, you recognize that she was average all along.
The audio is adequate across the board. Voice acting is excellent at some moments and downright pathetic at other parts. Sound effects are decent but nothing overwhelmingly grandiose. Music usually swaps between ambitious and lackluster.
Overall, Bionic Commando does not revolutionize the platform jumping genre. Nonetheless, there are a fair amount of intriguing sections if you have the patience to overlook the monotony.
Art direction 7 Graphically, the visuals are not abysmal but far from immaculate. The flora is flavorful, and the buildings did capture the essence of a derelict setting. It is somewhat like looking at a woman who you think is attractive from long range. But when you in close proximately with that woman, you recognize that she was average all along. Audio 7 The audio is adequate across the board. Voice acting is excellent at some moments and downright pathetic at other parts. Sound effects are decent but nothing overwhelmingly grandiose. Music usually swaps between ambitious and lackluster. Gameplay 7 There is one straightforward passageway throughout the duration of the game. Bionic Commando does not revolutionize the platform jumping genre. Nonetheless, there are a fair amount of intriguing sections if you have the patience to overlook the monotony. Presentation 6 The narrative is inane, and it is arduous to distinguish any poignant parts. Replay value 8 Albeit there is single player experience, the multiplayer mode is the real enjoyable aspect of Bionic Commando. There are some items that can be retrieved, and these items unlock artwork which can be viewed later on.
Coming off of the heels of the successful Bionic Commando Rearmed, Bionic Commando is Capcom’s first foray into a three dimensional adaptation of this franchise. The storyline transpires approximately one decade after the events of the original Bionic Commando on the Nintendo, and the protagonist is Nathan Spencer. Spencer is a skillful operative, and he is working for a faction known as the Tactical Arms and Security Committee. Regrettably, Spencer was deceived by his very own government and incarcerated under false pretenses. Fortunately for Spencer, he was released from prison because BioReign unleashed an overpowering weapon. As a result, many innocent civilians were caught in the midst of the blast radius and were butchered instantaneously. With another plausible terrorist threat looming, the only option was to give Spencer a second chance and demystify the root of the hostility. The narrative is inane, and it is arduous to distinguish any poignant parts. 
