Nathan Spencer's next-gen adventure is fun but hindered by a series of annoying flaws that will get on everyone's nerves
Unfortunately most of these weapons pack little or no punch, particularly the puny pistol which seems to take out most enemies with a few shots earlier in the game. In Bionic Commando you play as Nathan Spencer, a soldier who was imprisoned for 10 years after the events of the first game. He is soon called out again when a bio-terrorism company sets off a huge bomb in ascension city. The story sounds appealing at first but you'll find that it tries to be MGS4 and Spencer is one of the most annoying characters in a shooter to data. Bionic Commando takes about 10 hours to complete which isn't very long considering that there is no coop option whatsoever. But Bionic Commando does have online multiplayer which adds some longevity but with only three modes on ten maps it won't entertain for long and the mode is plagued with the same worthless weapons from the single player.
Good thing that Grin kept on their promise of letting owners unlock extras from the 2D but superior Bionic Commando Rearmed. These include a different head and a replacement pistol which is stronger but fails to hold up against tougher enemies later in the game. Speaking of this the game can be incredibly frustrating sometimes. There are some checkpoints but there aren't enough and if you die you need to collect the symbols all over again (Next Sentence) Many enemies are constantly blasting you and when you,re moving it can be hard to aim your bionic arm and the over the shoulder view for guns is practically useless as there is no zoom in option. Throughout the game you'll be collecting eight-bit symbols from the original but these are often hard to reach and you'll find yourself moving into the games most fatal flaws as you swing around trying to get them. Radioactive areas and water, both kill you almost instantly and this is Grins laughable way of hemming you in.
When you,re swinging around you'll often wish you could explore the ruins of Ascension city but water and radioactive areas keep you from doing so. Bionic Commandos graphics are acceptable for a console game. Spencer animates well and some environments are breathtaking to swing through and are very large in terms of scale. The music is solid and clocks in at the right moments but it can get quite repetitive. However when you start playing you'll realize that there are far too many load screens. They aren't long but they,re completely pointless and make you wonder what developer Grin was thinking.
Also in the game some set piece moments occur like a boss fight with a giant worm and a battle in the sky with many flying machines. These are very fun are put the arm to good use but these don't come enough and can't sustain the game's flow. If you can look past all the flaws you will find a decent and fun game. But in a console generation bursting with great and innovative games the commando is this remake is a big disappointment for many who expected a solid action game.