A thrilling, brutally difficult gameplay experience reserved only for the most dedicated of gamers.
As either Bahamut or Krystal (or two other DLC characters), the goal of the game is to put the brakes on the Commonwealth Empire and its army of peculiarly-dressed, gun-toting thugs. Supposedly, Hard Corps is part of the Contra timeline---taking place long before the events of Contra Hard Corps released on the Sega Genesis a decade or so ago. (Bahamut is a reference to that game's stock villain, and Krystal bears a striking resemblance to Sheena Estranzi without the eyepatch.) Between you and victory stands a veritable army of bad guys, screen-drowning bullets and a outrageously cheap difficulty curve that will send you into spiraling fits of profanity and thrown controllers. Yeah.....Uprising is THAT tough. Even if you burn level patterns in your collective memory to the point of permanent branding, the game itself will find a way to marginalize your mistakes and use them against you. Don't think for a second that it gets easier. In fact, it's the exact opposite---Hard Corps will measure its sadistic tendencies towards throwing as much at the player as humanly possible by steadily increasing the rate of difficulty through each of the game's eight stages; seemingly hellbent on stopping you from beating the game to its foregone conclusion. That said, only the truly dedicated masochists need apply to the harrowing challenges found therein---which, unfortunately, also makes the game a tough sell for casual gamers.
There are two main gameplay modes to take part in. Arcade mode is a barebones, no-frills roundabout that will instantly remind you of the good old days of Contra; complete with pre-determined number of lives, credits and life bar. (And no, the Konami code will NOT work here. Too bad.) Earning a certain achievement will prove more tougher than it seems considering the cruelty of the game's stages, even if you know the levels like the back of your hand. Rising Mode makes some attempt to even the odds with the inclusion of a shop mode where you can purchase individual upgrades for your characters using Corp Points (earned through gameplay). These items include an increased life bar, new physical abilities like faster dash speed, and more lives to lose (err, I mean…. use). Bear in mind---even though Hard Corps Uprising gives you a health bar for added survivability, you will still lose the weapon you have on hand when you're injured by a bullet or an enemy collision, and falling into a bottomless chasm will pretty much kill you instantly no matter how much life you've got. A friend can play with you through local or online means so you can partake in all the punishment together, and there are leaderboards to prove your scoring skills (or lack thereof) to the world.
Fortunately, you're given the option of switching between two weapons at any given time, and there is a decent arsenal of them to be found throughout; such as the Spread, Machine Gun, Plasma Shot and Laser. Each weapon can be upgraded up to three times, similar to the system found in Super Contra and Contra IV for the DS, for maximum firepower…..that is, if you can keep from getting shot long enough to make full use of it. Bahamut and Krystal can employ dashing and double-jumping to quickly outmaneuver their enemies and, as mentioned earlier, several physical abilities will give the player a much-needed edge during heated situations---such as the ability to dodge and reflect bullets on contact. It pays to use them wisely when it counts the most.
The visual style of Uprising combines anime-style drawings with crisp, 3D backgrounds, giving the game a unique, distinct look. Those who have played BlazBlue and Guilty Gear will instantly recognize the character designs straightaway---not surprising since the development team just so happens to be Arc System Works, so most of it is pretty evident. Although at times it might be hard to see this as a Contra spin-off given the bizarre enemies you'll come in contact with, the action is truly representative of its source material as a whole----explosions and all. The music is rife with edgy heavy metal riffs and snippets of familiar Contra tunes; a nice little throwback to its inspiration.
It's only fair to say that Hard Corps Uprising isn't for everyone. The game will kick your butt in more ways than you'd probably imagine. And understandably so --- seeing how Contra games are built around the idea of sheer masochism and devious gaming cruelty. If you revel in this kind of punishment, you'll find a wealth of relentless, gut-busting action that only a game like this can deliver. And after everything's been said and done, Hard Corps Uprising is best reserved for truly hardcore, overly dedicated gamers.