Customer Reviews

Bionic Commando

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

My first day of playing this game yielded anger and frustration. I had a hard time attaching the wire and swinging where it didn't feel like I was just beating around, not to mention the screen gets all red when you start dying which makes it harder to see whats going on. I played the second day and was much better swinging by working the right stick better. Now I feel like I have a pretty good handle on the mechanics and have beaten it through once. All games have problems you will get tired of as does this game, but once you can control him you get a much better experience than initially. It has a learning curve without question, and now I am glad cause I appreciate it much more. Bottom line great game, entertaining, top-notch graphics. I highly recommend this game just don't expect to pick up the controller for the first time and be a pro. Stick with it and you'll get it down cold. Also the arm has plenty of beat down moves, I only use bullets to complete in game challenges so be ready to get your mechanical hand dirty. If you liked any of the BC series this one will definitely blow your hair back. (Don't let the nay sayers who can't adapt discourage you from this game)

Perhaps not. But is it better than the sum of it's main users opinions? You bet it is. The problem with "BIONIC COMMANDO" for the PS3/xbox360 is that the crowd who bought it, more than 70% of them at least, has no idea about the history of this game. For me, the game isn't perfect but a game doesn't have to be to be fun and worth while. BC makes this claim and comes through in spades 8 x's out of 10. The graphics are probably about 80% on par with what you've come to know as acceptable. Which, to say the very least, are pretty damn good. Even on par with Uncharted 2 at times, if you ask me. Well, that depends on the tv you use too. I use a top end 52in 1080P 120hz Sony Bravia tv, professionally calibrated by "IND ADUDIO/VISUAL". But BC looks pretty sharp the bulk of the game. It doesn't always hold up, though. It drops quality at times. But what game doesn't? Uncharted 2 dropped tremendous quality the last few levels of the game. This one just tends to drop its quality more often.

As for length, it's not terribly long but it isn't terribly "HEAVENLY SWORD" short, either. It's of fair length. Well worth the price of admission for new and an absolute steal at used price.

The gameplay is a mixed bag but not in a bad way. It's actually rewarding to play this game because the "Swing" mechanics of the arm actually require skill to use. And even if you become versed enough to use the "Bionic Arm" to a degree of success, you'll always want to polish your skills more. It really is a game that is eye for an eye. If you learn the "arm" and the "swing" nothing comes off as a cheap death. If you wanna blindly go in and arcade around on every pipe and building like Spiderman, no. It's not going t happen. This game takes "SKILL" just like the games of the past use to, only with higher production values now. Learn the "arm" and the game is very rewarding. Trust me.

One thing that I don't like is the save locations. Too far and too few away from each other. There are times you'll be at the end of a level, and some of them are rater long, and miss a jump due to not knowing the "arm" well enough and die. This sends you all the way back to the start. Some say it punishes the player too often. I tend to agree with this. They "could" have been a bit more lax here. But it isn't impossible to say the least. It does become frustrating though.

The story is absolute ballz. It's rubbish and it's pretty forgettable. It's not going to win any Oscars and it's not going to be worth talking about much past this right here. Watch the story cause you have to, not because you want to. But that doesn't mean the whole game is pointless, it's not. It's just less than stellar in the story telling department. So skip the stories and make up your own as you play through it. "ha"

In the end, the game was fun. I had a better time playing this than a lot of AAA games out there that got the higher nods in score and sales. Bionic Commando is a worthy game to have in your collections. Sure some things aren't as polished as the could have been or as much as other games out there but what is here is fun. And that's all that matters. A game is to be played for fun and Bionic Commando succeeds for the most part.

Although I am a game dev, I rarely play games. I have bought limited only titles for my PS3, however Bionic Commando is by far the most enjoyable and challenging in my limited library. Not since I was 12 years old have I stayed up till 1:00am playing a video game!

Hats off to Grin and their breathtaking aesthetics and tech. I really hope this is the beginning of a long next gen franchise!

This game is only for gamers who like a challenge. That being said, there are some people on here reviewing who are dishing out worthless information. The game is fun, exciting, and awesome. Multiplayer can be fun, but it isn't the selling point of the game. But who cares, at least it is in there.

I'm not going to make this long and drawn out. I played games such as Devil May Cry 3 and Ninja Gaiden Sigma. These games are so tough they will make your head spin. This game is not that frustrating, and if you enjoy 3rd person games then you will like this game. If you enjoyed the other Bionic Commando games then you will love this game.

Lastly, if anyone has the balls to diss the look of Nathan (the main character)...well if you actually played Bionic Commando Rearmed and didn't give up on that in 2 seconds, then you could have easily unlocked the classic skin for the new bionic commando. Now obviously if you sucked at that game...well then I guess you will be giving this a bad review as well...

Honestly, have fun with this game...Capcom always delivers.

First of all, the story.
It's kind of cool. The hero is sent to jail for life, then bad guys attack the city with a lot hell nuclear power, then the hero is released from jail and suddenly he is the only hope, the original, the BIONIC COMMANDO.

Controls are hard at the beginning, mastering the swing is hard but in my case, after I worked it for a while I got it pretty nice.

I find the picture quality very nice at 720P. The concept of a destroyed city, very big place to explore (careful with the radiation and the SNIPERS) is awesome.

The things that you can do with the Bionic Arm are awesome, attack skills that you will get as you progress through the game.I just bought the game and I'm still playing the single player missions and all I can say is that it's fun, I recommend it.

The critical reception to Bionic Commando was anything but kind. The PS3 version of the game is sitting on GameRankings with an aggregate score of 72%. I've seen games get the short shrift before, but never so much as Bionic Commando. I have a small confession to make; I'm only halfway through the game, but I'm so enamored with it that I couldn't wait to write a review. Here's the breakdown:

Graphics: Stunning throughout. Animations seem realistic (considering the subject matter at least) and environments are breathtaking. Not much to say because there's nothing to complain about.

Story: I've heard that this aspect takes some criticism; apparently the ending is love it or hate it. I'm enjoying the story partly because of the effective voice-acting. Steve Blum always puts on a good performance, and he's effective here as Super-Joe. I'm not familiar with the VA for the main character, but he certainly does a good job of making me believe he's enjoying the swinging as much as I am- which brings us to...

Gameplay: There's nothing else on the market like BC. It's not an FPS or even a standard 3rd person shooter. The main focus is on effective use of the bionic arm. The result has been compared to the Spider-man games, but such a comparison leaves out the nuances that BC brings to the table. First of all, the level design is superb. Whereas the Spider-man levels games are typically limited to swinging around the same old skyscrapers, BC's levels are filled with all kinds of broken buildings, suspended railways, caverns, and more. Even if the mechanics of the swinging were identical, the game would play much differently. But the swinging requires more precision than SM. Some players make the mistake of giving the game five minutes and deciding it sucks. It takes a bit of practice to get the hang of using the arm, but once you've got it, you're in for some gameplay gold. The reason the game "works", in my opinion, is that it doesn't focus on split-second reactions and near-impossible jumps. Instead, the emphasis is on tactics. How does one effectively navigate the war-torn landscape and attack ones' foes while evading their gun-fire? Answering this question is the job of the player. Using the arm, for instance, to swing into battle and then swing out to recover is a rewarding experience. The boss battles, in particular, do a fantastic job of highlighting the difference between this game and your vanilla third person game.

Sound: WOW! If you're familiar with the themes from past BC games, you'll recognize some remixed themes. This soundtrack, however, is simply outstanding. From the elegant piano theme in the main menu to the thundering symphonic arrangements during battle, these pieces do much to elevate the gameplay to something truly special. On a related note, I intend to do some serious searching for the sheet music to the menu music; I would love to play that on the piano.

Let's talk downsides for two seconds. I've heard a lot of criticisms, and these are the two that I deem to be accurate:
1) Radioactive out-of-bounds. Linear games have the difficult task of creating some means to provide limits to the environments. The standard but laughable solution of times past has been the familiar "invisible wall". BC tries something new by simply killing the player if they stray out-of-bounds for too long. It is explained that much of the city is irradiated and that our protagonist must avoid this stuff like the plague. Most of the time, this radiation is clear enough to see. But those few times it surprises you can get pretty annoying. This solution to an old problem might even be elegant if well-implemented, but there are some weird choices here. Sometimes, the UPPER HALF of a building will be irradiated. Usually, level limits are lateral in natural, so coming across this can be vexing.
2) Collectables. See, you're gonna die a lot; this isn't an easy game (on Normal, at least). Most games don't make you re-collect collectables if you die before reaching the next checkpoint. Well, BC does. Get used to it.

These cons are really quite minor in comparison to the fantastic gameplay on offer. Every major aspect of BC screams high production values, and the gameplay offers something truly novel and rewarding. The price of BC has plummeted in most places. I found it new for 20 dollars. Don't believe the critics; Bionic Commando is an astonishing accomplishment.

It is a great game. I don't know why it got such reviews. It's difficult? Yeah. You're going to die a lot? Yeah. But the idea is NOT TO GET KILLED. If you fall and die, it was your fault. The controls are responsive, the production values are really high, and probably the biggest concern would the the story. But what would you expect from the concept of a guy who has a bionic arm who is fighting bio-terrorists? There's not much you can dig on that.

I should have learned by now that Capcom doesn't really know how to make next-gen games yet. I've found myself looking for a lot more out of their latest games than I actually get from them. Bionic Commando is no exception. Feeling nostalgic for the NES classic, I thought I'd take a chance on this re-imagining...and now I wish I hadn't. The storyline is boring, the characters are wallpaper and the graphics leave much to be desired even for Capcom. Don't even get me started on the control issues with this game. Rent this one before you even consider buying it. You may even finish it before the weekend is done.

When Bionic Commando launched it was met with a lot of speculation and didn't receive many favorable reviews. Many criticized the game for being all of the map really and not doing any of those elements right. Having played through the game twice now people judged this game by the cover not by the overall contents, and having been gaming since back in ye olde days of the Atari 2600 this game brought the classic Bionic Commando into 3D without missing a beat.

Gameplay: Not your every day video game I will be honest. Like most games today there is a learning curve but they baby you into the game. Bionic Commando basically doesn't pull its punches. Right after the basic tutorial it is good luck, 'have fun storming the castle' pretty much. Practice a bit with your timing and next thing you know you will be Tarzan with a grenade launcher. Boss fights feel very epic and actually will make you think fast on your feet trying to find out the weakness of the boss. There also is no one way to actually fight enemies. You can do everything from stomping on enemies, swinging and shooting, grabbing and throwing them into the air, throw objects , or simply pull out a gun and pew pew them all. One gripe that anyone will notice is that until you get a hang of the game, your accuracy with firearms is pretty much terrible until you pull off some nice challenge stunts to unlock some bonuses

Sound/Story: The voice acting is actually some of the best I have heard in a long time and pretty much carried the weak storyline of the game. Sound effects were spot on also

Graphics/Presentation: The graphics were actually really good. The game runs at 720p unless you force 1080p. I was surprised at how detailed they went with the background of the game. The overall presentation of the game was smooth. The game itself can be a challenge even on normal, as you might end up doing 10-15mins on stuff only to die and have to redo it. Checkpoints are very fair though, and areas aren't super massive where 20+ mins of work magically vanishes because you missed that one grapple.

Length/Replay: The game could be considered short especially once you get really good at it. Master your swings and next thing you know in an hour you just plowed through 20% of the game. Though it may be short, the game doesn't pull punches and you will enjoy the little twists and turns the game throws at you. Replay factor is also a "plus" because there will be collectibles that just seem to taunt you. They look so easy yet 10 mins later you are still trying to line up that swing or release just right, and then there always is the phantom collectible that taunts you since you never found it but it has to be in the level somewhere! Plus once I got good at the game, it was just to much fun to swing and do a "death from above" onto a MECH since I got my timing down perfect.

Summary of "cons" I have for this game (with positive re-enforcement)
- Early on having to figure out shooting mechanics and grappling while avoiding bullets can be frustrating [But learning and mastering the system turns you into a complete unstoppable 'bionic commando']
- Short game (under 7 hrs) [good replay though with collectibles and voice acting. Plus some maps are just fun to figure out different ways around enemies or just replay it to try and best your challenge count]

Overall Score: 91%
A must have for any action gamer at this point and price ($12 when I bought it).

Simply put I like this game, though I far from love it. It's single greatest strength is the game play mechanics of the bionic arm. The arm serves as both a weapon and a means of swinging from place to place, which for me was allot of fun while being very challenging. Unlike games like Prince of Persia where you just hit a button at the right time to "link" your next acrobatic stunt, in Bionic Commando you have to time your swings and line up your next swing with much precision and grace. Personally I enjoyed the challenge of perfecting my "swing", because it is lots of fun and soaring through the air has a sort of innocent quality that I very much enjoyed. Though the negatives are a lack luster story, mediocre graphics (though the environments themselves are well put together, the textures are just nowhere near as sharp/clean as they should be), and somewhat boring combat. The combat plays like an arcade shooter from 1995, no cover system (similar to Gears of War or Drakes Fortune is sorely lacking) and a very very basic AI hinder this game from being memorable in light of far more advanced games available on the market. But hey, for less than $10 bucks its worth playing this game to experience the unique and distinct swing mechanics, that is if you have the patience to master it.