Bionic Commando Multiplayer Lacks Inspiration
Bionic Commando is the sixth game in its series and sequel to Bionic Commando: Rearmed. The original was first released in 1988 on the NES and has since been reincarnated and reinvisioned on PSN and Xbox Live Arcade as Rearmed in August 2008. The latest installment, also called Bionic Commando, is due to be released on the Xbox 360 and the PS3 on the 19th May in North America, with the PC version arriving in early June.
After completing work on Bionic Commando: Rearmed, GRIN were again hired by Capcom to develop a Bionic Commando game, except this time it's been brought into the realm of 3D for the first time with the help of GRIN's Diesel Engine. The game follows the storyline of Nathan Spencer, a government agent of a division that specialises in training Bionic Commandos. He is betrayed, but just before his execution he is asked to help out against a terrorist force known as BioReign. In order to do this, they allow him to be reuinited with his Bionic Arm.
On the 29th of April, a demo surfaced exclusively on Xbox Live and while it doesn't offer any exposure into the single player experience, it does however give us an indication of what to expect from the multiplayer component of the game. Only one level was playable in the demo and the atmosphere of the level is very industrial as it's set at night, against a city landscape. For the purposes of the demo, it is only playable in an 8-player deathmatch mode.
At first, the experience can be a little overwhelming. Learning how to use the grapple effectively in the midst of combat can be a little tricky, mastering it becomes invaluable. Several other factors immediately stand out above the rest, with the most obvious being the evade maneuver which makes you extremely difficult to shoot. However, it can be exploited to a degree, as continuous use makes you nearly invulnerable. The ability to use the grapple as a means of escape is also one defining factor, as instead of the typical cover type system found in most games, using the Bionic Arm allows to you disappear from site over the edge of a building. This brings a new tactical edge to the gameplay by allowing the means for someone's prey to easily become the predator.
There are a multitude of weapons available in the demo, with the default weapon being a pistol. As with many basic weapons, it isn't overly powerful but can be potent in the right hands. This is mainly due to its firing speed and the fact it doesn't need to be reloaded. Other choices on offer were the SMG and assault rifle, which are both inaccurate at range, but can quickly down an enemy in close quarters. The shotgun and grenade launcher were also fairly devastating, although for some reason the shotgun looks more like a grenade launcher in sheer size and the grenade launcher looked more like a shotgun. The last weapon available was the sniper rifle, which due to a handy auto aim mechanic allows for relatively easy one hit kills at close range. Attempting to scope with it on the other hand was extremely insensitive and felt like attempting to move through treacle.
The demo was a fairly well rounded view of what to expect from the multiplayer side of the game. There are issues that seem to be exploitable that have been duly noted, although this probably won't detract too much from the experience at hand. One of the most obvious things was how similar to Lost Planet the multiplayer actually felt, only with more emphasis on the grapple. It will however be interesting to see how the single player campaign turns out. As it stands at the moment, the multiplayer is just a little lacklustre. That said, it does have its merits and potential, so it would be unfair to write it off just yet.
