Bionic Commando - It's Over!

The time was set - Friday 12th June, 00:10 am - I just had to stay up to finish Bionic Commando. I could feel that I was getting close to the end and couldn't resist finishing it before the weekend. I’d just like to follow up on a few things here from my initial opening thoughts and I must say say that the closing impressions are far greater that what was once thought.

I’d like to start with Bionic Commando’s learning curve – or learning brick wall as it may be known by some. For the first few hours I found it difficult to grasp the core gaming mechanic – swinging (no, not the type bored mums and dads do when they are bored of each other) – many times throwing our Bionic friend directly into enemy deathtraps or even innocent deathtraps like puddles. When the use of the bionic arm swing motion becomes second nature it truly is a joy to behold. Sure a few times you may plunge to your death – plunge being the operative word especially when the latter half of the game is spent over the sea. It really is worth a great deal of perseverance. The downside of being able to swing like a drunk dad from the ceiling is the speed that levels can be covered. One section was over in under a minute. The level started at one end of a tunnel and the objective was at the other end. So begins the swinging – right over the noggins of all the enemies and directly into the objective. Over. Too. Fast.

I would liken Bionic Commando to an 80’s action movie – not any one in particular (but mostly Commando, awesome film) but a great mix of everything that made 80’s action movies so brilliant. Shedloads of action, insanely cheesy dialogue and a storyline that is worth switching your brain off for. Bionic Commando has it all. The action comes in droves, most often with tens of enemies coming at you at any one time and our protagonist spouting one-liners after dealing with them that Arnie would be proud of. And don’t get me started on the story. A missing wife is one such plot twist that deserves mention though as its explanation is possibly the most ridiculous things I’ve heard this year. It is honestly worth playing through for this explanation alone!

The loading screens are still in action in a big way, especially in the aforementioned latter stages based over the sea. It played a little like this for me – load, swing, die, load, swing, kill enemies, die, load, swing, kill enemies, succeed, load, lather, rinse, repeat. Ugh.

Bionic Commando in itself was a greatly enjoyable game definitely after solving the swing mechanics and well worth a purchase – even if that is only for the over the top, head-banginly mental plot twists.