Ever since Bionic Commando ReArmed was released by Grin almost two years ago I’ve been wanting a sequel to get me back into that nostalgic realm of side scrolling. I mean, there’s just something about not being able to jump and having to use your grapple hook to get from place to place that makes you think strategically about your every move.
Alas, Bionic Commando ReArmed 2 has surfaced but this time it’s developed by a new studio, Fatshark. What does this mean for this new/retro series? Well, when I played the demo there were a few differences in how the game played overall in comparison to the original. The first thing that I noticed was that Rad’s look has changed a little – he even has a mustache! I guess this can be attributed to there being a new art style coming along with the new studio, but that’s not the only change. All of the moves are still in tact from the first ReArmed; you can grapple barrels and hurl them at enemies, swing from platform to platform, or just shoot your way out of a situation, but there is one more added feature that’s been making fans of the original NES game a bit jumpy (no pun intended), and that’s the new ability to jump. However, let me be the first to say that having this new skill doesn’t change the game much at all in terms of difficulty or even the frequency of use for your grapple. Just because he can get off the ground without the use of his arm doesn’t translate into Rad having mad hops, rather he barely lifts off probably due to how heavy that bionic enhancement weighs him down. That becomes apparent when you meet with ledges that need more than just a simple jump to get passed them.
The level I played was quite basic but never was boring, needing the jump and grapple abilities in accompaniment to get further along as the stage progressed. There were some secret areas here and there which should have fans excited, and the music to the stages were on the same lines as what was heard in the first ReArmed. From what I saw later on from the trailer, you’ll receive a huge assortment of weapons that have some pretty dynamic and awesome effects and controls.
I can’t wait to get my hands on this game when it’s fully launched in Q1 of 2011 for XBLA and PSN.
