Bionic Commando Preview

E3 2008 Preview

There is a strong belief among hardcore gamers that not every 2D classic can be made into a 3D game. They point to games like Sonic that tried the Mario 64 thing for a decade before throwing in the towel and going back to the side-scrolling dimension. But that shouldn't deter developers from taking the risk. Though the odds are against them, there are some games that were meant for bigger and better things, even if players don't realize it. Bionic Commando is the game that will make you a believer.

Before touching the controller, I had to stop and stare at the visuals. They are instantly gripping, with world details you don't see all the time, not even now as the Xbox 360 approaches its fourth Christmas. The first stage is a city that was visibly destroyed by something massive. It's as if you're the last man standing as you climb and swing across the buildings that have yet to collapse. As annoying as tutorials are, their inclusion was a must: I tried to play the game without any tips and could barely get my commando to take a single swing. After deciding to let the tutorial do its job, Bionic Commando's amazing gameplay took over. It's a shooter, just as the original was. But you can perform all the classic moves (shoot the grapple hook and swing) plus many more.

Everyone loves a good stomp to the chest, right? The next time an enemy is getting you down, don't just stand there and shoot: unleash the grappling hook. This attack creates a link between you and your opponent. But instead of pulling him close, a la Scorpion, you can pull yourself -- foot first! -- over to him. In BC Rearmed, players automatically die whenever they fall in the water. In the new Bionic Commando, you'll have a short amount of time to grip something and pull yourself out.

From the wide-open, 3D gameplay perspective, players will have to adjust to the new rules Bionic Commando provides. One of them is the way you swing, and how, when the left trigger is depressed, the grappling hook will latch onto any part of an object or building as long as it is within 20 feet. This allows you to recover while falling instead of having to climb back up from the bottom. There's another move that helps with climbing: this commando can now pull himself up onto the platforms he's swinging from.

Though we don't know when, Capcom promises that an XBLA and PSN demo is in Bionic Commando's future (hopefully before the full game is released). Until then, we're left to wonder what else the developers have planned, and will spend the next several months dreaming of the finished creation.

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