Bionic Commando - Leap into action!

[A-J]

I'm LTTP, here are my impressions (havent played the first Bionic Commando, or know much about the series in general).


1/ Graphics look decent, the crumbling scenery and the soft lighting that highlights it is very reminiscent of the final chapter in Gears of War 2 (albeit not anywhere close to that level of detail and destruction).

2/ Story, is there even a story in this ? :S this looks like it was made for the fans of the first game, no story, just pick up and play gameplay. I haven't run into a single "cutscene" after the intro in the 2 hours or so i've played.

3/ Gameplay, shooting controls are very meh, the swinging mechanics are good when you're doing it right, but it's easy to miss a attach point and suffer for it. Game could have used a lot more check points. Each check point is quiet a few minutes apart.

4/ Anyone who's played Lost Planet will instantly realize how this is just lost planet 2 with a different character skin, i mean hell they even used the exact same "quick camera switch" thing and everything .. i know Lost Planet itself was inspired by Bionic Commando, but this just feels wrong, this is not diversifying anything at all.

5/ Contraty to what i had previously thought, this game is NOT rendered with the MT Framework Engine, which explains the massive drop in visual quality compared to RE5 before this. This also explains why the PS3 version is supposed to be more technically favorable of the two :p

6/ The game is advertisement heavy for some strange reason, there are pepsi ads and can machines evry where, and capcom haven't spared their own game advertisement either, there are Tricell labeled buildings and Dark Void posters every now and then too .

[Carnivol]

Sumthing Digital has the soundtrack previews up now and say it'll be available for purchase on the 23rd of July. Guess that means iTunes will have it up at the same time too. Da-yum!

[Umon Daisuke]

In case US residents are aware, the game was reduced to $20 about a week ago.

[James]

4/ Anyone who's played Lost Planet will instantly realize how this is just lost planet 2 with a different character skin, i mean hell they even used the exact same "quick camera switch" thing and everything .. i know Lost Planet itself was inspired by Bionic Commando, but this just feels wrong, this is not diversifying anything at all.

Yeah, I know when I played Lost Planet 2 and was swinging around like Spence does in Bionic Commando I was like WOW THIS IS JUST LIKE BC WHAT A RIP!

5/ Contraty to what i had previously thought, this game is NOT rendered with the MT Framework Engine, which explains the massive drop in visual quality compared to RE5 before this. This also explains why the PS3 version is supposed to be more technically favorable of the two :p

It was evident from the first trailer. =/

6/ The game is advertisement heavy for some strange reason, there are pepsi ads and can machines evry where, and capcom haven't spared their own game advertisement either, there are Tricell labeled buildings and Dark Void posters every now and then too .

WHAT?! ADVERTISEMENTS IN GAMES?! ARE YOU FOR REAL?!

Anyway Capcom Europe just shipped the PC version.

After storming next-gen consoles earlier this year Nathan Spencer is ready for another tour of duty, this time on PC as it is released across European territories today, July 17th.

Bionic Commando transposes the much loved swing-and-shoot gameplay of the 8-bit original onto a stunning 3D environment of towering buildings, suspended roadways and monorails, deep canyons and sheer rock faces, which are traversed using swinging, scaling, climbing and wall-walking techniques. Alongside its compelling single player campaign, Bionic Commando will include a fully-fledged multiplayer mode which will be the first online multiplayer game to truly feature an advanced wire mechanic to swing from platform to platform while pursuing your opponents. Players will need to utilize all the skills honed in single player such as Zip Kick, Death from Above and Adrenaline attacks to show the true power of a Bionic Commando.

[nemesiswontdie]

In case US residents are aware, the game was reduced to $20 about a week ago.

yup it sure has. I see why too. This game was TERRIBLE! the only good part about it was Spencers VA other than that it sucked.The story was boring.Check points SUCK i should be able to go back to a level and carry over my data but no if you miss a collectable your fucked you have to start ALL THE WAY OVER.The challanges are boring and the bulldogs eye challenge is extreamly bullshit (you have to hit 2 grunt soldiers from 130 meters away but the thing is they dont tell you how far away the grunts are) and one of the worst features is the aiming system.WOW the aiming system just fucking sucks hell the crosshairs arnt even on to get a headshot your crosshairs have to be over to the left a little bit to hit them insted of it being in the middle where it should be. Though i do like the ending it was pretty good and i think it was necessary.

Spencers wife Emily has been gone for 12 years and he had his bionic arm removed.

ill just give you a little hint
Spoiler:

show spoiler

Emily is at arms length lol

OH one more thing i did like though is the blooper they added when you fight the giant mechanical worm

the original line says

Super Joe: theres no way out spencer youll just have to fight it
Spencer: my pleasure!

the blooper they added in was
Super Joe: theres no way out spencer you'll just have to fuck it
Spencer:uuuuhhhhh

im just glad i platinumed it.Now its by my other games...collecting dust and never will be played again.

[Carnivol]

Think the $20 price was part of some GameStop(?) discount thingy that they were running on a bunch of recent releases. Anyway, still a pretty sweet deal. I don't regret getting it at full price, though

Yeah, I know when I played Lost Planet 2 and was swinging around like Spence does in Bionic Commando I was like WOW THIS IS JUST LIKE BC WHAT A RIP!

I have such fond memories of swinging in Lost Pla... oh... wait... nope
(Actually, you can "swing" in Lost Planet too, in a glitchy and kinda hilarious way)

It was evident from the first trailer. =/

More or less from the moment it was known that GRIN was developing (as in the game's announcement), it was pretty clear that the game would be using Diesel.

WHAT?! ADVERTISEMENTS IN GAMES?! ARE YOU FOR REAL?!

It still makes me a sad panda that people see an NVIDIA logo and scream in fear, while at the same time are completely oblivious to all the other awesome (fictive) banners, ads and posters that're scattered all over Ascension City and its surrounding areas. 20th century hardware and ANL for the win! (Radio hunting is also pretty interesting... damn... there's a lot of hidden radios in this game.)

Check points SUCK i should be able to go back to a level and carry over my data but no if you miss a collectable your fucked you have to start ALL THE WAY OVER.

This just goes to show what trophy/achievement whores people in general are ;D

The main purpose of the collectibles is to unlock artwork, and if I remember correctly, using the level select to re-clear a level you didn't get all collectibles on, I seem to remember that it'd still unlock the missing artwork.

The challanges are boring and the bulldogs eye challenge is extreamly bullshit (you have to hit 2 grunt soldiers from 130 meters away but the thing is they dont tell you how far away the grunts are) and one of the worst features is the aiming system.WOW the aiming system just fucking sucks hell the crosshairs arnt even on to get a headshot your crosshairs have to be over to the left a little bit to hit them insted of it being in the middle where it should be.

Bulldog's Eye is easy to do. Just gain some distance (which isn't too hard) I did it in the park (in the area where The Constructor passes. Hanging somewhere around the picnic radio should give you the distance needed.)


As for the aiming;

Dunno if you were using the Tungsten or the Prototype Weapon, but:

Tungsten:
-Has less spread
-Does less damage

Prototype Weapon:
-Has increased spread
-Does more damage

Pretty much every single shot you shoot with both (as long as you're not all turbo fingered up) is a tracer, so you can always see where the shot went, even when in aim mode. Tungsten pretty much shoots straight forward, without too big a spread. The Prototype Weapon will launch bullets in all directions of the targeting area.

The challenges pretty much do themselves automatically as you play through. Some of the later ones probably require some planning.

In general, a second playthrough takes care of everything (as I've said elsewhere before: Go through on Normal, clean sweep on Hard and then go bananas on Commando.)

[James]

More or less from the moment it was known that GRIN was developing (as in the game's announcement), it was pretty clear that the game would be using Diesel.

This seems obvious too, considering there's no English documentation / support for MT yet. >_>

Bulldog's Eye is easy to do. Just gain some distance (which isn't too hard) I did it in the park (in the area where The Constructor passes. Hanging somewhere around the picnic radio should give you the distance needed.)

On the very last level, jump up to the top of the massive drawbridge thingy above the hole thingy (hope that's the right description >_>) and just fire down from the top. You'll hit about four enemies who are probably unseen. Go down and "explore" first and see what you're doing, then die, and climb.

[Carnivol]

On the very last level, jump up to the top of the massive drawbridge thingy above the hole thingy (hope that's the right description >_>) and just fire down from the top. You'll hit about four enemies who are probably unseen. Go down and "explore" first and see what you're doing, then die, and climb.

That works too. (Actually, you can also do most/all of the remaining multi-man achievements during the last couple of levels. From before you climb The Constructor, after the helicopter chase, to the part where you enter The Vault)

[nemesiswontdie]

i got it in the Ascension City Garden.

[Carnivol]

Simon Viklund was extra awesome today and put up a full list of the in-game radios + what they play!

Can find the original list here. I see him still doing minor tweaks to it, so I'm holding off on quoting the entire thing here (for now )


For those who don't know what I'm talking about;
The game has a bunch of radios hidden around. These radios can be heard (and most of them also seen), and they play various tracks that aren't part of the game's soundtrack (which is up on SumthingDigital now, but alas, no iTunes release yet). Some are funky remixes, some are original tracks and some are just straight out obscurities, but they're all pretty awesome!

[The Dude]

http://www.ps3center.net/news/3479/rumor-bionic-commando-devs-go-belly-up/

If this is true, Bionic Commando just put the final nail into the GRIN coffin.
Shame really since some of their games have been decent, as in decent ideas but lacking substance or just seriously unpolished.

*...Rocket Punches Judd again for the stupid plot twists at the end of the game*

http://uk.xbox360.ign.com/articles/101/1012776p1.html

[Zombie Fred]

No No Bionic! They had too much on the plate than what they were asking for, it's a shame to see them go if that is the case. Carn must be a sad panda.

[The Dude]

I would have said the swing mechanic would have been a good idea to buy from Grin and implement in the next gen Castlevania game but considering Kojima is overseeing that, they probably have something different in mind for platforming.
But to me that was the only fun point of Bionic Commando, it seriously lacked polish, story, or well soul really.
Wanted suffered from the same problem.

I think one major problem with Grin was clearly they have the skills to produce good concepts, but sticking to movie licenses and outsourced work from other companies instead of developing their own IP's seriously hindered them.

Pity really.

*Kicks the Judd while he's down...Spoiler:

show spoiler

Bionic arm is my wife my arse

*

[The Dude]

Its official

http://uk.ps3.ign.com/articles/101/1013374p1.html

GRIN is dead.

[Archelon]

I'd really like to know now who it was at Capcom that apparently basically told Judd that greenlighting this game was one of the stupidest decisions Capcom has made in quite some time. I think it was a producer or something, someone who was actually leaving Capcom at the time he/she said it. I wonder if it was one of the former Clover employees who now works with Platinum Games.