Wolf of the Battlefield 3: Commando (Xbox Live Arcade) Review
Posted by Dan Owen on 07.08.2008
Classic arcade action hits the Xbox 360...but that's only half of the deal, as this game comes with a Beta test you won't want to miss!
Back in the day, arcade games ruled the video game industry. Nowadays, true arcades are all but extinct and many of the classics from that era have been forgotten. With Wolf of the Battlefield: Commando 3, Capcom attempts to recapture the fun of top-down arcade shooters.
Wolf of the Battlefield presents the gamer with some mindless run and gun fun. There is very little strategy involved in the game, as you guide your fighter through 5 missions facing off against wave after wave of enemies. While there are various types of cover in the game, such as trees and sand bag walls, you will rarely find yourself sitting back for more than a second to toss a grenade. Most of the time the player will be running back and forth across the screen avoiding enemy gun fire and mowing down baddies. There is no need for ammo or reloading, and you can keep a steady stream of fire coming from your gun, which will occasionally be upgraded from pickups hidden throughout the levels. Most of the enemies you face will be killed with a single bullet, but they come at you fast and furious.
Wolf of the Battlefield 3: Commando will conjure up fond memories for gamers who remember classic arcade games.
As for the game itself, it presents a fun throwback type of arcade game that does a surprising job of capturing the feel of the arcade with the controller. The decision to use the right analog stick to control the shooting was simply brilliant, and the waves of weak enemies that can be mowed down easily rounds out the experience. The story is nothing really worth talking about, it doesn’t make the game what it is and the developers don’t hide that fact. Taken for what it is (a simple arcade game), Wolf of the Battlefield 3: Commando is a pretty good game.
Getting further into the game, however, I found the gameplay to become a bit monotonous. Luckily, one playthrough of the game is not really any longer than an hour or so, but nonetheless, the game got a little old for me. All you really do is just run around rotating the right stick back and forth, occasionally tossing a grenade. Were they to add anything more it would probably be untrue to the origins of the game, but console gamers who aren’t big fans of this style of arcade game will likely get bored quickly. I also found it incredibly frustrating to have enemies approach from behind many times during each level. While it’s understandable that you would want many, many enemies coming after you for this type of game, the camera does not allow you to move backwards and in fact can be very stubborn if you are trying to see enemies coming from your rear. For example, as you are shooting at a wall, trying to break it down, you may be swarmed by enemies from behind. However, you might have very little time to react because the camera won’t show them approaching. While it wasn’t hard to dispatch these enemies, it would be frustrating to lose a little bit of health every time they came up and surprised you with gun fire.
Where Wolf of the Battlefield 3: Commando truly shines through, however, is in its multiplayer. The game itself doesn’t change (except in the challenge as there will be more enemies), but the fun is definitely ramped up. You are able to team up with one or two other players to form a team of fighters. With the multiple players, hardcore arcade gamers will find themselves feeling all sorts of nostalgic.
In Wolf of the Battlefield 3: Commando, Capcom has truly captured the experience of the classic arcade game, though gamers unaccustomed to this kind of play may not find the game worth the price of admission.
BUT WAIT!
There is something else that gamers ought to know about this game. Buy purchasing the game, you will also receive the Beta for Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix. For fans of the game, this is an opportunity that you won’t want to miss. There will be a full preview of the game coming soon to 411, but the chance to participate in a Beta test for one of the classic franchises in the gaming world is rare opportunity that many gamers should at least consider.
Graphics
6.5
The graphics aren't great...but they aren't awful and certainly don't hinder the game in any way.
Gameplay
8.0
Brings a true arcade experience to console gaming, though at times a difficult camera hinders the overall experience
Sound
7.0
Relatively nondescript music and some alright sound effects is all you get, but you shouldn't have been expecting much
Lasting Appeal
4.0
The game does not take more than hour to play, though you certainly should get multiple runs through the game in, especially if you're playing with friends.
Fun Factor
8.5
A true arcade experience that classic gamers will love.
