[PC, PS3, Xbox 360] Bionic Commando: ReArmed Update
Posted by Ty Huston on 05.05.2008
CAPCOM gave out a ton of info during their "Three Days of Commando" website event
More information is being released all the time now that Bionic Commando: ReArmed is on the home stretch is terms of being released. The game - to be released on both Xbox Live and PSN as well as PC - is an updated 2.5d version of the original and beefed up to boot.
The big news from Day One was the announcement of multiplayer. The game already boasts a new co-op feature:
"So the cat is out of the bag... and like you ALL didn't see it coming, right?
Today we're revealing the final and perhaps coolest new mode in Bionic Commando Rearmed: Multiplayer
I've continually said that I felt the wire mechanic in Bionic Commando is something that could have been expanded on in a lot of different ways. We've included co-op mode to show how fun it can be to swing with a friend. Challenge rooms have been added to test the swing skills of veteran BC players (and those who become good enough to handle the pain). Finally, we have added a wild and fast-paced multiplayer experience that pits you against your friends in a bionic battle to the death.
I'm sure the press who we invited to play the game will have plenty of thoughts on how it was to play, but I can tell you that swinging from platform to platform to both chase and escape from your opponents is a lot of fun, and not something you can experience in any other game.
This, my friends, is how you do digital distribution.
We'll let the movie do most of the talking for now, but first let us tell you about the 4 different playable characters:
Nathan "R.A.D." Spencer
Supervisor Joseph Gibson
Generalissimo Killt
Groeder
Some must be unlocked by playing through story mode. Each character has their own unique parameters so there are no "palette swaps" here. "
Day Two offered up more info, this time detailing the parameters of the cast of characters:
"When we first showed off the multiplayer mode, we mentioned the cast of characters that you can choose from, and the fact that they all have different parameters.
Let's go through those parameters now:
Nathan "R.A.D." Spencer -- He is your all-round soldier with the perfect balance in weaponry, vitality, and strength.
Supervisor Joseph "Super Joe" Gibson -- Age and numerous military campaigns have taken their told on Joe. As they say, he's not as young as he used to be. However, what he loses in vitality, he makes up for with knowledge of the most advanced weaponry. If Joe gets his hands on the right special weapon, there is no equal.
Groeder (The Imperial Champion) -- Groeder is a mass of twisted metal and flesh. The perfect killing machine who has sacrificed his body for the betterment of the Imperials. No one can match his brute strength and his vitality is nothing to take lightly either. However, his bionic implants require an enormous amount of energy to power, which puts a massive drain on his special weapons. Groeder only gets a few shots with a special weapon so he has to make each one count.
Generalissmo Killt -- Like many other fat-cat leaders, Killt is not one for heavy fighting himself. But don't let that fool you - he has the most endurance of any fighter and a decent knowledge of advanced weaponry. Killt's low damage means he needs to really pin an enemy down to take them out. Fortunately, he can usually trade shots with an opponent and come out on top.
There is one more aspect of multiplayer that I would like to talk about during this post and that is the stages. First off, there are 10 different stages. One of the things that makes them most interesting is the fact that they are based on the Bionic Commando world. Most stages use some specific Bionic Commando background prop.
The first stage shown in the video put up today has explosive barrels. These can either be shot or thrown. See an enemy nearby and blast the barrel to give him an explosive reception or do it the old fashioned way--throw it.
The second stage takes place in the sewer and introduces a classic "prop" from the original game--slime. This stage can be deadly in that not only do you need to worry about shooting the enemy, but you need to watch out for the slimes that can very easily pull you down to your death. Some people have gotten good enough to use the slimes as a method of transportation while they focus on shooting the opponent. Any way you look at it, we're happy to have the slimes back.
Those are just a couple of the new props shown but here are some more to tide over the Bionic Commando fan in you:
Conveyer belts -- No classic 2D side-scroller would be complete without them!
Elevators -- It's time for some Elevator Actio... er, Elevator Warfare!
Quicksand -- A little more friendly than the slimes but still one more thing to worry about.
Gas barrels -- One of the Imperial's favorite weapons of choice.
Well, that is all for today's update. Check back later in the week for the third and final day of this community site exclusive, and while you are waiting check out the new podcast tomorrow where we have some of the press who played multiplayer give us their honest opinions of what they saw."
Pretty impressive. On the final day, they gave us another snippet of information and this time it's the weapons available in the game:
"So here we go with the third and final day of "Three Days of the Commando". I really like the editing for the new video we prepared for today, because it shows off some of the cooler weapons and moves that you have with the bionic arm.
So, let's talk about that... the weapons!
There are 9 weapons in total:
Revolver
Weapon Type: Projectile
Your standard pea-shooter that works in a pinch.
Plasma Rifle
Weapon Type: Energy
A thin laser that cuts through energy shields.
Shotgun
Weapon Type: Projectile
The close-range weapon of choice, capable of downing a foe in a couple of shots.
Vector Cannon
Weapon Type: Energy
A laser that ricochets off walls. Great for attacking enemies who are hiding behind obstacles. Does more damage with each successive ricochet.
Bazooka
Weapon Type: Explosive
A slow-moving rocket that detonates on impact. Can kill most enemies in a single shot.
Grenades
Weapon Type: Explosive
With about a 2-3 second delay before they detonate, grenades aren't the fastest of weapons, but they can be dropped down on lower platforms to blast unsuspecting foes.
?????
Weapon Type: All
The best weapon in the game. Capable of mowing down just about any foe in seconds.
All weapons in multiplayer start upgraded which gives them the most stopping power. For example, the Revolver can usually only fire 2 shots at a time, but when upgraded it can fire 3. We don't want to spoil what the upgrades are since you will collect them in single player as well, but some of them are quite cool!
There are also two other kinds of pickup:
Energy Shield
Gives you around 10 seconds of invincibility but there is one catch - energy weapons can eat through the shield in seconds, leaving the hunter to become the hunted.
Health Pick-up
Replenishes lost energy to help keep you strong during the tough fights.
So now you know ALL the basics of multiplayer. Of course, some of this just isn't going to sink in until you actually get your hands on it, but keep an eye out for the reviews once the game is released - I have faith that if a few reviewers get the chance to spend some time with the game, they will enjoy this mode quite a bit.
Also, since I have your attention, here are some other things to check out in your spare time:
We recently did an interview with Kotaku about localizing a Western game for the Japanese market. Trust me, this won't be an easy task but we are up for the challenge.
We have added Area 05 music from BCR to the music player. Trust me, it rocks!
Finally, check out some of the great reviews we have been getting for the podcast on iTunes. People are really taking the time to write some really in-depth reviews and we really appreciate it. Let's hope we can convince management to keep the podcast around even after the BC games are launched! If you have iTunes installed, you can click on this link to go straight to the podcast iTunes page.
And, if you haven't listened to it and have a little spare time, check it out. I'm personally not a podcast person myself, but we certainly are honest and try to supply you guys with the most up-to-date information about not only BC, but other Capcom games as well."
The movies mentioned in the articles can be viewed at this link.
Bionic Commando: ReArmed is being released on May 21st and will only cost $10.00. It's a steal considering how good the original game was, this remake with all it's added features should be amazing.
