G.I. Joeaction figures have been around since 1964, but the animated series and related action figures from the ’80s are probably what most people associate withG.I. Joe.The variety of character designs, weapons and vehicles lend themselves easily to video games, which is why there have been several games based onG.I. Joe,though not all of them were well received.G.I. Joe: Wrath of Cobrais the newest attempt to bring these real American heroes to gaming and does so in a style befitting the decade whenG.I. Joe’spopularity was at its peak: an arcade style beat ‘em up that looks to shoot for the success ofStreets of Rage 4andTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge.
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The story mode begins with an animated cutscene that looks as though it could have been taken from the classic cartoon. Cobra is naturally up to no good, and their newest fiendish plot involves their clone robot army and capturing various monuments throughout the world. The Eiffel Tower, Statue of Liberty and Taj Mahal are vaporized away into Cobra’s clutches. Before too much thought can be put into why both Krang and Destro want the Statue of Liberty, G.I. Joe has already begun mobilizing to put a stop to Cobra’s plans.
Story Mode is the only option that’s initially available, but there are several modifiers that can be unlocked by spending floppy disks in the Extras shop, which are accumulated by beating up Cobra. Arcade Mode can be purchased for 2500 floppy disks, which offers an increased difficulty and alternate special meter. There are a lot of modifiers that can be purchased to offer additional challenges on top of the four difficulty settings. The complete list of modes that can be purchased are Arcade Mode, Boss Rush Mode, 1 Hit Mode, Boss Shuffle, Double Trouble, Enemy Shuffle, High Impact, Item Shuffle, Low Gravity, Restart on Death and Time Attack. Even though Story Mode is the only option initially, there are a lot of different ways to bring new challenges toG.I. Joe: Wrath of Cobra.
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Knowing is Half the Battle
Calling it Story Mode seems like a misnomer, as there doesn’t seem to be much story development throughout the game. After the initial cutscene, the game progresses the way one would expect Arcade Mode to progress. The stages are completed in order, with no actual story development between them. The only dialogue that ever occurs is at the end of each boss fight, which is some variant of “impressive that you beat me, but it means nothing since Cobra cannot be stopped.”
The levels are filled with various Cobra foot soldiers, some of which are in vehicles, There are a few mechanized mini bosses that sometimes need to be dealt with, and at the end of each level there’s a boss fight with a notable Cobra villain such as Dr. Mindbender, Storm Shadow, the Crimson Twins and Cobra Commander to name a few. None of the boss fights are particularly challenging and feel similar to each other. Games in the beat ‘em up genre are known for being repetitive, but the level progression and boss fights feel similar even by genre standards.
Four well-known heroes are available at the start: Duke, Roadblock, Scarlett and Snake Eyes. They have different ratings for their attributes for attack, defense and speed. Each character does have a slightly different feel to how they are controlled, but they can all be approached the same way. They each have a different special attack which can be used regularly thanks to the gauge quickly recharging. Duke can rain a volley of explosive shells, Roadblock whips out a minigun, Scarlett drops several arrows from the sky and Snake Eyes sics Timber on them. Out of these characters, Snake Eyes was personally the most fun to play. In addition to those four, Gung-Ho and Ripcord are also available to be purchased from the Extras shop.
Anyone who has ever played a beat ‘em up game will be right at home inG.I. Joe: Wrath of Cobra.The objective to pass through the level is to beat up every enemy that walks on screen, beating everything in sight with a series of combo attacks. It’s typical of what one sees in the genre and doesn’t require a great deal of strategy. There are a good number of firearms that can be picked up that range from stun crossbows, rifles and grenade launchers that help spice up combat.
Real American Hero?
G.I. Joe: Wrath of Cobrais a faithful homage to the arcade beat ‘em ups of the ’80s and ’90s, but not an exceptional one. Fans of the genre and ofG.I. Joewill likely consider this a good time, especially in co-op mode, but overall the game falls flat. Even in a genre that isn’t known for variety, the stage layouts and boss battles don’t offer enough variety and the game starts to feel stale about halfway through. Given the popularity of the cartoon, the team could have included some story development in between levels or added some dialog and catchphrases from the show. There was a lot of potential to make this into a great nostalgia trip for fans, but instead it’s a garden variety beat ‘em up inG.I. Joecosplay. The soundtrack was composed by Lee Topes, who has scored similar games, and the music is one of the highlights.
There was a lot of potential to make this into a great nostalgia trip for fans, but instead it is a garden variety beat ‘em up inG.I. Joecosplay.
Clearing story mode can be done in about two hours, which for this type of game isn’t bad. The short completion is conducive to multiple play throughs, and for those who enjoyed the base game, they have a lot of options for a variety of replay variations. The multiple modes that can be purchased can change aspects of the game, which can help keep subsequent play throughs interesting. There are plans for some free updates after release, that include new modes, mixers, online co-op and three new playable characters: Shipwreck, Lady Jaye and Timber.
Closing Comments:
G.I. Joe: Wrath of Cobra brings one of the most popular cartoons of the ’80s to life in a retro-inspired beat ‘em up. The limited story development and virtually nonexistent dialogue, however, lead toG.I. Joe: Wrath of Cobrafalling short of its potential. What could have been a nostalgic return to real American heroes thwarting Cobra instead feels like just another brawler wearingG.I. Joecosplay. It’s a decent enough beat ‘em up that fans of the genre and franchise could find enjoyable, but die-hard fans will likely be disappointed in how bare bonesG.I. Joe: Wrath of Cobraended up being.
G.I. Joe: Wrath of Cobra
Version Reviewed: PC
G.I. Joe is back to stop Cobra in the retro inspired beat ‘em up G.I. Joe: Wrath of Cobra.
