70%PC

Even though it reeks of early 2000s edginess, it's actually a really quick and fun arcade-style game. The swinging can be a bit touchy, but when you get going the physics are actually quite refined. I get why people wouldn't like it, but I think it's worth revisiting with an open mind.

50%PC

Отвратительная игра даже для своего времени. Геймплей:
Уровни представляют из себя арены с раскидаными
на них врагами и точками активациии.
Вырезаем пачку - активируем - повторять бесконечно
Врагов 3 типа: обычные мобцы, усиленные мобцы,
бронированные роботы которые пробиваются ракетами
или камнями\машинами\другими объектами на уровне
Боевка абсолютно невзрачная, стрельба унылая,
милишка не работает, крюк ведет себя неадекватно
Сюжет плох, механика крюка плоха,
вообщем типичный проект категории С того времени
5/10. Пройдена за ~6 часов

25%PC

2.1

70%PC

Bionic Commando (2009) is a part of the echo of a short-lived era of Capcom that made very questionable games. I have a short history with this particular game because I was obsessed with multiplayer titles, and wanted to try this one with the "swinging men". It seemed like a cool game and I had no prior history with the franchise at all.

Now, in 2021, I finally actually got to play this game and realized that it is actually a fairly decent title. The story is trite with cliches but has one famous twist that is interesting, to say the least. The game is hampered with boring levels but has some visually-pleasing and fun swinging sections to get you through the course of the game. The combat shows spikes of enjoyment, then is shut down by weird bugs with the grappling and inconsistent shooting on enemy AI. However, the main strength of the game is the grappling itself because it does it very well. Swinging feels great with a good sense of speed and momentum. At moments, you can see the strengths of the game pushing it further than it really is, then the game forgets it has great swinging and goes back to mediocre combat. Punctuated with mostly okay bosses and an absolutely horrendous final boss. That's my main struggle with the game. Besides that, the main theme is a nice rearrangement of the classic Bionic Commando theme.

Overall, the game is fine and not as bad as I thought it was going to be. But, it is in no way excellent or even great because it is held down by too many faults with the combat, mostly bland levels, and a by-the-numbers story. I still think it is worth going through as it is fairly short and doesn't outstay its welcome at least.

70%PlayStation 3

7/10

40%PlayStation 3

Terrible game!

80%PlayStation 3

Bionic commando is not without its problems but I am rating it an 8 on a pure fun factor. Once you get the hang of the grapple this game is very addictive.

80%PC

The game gets a lot worse in the last two areas- would be 90% otherwise.

80%Xbox 360

In 2009 Capcom released a sequel to the original 1988 NES Bionic Commando, developed by Grin, this sequel was also called Bionic Commando. Against all odds, 2009 BC manages to incorporate the free swinging gameplay of 1988 BC, and successfully convert it to the z-axis modern environment. Once the player acclimates to using the bionic arm, they will find themselves swinging all over the stages in furious succession. Combining this swinging with fast blasting action and special bionic arm attacks, 2009 BC has some of the most frenetic and awesome combat you'll ever play in a video game.

But the skill barrier to enjoy this is quite high, the player will have to babysit the camera and deal with manual swinging only at all times. As a long time fan of the Bionic Commando series, I didn't find the plot in this game all that engaging. Nathan Spencer should not have dreads, they look silly on him. There should be more boss battles (the ones that are there are fantastic). Snipers in this game are absolutely obnoxious (a Grin specialty). And roping the player into the linear stages using instantaneously deadly radiation was just dumb (invisible walls would have been a much better choice).

Despite a high learning curve and some questionable design choices, 2009 BC remained a very fun and challenging game for me. It's got great graphics, huge environments, a nice OST that reminisces 1988 BC's own OST. Also stellar voice acting from Mike Patton of all people! Most importantly of all, 2009 BC actually feels like proper Bionic Commando, and given the complexity of the movement requirements for that, it's quite an impressive feat of programming. If you get good at this game, you will be amazed at the chaotic insanity you manage to engage in and survive. The intense combat combined with the frantic aerial travel is often astounding. For high skill action gaming enthusiasts, 2009 Bionic Commando is not a game to swing past.

100%PC

Excellent!

50%Xbox 360

clunky controls. takes about an hour to get used to. a must play if you were a fan of the nes game. has good action at times but has bad voice acting and a semi predictable plot at some points.

80%PC

The 1988 NES version of Bionic Commando is remembered fondly by many gamers. It offered open ended story line driven action that was unmatched at the time of its release. It took publisher Capcom twenty years to revisit Bionic Commando, but the result is a fully three dimensional adventure that takes place ten years after the events of the original game.

Bionic Commando follows the hero Nathan Spencer as he is dropped into a recently bombed city to thwart the enemy at all costs. The graphics are superb and the massive levels are rendered in a way that makes a war torn city a true sight to behold. The maps are never repetitive and always allow numerous ways to proceed. The sound track too is epic in nature and feels like a high budget movie score. The inclusion of modern remakes of the original NES songs is a welcome touch that all but guarantees some reminiscing for older players.

Your first moments with Bionic Commando can be a bit intimidating. The mechanics of using the bionic arm to swing your way around the environment are so unlike any other game that it can take some time to get used to. Once acclimated to the controls the arm allows a unique and thrilling freedom of movement which gets the player around the immense maps quickly and easily. While Spencer carries a gun and a few other special weapons the arm is the most fun and effective means to eliminate the packs of enemies in your path. Whether using the arm to throw your enemies at each other, grabbing them and using them as human shields, or simply hurling yourself at them feet first the arm never gets old.

A few questionable inclusions in Bionic Commando mar what is otherwise a top notch game. The on screen hints refer to XBOX controls which smacks of a lazy porting process. The game uses a check point save system which can mean the player is often forced to replay sections of the game again and again before reattempting the sections that are ultimately giving them trouble. Lastly, though the levels are immense and exploration is encouraged, invisible “radioactive” zones create borders to the map that kill the player instantly. There is almost no warning when straying into such zones which can become frustrating.

Bionic Commando received mostly mediocre reviews and was one of Capcom’s worst selling games of all time. The harsh criticism and poor sales are almost entirely undeserved. At a budget price its almost eight hours of game play are a real joy and an exceptional addition to any collection. Though the voice acting (by Faith No More’s Mike Patton) is pretty terrible, the rest of the experience, especially the massive boss battles, are unforgettable. It has its flaws, but Bionic Commando is ultimately a game worth playing.

75%No Platform Specified

It's been an incredibly long time since Nathan Spencer swung onto a console, and for the most part, his return is a solid one. Bionic Commando provides an updated adventure for the classic hero, sending him as a one man army against daunting odds to save the world once again. If you can look past the replayability issues that crop up due to the linear play and the tons of screen and texture tears, you'll find an enjoyable adventure that easily re-establishes the franchise for Capcom. You've been out of duty for way too long, Spencer – Hopefully you'll come back sooner than later.