The Return of Rad

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In this day and age, "retro" can come in all shapes and sizes. We have straight ports that don't change a thing, as well as remakes that fundamentally redesign the original concepts. The first Bionic Commando Rearmed is neither of those. It adds a few tweaks and balances the difficulty level, but otherwise, it leaves the original game alone. It was successful, so it's only natural that Capcom is bringing us Bionic Commando Rearmed 2. Though they're being tight-lipped regarding the title, it's looking pretty good.

Though BCR's development studio GRIN has shut down, BCR2 isn't being handled by people who don't know the franchise. In fact, it is being helmed by a number of GRIN veterans at Fatshark. So, first off, you can rest assured that the game is in good hands.

The second I pick up the controller, I hear a voice. It's telling me to press a certain button. I do, and Nathan "Rad" Spencer jumps. This doesn't come as a shock to me, but it may for those who don't know much about this game. It's nice to finally have a jump button, but it leaves a question in my mind: does this mean that the level design will become much more challenging? Bear in mind, the original BCR was merciless at times.

Fret not, retro enthusiasts; Fatshark didn't just add a jump button and call it a day. They've taken the Death From Above mechanic from last year's Bionic Commando reboot and applied it to Rearmed 2. If you find yourself swinging high and see a cluster of enemies below you, you can have Spencer slam into the ground with a frightening amount of force. Just be sure to avoid any red barrels.

Some gamers may find themselves confused with regards to what they can and cannot interact with. Rearmed 2 will fix that; Spencer can now scan the environment for these kinds of things.

The level featured on the E3 show floor follows Spencer as he razes a seaside base that looks like it's seen better days. Explosions rock the place, and the entire area is on alert. If this was intended to be a stealth mission, something has gone seriously wrong. Trucks pull up in unexpected places and unload enemy after enemy. I notice that there's a lot more going on here than in any part of the first game. This is probably because Fatshark is going into uncharted territory, and therefore have more free reign with regards to level development.

Here's hoping that the Bionic Commando Rearmed series doesn't fall prey to the dreaded sophomore slump. Based on its E3 showing, though, that doesn't look too likely. Bionic Commando Rearmed 2 will swing in next year.

STAT BOX
Product
Bionic Commando Rearmed 2
Company
Capcom
Date
06/21/2010