Bionic Commando

Play Magazine

The gameplay is sheer perfection, the score is superb and the detail for a game this size is plain crazy.

AtomicGamer

RAD's return had a lot to live up to, and it mostly succeeds at rebooting a long-loved franchise, delivering a title fans of the original will appreciate, while introducing newcomers to an excellent action game that hopefully sees a sequel.

TeamXbox

Did GRIN do the original game justice? Definitely. GRIN has put Bionic Commando back on the map—with both of its titles, actually. Now let’s hope that Capcom keeps the cyborgs a-comin’. Two decades is too long to wait for a follow-up from such a compelling franchise.

ZTGameDomain

Yet another fantastic update to a classic franchise from Capcom.

X360 Magazine UK

A faithful update with an excellent swing mechanic, giant set pieces and a meaty challenge, Bionic Commando is an action game with a twist. [Issue#46, p.80]

InsideGamer.nl

Bionic Commando is a great experience for action-fans. Flying around with your bionic arm is lovely and we just love the action which comes out of that. There is a lot of stuff to discover and the soundtrack is superb. The only downfall of the game is that the story is a bit short.

VideoGamer

Bionic Commando will frustrate many gamers, but get past the initial swinging learning curve and you'll find a highly entertaining action game that tries to do something a bit different.

Gameplayer Sweden

A bold fusion of platforming and action that delivers a unique experience despite being marred by some poor design decisions and technical limitations.

GameCritics

Putting aside expectations of what some uninformed writers may think it should be, I was quite glad to take Bionic Commando for what it is—an absolutely faithful reimagining of an undisputed classic, smartly crafted and brought elegantly into the current generation.

Gamer.nl

The game was worth waiting for. The action feels like Robocop meets Rambo with a little extra. Furthermore Bionic Commando features some references to the old game that will give the veteran a nostalgic feeling. The storyline and non linear gameplay spoil the fun a little bit, but in the end the game does exactly what is expected: shoot, stomp and swing.

Vandal Online

They already showed what they were capable of when adapting the original Bionic: Commando, and now the guys at GRIN have surpassed themselves translating the original concept to 3D, with a sequel that will please both series followers and newcomers for its approach and visual quality.

Official Xbox Magazine

Bionic Commando embraces its new 3D surroundings and thrives within them. By making you feel more powerful as you progress and dishing out Achievement points at a steady pace, it makes it difficult to put down the controller.

IGN

If you can look past the replayability issues that crop up due to the linear play, you'll find an enjoyable adventure that easily re-establishes the franchise for Capcom.

Giant Bomb

Bionic Commando goes back and forth between moments of great, navigation-based gameplay and a lot of little touches that don't work as well as you'd like. It makes the final product a little frustrating, because you can almost see a better game trying to bust its way out of its constraints.

Cynamite

Entertaining, fun action game with a fresh concept, nice graphics and a lot of humor.

GamePro

Even multiplayer is a strange blend of inspiration and worn convention.

MondoXbox

Amongst its many merits and defects, Bionic Commando left us the memory of an entertaining and fresh play experience. If you aren't easily discouraged by a somewhat complex control system and the occasional difficulty spikes, Capcom's new game will be able to give you some memorable moments and a positively different experience from the crowd of modern third person shooters.

GamesNation

Action games lovers will find that Bionic Commando tastes like their favourite piece of cake, but not quite so. Fun to play, difficult enough to keep you motivated and technically valuable, it is unfortunately mined by a narrow structure, an improvable control system and a set of bonuses and objects that are a bit too difficult to obtain.

Planet Xbox 360

In the end, the action is more than satisfactory and the storyline is paced well, so Bionic Commando isn’t to be overlooked by fans of the genre.

3DJuegos

Those who want the real Bionic Commando experience should try the original one, or if they are in the graphic and technological mood maybe the Rearmed remake. By the way the new Bionic Commando is a nice action effort, but maybe too cyclic and little bit unresponsive at times.

Games Master UK

When a game is built around a single mechanic that is employed so well, so often and so entertainingly it's hard not to overlook its flaws and just enjoy yourself. [June 2009, p.70]

GameTrailers

After playing it, you come away wishing that it focused more on what's best about it, namely, the bionic arm's potential as a weapon and means of mobility. You have to give the game credit, though-it admirably delivers on a concept that seems very difficult to realize, and the results are usually a lot of fun.

NZGamer

In the end the high difficulty will drive away casual gamers so trying the demo first is a must. But between the tough bosses and fast gameplay, this is a worthy successor to the NES original.

Cheat Code Central

Bionic Commando is an interesting single-player experience many gamers are likely to enjoy. Disappointingly, the multiplayer experience is entirely forgettable, and not all of the wonderfully tacky elements of the series were well translated this time around.

Multiplayer.it

Bionic Commando's come back is a tight turn toward the nowadays all popular shooters' gameplay. It's not a bad thing in itself, but the newcomers could be more pleased by this new adventure, than old school fans ,who will be probably missing some of the elements which made the first chapter an instant classic.

Xbox360Achievements

This game is easy to pick up and plenty of fun to play. You may well get frustrated with the swinging mechanic after a while but once you become familiar with it the whole thing falls into place. Sadly the campaign will not last you very long at all and the multiplayer is more of a novelty than a long term investment.

Game Revolution

It lacks the balance it would take to make it something really great, but what is there is fun, just not as phenomenal as some of Capcom's more recent franchise reboots.

Gaming Nexus

You'll have a lot of fun with this new Bionic Commando, but he ultimately plays it safe in his first adventure in twenty years.

MS Xbox World

Bionic Commando as a third person action game is pretty average and not necessarily the most accommodating of games - especially in regards to the masses of gamers who want instant gratification pick up and play experience.

Play.tm

GRIN have successfully created the right tools, but failed to provide the proper playground to make you want to play with them.

GamingXP

Bionic Commando is a worthy successor to its original, but not perfect. If you can handle the complex controls, you will have a good action game with a nice storyline.

Gamervision

Overall, there's some fun to be had swinging around the ruins of Ascension City, but don't be fooled - it's a flawed experience. The game's campaign is fairly entertaining, but lacks any real depth or originality, falling short of living up to the Bionic Commando name.

WonderwallWeb

Despite having some flaws, Bionic Commando is a gripping action game which gives you plenty of value for money.

GameZone

The real question here is whether or not Bionic Commando lives up to its beloved predecessor. The short answer is no, but that doesn’t mean that action fans won’t have a good time swinging around the city.

Eurogamer

Bionic Commando succeeds in resurrecting a good idea lost to the Capcom archives, and giving it a new lease of life, but it falls foul of a few old standards in the process.

IGN UK

Taken on its own merits it is a solid if unspectacular third-person action game, and about the unkindest thing you could say about it is that it is bland and inoffensive.

Telegraph

Irritations aside, there’s rarely a dull moment and a delightfully ludicrous storyline with high-camp villains frames the action nicely. As such, Bionic Commando at its best is a macho, cheeseball 80s action movie that Arnie or Sly would have been proud of.

Meristation

Bionic Commando could have been something really big, but it failed to use all of its potential. A fun and interesting game that has a lot to offer, a great action-packed game that does great on both consoles and PC, but it should have fared much better.

XGN

Despite its shortcomings, Bionic Commando has become a nice game. Swinging from building to building in a destroyed Ascension City is a nice experience, and the vast amount of cool action make up for most flaws in the game.

Worth Playing

As a playing experience, Bionic Commando is certainly worth some hours of your life.

Totally360

Overall, this is definitely a fun game.

Everyeye.it

After the first, frustrating, hours of apprenticeship, Bionic Commando confirm our first expectations. The game, taking advantage of his illustrious ancestors legacy and introducing some refreshing feature (the arpoon, for example), succeed to outcrop from mediocrity, positioning in the middle-higher level of our personal ranking.

Total Video Games

While the combat is a bit of a letdown, the high bar for difficulty is certainly more addictive than it is frustrating, which compensates for the title's shortcomings and fittingly punctuates a solid piece of work.

Thunderbolt

An enjoyable yet flawed action game. It takes a while to get going, but once it does the swinging mechanics come into their own and there’s plenty of fun to be had over its six hour runtime. There are just too many roadblocks stopping it from becoming great, and that’s the worst disservice of all.

NTSC-uk

Bionic Commando is a flawed game that suffers at the hands of engine limitations and tacked-on multiplayer. The game is immensely enjoyable for players who put the effort in to master the swinging and combat, but sometimes the frustrating sections threaten to overwhelm the rest of the experience.

Level7.nu

Bionic Commando is a fun, although somewhat unfinished, action title where the main attraction being the swinging mechanic the series was made famous for. Not only good for swinging, the bionic arm is also a vital part of the combat gameplay as it allows you to toss enemies and rubble alike with ease. Although the straightforward action setup in the game is an homage to the 20 year old original it fails to really motivate the player. A poor excuse for invisible walls, bleak level design and unimpressive firearms does hurt the overall impression of what could have been a really great game.

MEGamers

Bionic Commando could have been a great game, if only a little more effort was put into the storyline to actually convince players to keep on going through the levels.

SpazioGames

Despite the not-so-bad first impressions, Bionic Commando is a disappointing game. Linearity is not a drawback by itself, it's more about the way it has been pushed into the game, which often delivers loads of frustration... Long and frequent loading times, lousy A.I., and inaccurate controls just confirm that this is not a Capcom game, but more a Grin one. Let's hope Capcom itself will be on the next RAD Spencer incarnation: all it needs is some polish.

Game Informer

It's hard to forget the unresponsive controls, ludicrous story, and questionable combat encounters. The game is uneven and inconsistent enough to scare away even eager fans who have patiently waited 20 years for another swing. [June 2009, p.83]

Edge Magazine

The overriding impression is of a game that's physically too big for its action. [June 2009, p.88]

GameSpy

Crappy story and occasional boring moments aside, Bionic Commando is a good game, akin to a summer popcorn flick. It won't stick with you, but it'll certainly entertain you. When the action amps up it feels awesome; it's just too bad that those moments couldn't have comprised the game's entirety.

GameSpot

Bionic Commando has some enjoyable moments, but consistent fun always seems just out of arm's reach.

DarkZero

Even these best intentions cannot hide the fact the game never consistently hits the epic feeling most will feel it should.

Official Xbox Magazine UK

Ultimately, what should have been a very entertaining game is spoiled by levels that are too short and too uninspiring. It's like having a really cool motorbike but only a couple of miles to drive it on.

games(TM)

After several hours of increasingly punishing shoot/swing repetition, all the good ideas come at once in the last hour or so. [June 2009, p.108]

Eurogamer Spain

Bionic Commando is a bag of mixed sensations. It's a fun game with some clever moments, but it's also one with an annoying lack of liberty, a deficient AI and controls that no always respond as well as they should.

GameDaily

If you dig the swinging and master the controls, you might find this sequel worthy of its legendary name. Other players, however, will discover a linear game banking on a gimmick.

Game Positive

If the level design did a better job of integrating exploration, platforming, and environmental puzzles, it could have overcome its deficiencies on the combat front. As it is now, Bionic Commando is only worth a rent or bargain bin purchase.

Xbox World 360 Magazine UK

There's fun (in parts) but this is technically iffy and delivers a limited world.

1UP

It does a lot of things right (great looking graphics, fun multiplayer, and quality voice work), but it's constantly held back by unfortunate design decisions that replace satisfaction with frustration.

Gaming Age

It's not a horrible game, and it does provide some fun for the 8 or so hours of gameplay, but it's not particularly exciting or noteworthy either.

ActionTrip

We regret the developers didn't devote more attention to this game. The gameplay is flawed, though it does have some potential and relatively entertaining combat.

Wired

The concepts behind the new Bionic Commando are strong, but the moment-to-moment action just doesn’t deliver on the promise of how awesome it would be to have a grappling hook instead of a hand.

Teletext GameCentral

Hugely disappointing retro reboot that fails to offer any of the freedom or fun its premise suggests.

Destructoid

It isn't what I would call a bad game but it's far from being a good one and the possibilities for it being great went unrealized.