G.I.JOE: Wrath of the Cobra PC Review
Summary: G.I.JOE: Wrath of the Cobra is a competent, if unremarkable beat 'em up that doesn't stand out in anyway beyond the attached IP. Let down by repetitive combat and lacklustre enemy variety.
3.6
Disappointingly basic
G.I.JOE: Wrath of the Cobra, developed by Maple Powered Games takes the arcade classic, Streets of Rage-esque gameplay of the side-scrolling beat ‘em up, and attempts to bring it up to a modern standard.
The Cobra Commander and his minions have reared their heads once again to threaten the world, and it’s up to G.I.JOE to stop their evil plans and save the world once again.
As mentioned in the opening, G.I.JOE: Wrath of the Cobra goes down the traditional beat ‘em up route, as set by titles such as Streets of Rage, Battletoads, and Golden Axe. A side-scrolling brawler, with legions of enemies entering the scene, halting progression until they’re defeated. Each stage culminates with a boss fight.
To begin with, there are four different playable characters, with two more being unlockable, each with unique stats and strengths. Some are quicker but take and give out less damage, others are glass cannons, dealing out big damage but able to take relatively low amounts in return; And the others fall somewhere in the middle.
The gameplay itself is fairly unsophisticated. Mashing the X button performs a variety of punches and kicks, all combed together to deal damage. Y performs a charge attack that’s unique to each character, often lunging forward or tossing an enemy away in some manner. Finally, a special attack can be performed periodically. This attack is governed by a metre, filled by defeating enemies and collecting disks that they drop. This attack can clear the screen or deploy an NPC to help in battle amongst other things.
That’s gameplay in its entirety, more or less. If you’ve played any other games in this genre it will feel immediately familiar. It doesn’t really do anything new in this respect and concentrates on getting the fundamentals of the genre down. G.I.JOE: Wrath of the Cobra succeeds in this, and for the most part it plays well. Move feels a little slippery to me, as if the player doesn’t have quite enough weight or traction behind them, but it doesn’t impact the game.
What does impact the game though, is the lack of move or combat variety. You’re going to be spending a lot of time hammering away at the X button, performing the same combos over and over again. Occasional enemies have weapons that can be knocked from their hands, picked up, and used, but that still translates to hitting X over and over again. There are plenty of different enemy types across the stages, but there’s very little to distinguish between them, other than visuals. It’s a shame because everything else around this is put together well.
The visuals are pixel art, as you might expect for a game that positions itself as a bit of a throwback. They’re mostly well done, perhaps a little on the simplistic side at times, but for the most part they’re pleasant to look at. Animations are silky smooth, transitioning from one action to another effortlessly. The audio stands out a little more than the visuals. Music is upbeat and cheerful, and sound effects pop and usually have suitable amounts of punch to them.
Final Thoughts?
G.I.JOE: Wrath of the Cobra is a game that I’ve struggled to find anything interesting to say about. It’s by no means a bad game, but it isn’t great, either. Which is perhaps its biggest sin. I ultimately grew bored of it relatively quickly. The repetitive combat loop rapidly killed off any enthusiasm I had for playing the game longer. Which is a shame because it has reasons to keep playing. An array of new modes and characters can be purchased from an in-game store and there’s couch co-op to play with friends (though sadly no online play).
At the current price point, it’s a little difficult to recommend. One to grab in a sale if you’re interested in checking it out.
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