Published on December 16th, 2024 | by Gareth Newnham
GI Joe: Wrath of Cobra (PS5) Review
Summary: A half decent brawler brought low by numerous bugs and technical difficulties
2.8
Oh Joe!
GI Joe: Wrath of Cobra is a competent TMNT-style brawler held back by numerous bugs and technical issues.
After a cheesy Saturday morning cartoon-style opening, I was treated to an opening cinematic in which Cobra Commander unveils his devious plans to take over the world by cloning himself. Then the game crashed.
So I tried again, skipped the end of the cut scene, battled my way through the first level, and just as I landed the killing blow on the first boss. It crashed again.
It was not exactly the best first impression, though thankfully, it did at least recognise that I’d made it to the second level.
However, this wouldn’t be the only time it crashed after I finished a level, or transitioning to or from a cutscene.
It’s a shame too because the brawling is pretty solid. Attacks carry a decent amount of heft when they land. Each of the six playable Joes (four plus two unlockable) handles differently offering a unique playstyle depending on their strengths and weaknesses.
Each also has a different special Roadblock pulls out a Gatling gun, Duke calls in an airstrike, Snake Eyes summons his canine companion to attack enemies, and Scarlett stuns her foes with electrified darts.
Though it’s not perfect. Characters’ sense of locomotion can be slippery, especially when using some of the game’s speedier characters that slide about the environment like a kid skating on a polished floor. This often ends with you diving headfirst into pits and other traps because they can’t slow down in time.
Likewise, if you get trapped between a couple of bad guys with itchy trigger fingers you can get juggled about easily since most attacks can stagger you, draining your health bar in seconds.
I eventually managed to fight through the game’s 12 stages, which take you on a globe-trotting adventure from GI Joe headquarters to Cobra Commander’s lair.
Despite the issues I still managed to have a good time with it, battling the wide variety of enemies that see basic grunts make way to elite troopers with more complex weapons including shields and heavy weapons before making way for robots and vehicles all based on classic GI Joe playsets.
It is surprisingly compelling stuff, as the game’s fairly basic brawling is augmented with satisfying gunplay. Although, the bosses seem to swing between a cakewalk and frustrating and cheap.
The presentation is decent too, nailing that same long-lost 16-bit arcade brawler aesthetic that Shredder’s Revenge and The Karate Kid game did so well. The action is augmented by satisfying grunts and thwacks as you take down the enemies. Bopping along to a soundtrack packed full of driving guitars and that sort of Team America bravado that fits the almost satirically patriotic tone of GI Joe perfectly.
Throughout the game defeated enemies will drop discs that can then be used to unlock new characters and modes, like a harder arcade mode and a boss rush mode, as well as toggles that will double the number of enemies on screen or adjust how hard you hit them.
Final Thoughts
GI Joe Wrath of Cobra is a difficult sell at the moment. It’s not a bad brawler by any means. It has a decent variety of enemies, some nice little twists to the combat, and a campy retro charm that fans of the franchise and classic arcade beat-em-ups will probably find endearing.
However, it’s not fit for purpose at the moment. It crashes regularly, cut scenes don’t activate as they should and even menus don’t work properly. I’m amazed Sony greenlit it for certification. Here’s hoping it can all be fixed with patches, but it’s certainly not a good look.