The digital delights of Sony’s scrumptious PlayStation Network service know no bounds. Aside from letting punters compete in online gaming, stream films, browse the Internet and more, its premier attraction rests in the copious supply of downloadable games ripe for the picking. From PSN exclusives to PSOne Classics, minis and plain old add-on content, Sony’s online space is chock full of goodies battling it out for your hard-earned digital dollars.
Welcome back to another installment of Inside PlayStation Network, where every Monday – Friday we’ll pluck a PSN release—be it new or old—and put it in the spotlight for a thorough dissection. Fancy getting a new PSN game but don’t know what one to plump for? Perhaps this feature will help. Didn’t realize that a game was available in your region until now? We’ve got you covered. Or, perhaps you were musing over what those lucky Japanese folk were tucking into over in the Land of the Rising Sun? You can be sure our coverage will extend to those rare regional exclusives as much as those firmly embedded on the public consciousness.
Today’s entry focuses on Capcom’s retro-flavoured sequel Bionic Commando Rearmed 2.
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Developer: Fatshark
Region(s) available: North America, Europe
Players: 1-2
Capcom’s attempts to reinvigorate the classic Bionic Commando series have proved a mixed bag to say the least. While the retro-inspired Rearmed proved a colossal success over on PlayStation Network and Xbox LIVE Arcade, last year’s full-blown eponymous console outing didn’t resonate all that well with the gaming public. Let’s not beat around the bush – it flopped. A pity too, as the game managed to create a successful amalgamation of both new and old ideas, making for a compelling Commando package. It wasn’t perfect by any means, but offered a peak at the potential direction the IP could have taken had it not nose-dived at retail. Still, after taking a step back to survey the wreckage, Capcom’s licked its wounds and returned to the 2D landscape with a follow up to 2008’s Bionic Commando Rearmed – titled, rather unimaginatively, Bionic Commando Rearmed 2.
Plot-wise we pick up a couple of years after the original Rearmed, with flame-haired hero Nathan Spencer on a mission to locate the missing FSA big cheese Colonel Buebaker. If that wasn’t enough, he’s also got to neutralize an evil dictator chap from the Papagayan Islands who has threatened to attack the FSA HQ. Once again adhering to the lauded 2.5D viewpoint, Rearmed 2 has players hopping into Spencer’s boots as he traverses a collection of vibrant locales while bumping off baddies with his meaty bionic arm. This time, however, developer Fatshark has thrown in a heap of new features to differentiate the sequel from its predecessor, some of which popped up in Bionic Commando (2009). One of the most conspicuous is Death from Above, a particularly handy move that allows you to leap into the air, crash down on the floor and send a nasty shockwave that damage nearby enemies.
Also fresh to the mix is the Components feature, which lets you augment your hero with various abilities by equipping them with upgrades. Among these include a Grenade Launcher attachment for the bionic arm, along with health regeneration functionality. You can also switch up or charge your character’s abilities at various Upgrade Kiosks dotted throughout each level. Bio Vision also makes its debut in Rearmed 2, allowing you to snoop for secrets as well as obtain Intel on enemies and locations. Spencer’s also a little more mobile this time around, with the ability to jump and clamber up small objects thrown into the pot. On the flip side, you can also opt to turn off the jump button if you see fit and attempt to finish the game off with your feet firmly planted on the ground.
The sequel’s elbowed a few features out the window, however, notably the top-down stages that the inaugural Rearmed utilized to alert players of an impending enemy attack. Depth-wise there’s plenty to sink your teeth into, with the game boasting a meaty single-player campaign and a particularly tricky gaggle of challenge levels to test your skills at. Plus, the inclusion of upgrades gives you the chance to have a poke about in earlier levels to unlock areas you were previously unable to reach. Indeed, there are ample secrets to uncover throughout each level, offering plenty of incentive to grappling-hook your way back into the action and snag hidden bonuses such as extra lives and more. Multiplayer has once again been included, though the developers have limited co-op play to local games only in favour of offering a more substantial single-player component. And as mentioned, it certainly shows.
Join us again tomorrow as we once again step Inside PlayStation Network.