Bionic Commando First Look

Capcom's classic, Bionic Commando, made a great impact on the North American market back in 1988. Featuring a compelling lead character and his unique bionic arm used to swing every which way, BC was a success on the C64 and in arcades. The popularity of the franchise peaked with the release of the NES version. Contrary to that, Bionic Commando never really garnered much attention on Japanese soil, which is probably one of the main reasons why Capcom never got around to reinvigorating the franchise, despite a huge community of eager US fans awaiting a comeback of some sort. Luckily for them, after many years of waiting, the remake of Bionic Commando finally swings into view and is about to hit next-generation consoles and the PC.

As revealed, the game will be handled by Swedish development studio GRIN, recognized for the PC versions of both games in Ubi's Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter sub-series. The interesting thing, however, is that Ben Judd will be playing a huge part during production. Starting out as a Japanese translator for the well-known publisher, Judd is now the first American Producer at Capcom, and was the one who kept pushing for the project for many years, until the folks at Capcom gave it a green light.

The new edition of Bionic Commando kicks off 10 years after the original game, as players assume the role of hero Nathan Spencer. Some fans might object to the new name of the main character (Nathan), since he was popularly referred to as Radd Spencer. However, the old game went through many releases and the male protagonist subsequently carried different names. So, I guess Nathan doesn't sound too bad.

Anyway, our hero is a highly decorated government operative, who is eventually betrayed by his commander, Super Joe (another name that should instantly be familiar to fans). Spencer's powerful bionic arm was removed and he gets thrown in the slammer for crimes he didn't commit. In a sudden quirk of fate, a devastating weapon detonates in Ascension City on the very day Spencer was to be executed. The situation in the city changes dramatically and Super Joe is left with no alternative but to offer Spencer a deal. Should Spencer manage to eliminate Bio-Rain, a terrorist group responsible for the catastrophic attacks on the city, his name will be cleared. Equipped with a new bionic arm, our hero goes forth to face his enemies.

The first thing that awaits players is swinging through the massive urban post-apocalyptic jungle. His special bionic arm is fitted with a grappling device that allows him to grab hold of almost any surface. Of course, you cannot attach to every surface or object, which is where the onscreen reticule comes in; it changes according to the surface it's on. Next to the swinging bit, hugely similar to current-gen Spider-man games, Bionic Commando promises to feature a decent range of gameplay elements to keep the player's attention.

Environmental interaction is a crucial component when facing opponents. Your strong mechanical limb gives the advantage of grappling and pulling huge objects to use against foes. Grab and drag large objects from the city wreckage (like cars, lampposts, rocks, etc.) to squash enemies that get in your way. In similar fashion, enemies can be grabbed and pulled around too. All those who face Spencer up close and personal, are also in for a surprise. Our hero is capable of delivering rather painful blows with his arm to anyone who dares approach him. (A huge metal arm and he can use it to punch?! Astounding! - Ed) Additional firearms were promised as well, to complement the main character's powerful appendage. One of the trailers demonstrated some sort of a sniper weapon, but we are yet to find out what further additions are planned for Spencer's arsenal.

Apart from punching opponents, swinging around and tossing stuff, your character can zip upwards along a wire (similar to what was seen in Capcom's Lost Planet). Supposedly, the arm gives players a lot of freedom, both in terms of movement and combat. Other abilities may be unlocked throughout the course of the campaign, which is likely to offer a semi-linear structure.

At this early stage of development, not much is known about what sort of enemies you'll be fighting and how they will react to your style of play. Bio-Rain terrorists, who are likely to be the most frequent, are blessed with genetic and bionic enhancements too, so you're not the only beefed up kid on the block.