Standard Serpent- G.I. Joe: Rise of the Cobra Reviewed

G.I. Joe: Rise of the Cobra for the 360/PS3. Developer: Double Helix, Publisher: EA ESRB: T

For many gamers, depth is an obligatory element in their electronic diversions. Not me- growing up in an era of Contra and Gradius, I find the simple intensity of an arcade shooter delightfully relaxing and invigorating. Dropping a steady stream of foes with a barrage of bullets is cathartic medicine for the soul. When I first heard that the videogame adaptation of summer blockbuster G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra was going to be translated into a third-person shooter, I grew excited. Molding the title after the arcade recreations popular during G.I. Joe’s television heyday seemed like a sensible concept.

At its heart, The Rise of Cobra, is a capable blast-a-thon, with an endless supply of personnel, vehicles, and structures to annihilate. Unfortunately, this focus is diverted by a continuous dialogue between players, an unfocused story, loose vehicular controls, and the lack of in-game camera control. Despite these criticisms, Joe aficionados will likely find merit in the game due to its incorporation of unlockable assets.

At its inception in 1964, G.I Joe reflected an American militaristic motif, honoring each of our armed forces. Modern Joe encapsulates a more geographically diverse, paramilitary unit that evokes contemporary PMCs. Luckily, the game’s moral distinctions are clear-cut, with Joes being the heroes, while the Cobra team hell-bent of nefarious global domination. As the game commences, Heavy Duty is imprisoned, requiring the skills of Duke and Scarlett to liberate their comrade. As the title persists, additional Joes will be acquired and added to the player’s available roster. Each soldier has a particular aptitude and armament, and is classified in a close range, marksmen, or hybrid category.

On the battlefield, players move their soldier with the left stick, while the right trigger launches a bombardment of ballistics at any nearby foe. Rise of the Cobra automatically aims toward any enemy or destructible, meaning players will likely march through the game with the fire button depressed. When multiple targets exist, the gamer may choose the direction of their attack with a flick of the right stick. For persistent foes, each protagonist has a secondary weapon with is initiated with a tap of the ‘B’ button. Since Joes hit the battlefield in pairs, a tap of the right trigger will alternate between teammates.

Combat isn’t particularly deep- a cover system is employed, but most structures are quickly destroyed by enemies, eliminating would could have been a tactical element. Forgoing strategy, Rise of the Cobra’s  warfare can still be engrossing , but the title is hurt by the incessant use of dialogue to drive the game’s complicated narrative. Additionally, cut-scenes interrupt the flow of the game, but at least a majority of them can be skipped when playing through a mission a second time. Periodically, the player will be given the use of vehicles, which contain a devastating amount of firepower, but control clumsily. Although the game supports local co-op play, any online foe fragging is inexplicably missing.

One of the most important visual fundamentals of any shooter is a consistent framerate; bouts of frequent slowdown can prohibit the player from becoming immersed in the on-screen carnage. Rise of the Cobra’s refresh rate is remarkably steady, even when multiple explosions fill the screen. This may be attributed to the title’s limited amount of on-screen geometry; both character models and environmental landscapes are somewhat rudimentary. G.I Joe’s greatest graphical fumble may be the game’s camera, which doesn’t allow for any user control. Occasionally, our protagonists were left blindly shooting toward the player, as the title did not recognize a change in the player’s trajectory.

G.I. Joe aficionados will surely appreciate the bonus content, with unlockables that resemble the file cards on the back of action figure boxes, and a handful of campy public service announcements.  More casual Cobra combatants may enjoy the game’s competent, if pedestrian, third-person arcade inspired gameplay. Sometimes a little mindless destruction can be amazingly therapeutic; it’s just a shame that Rise of the Cobra‘s medicine wasn’t undiluted.


                                                 G.I. Joe: Rise of the Cobra was reviewed on retail Xbox 360 code.

About Robert Allen

Since being a toddler, Robert Allen has been immersed in video games, anime, and tokusatsu. Currently, his days are spent teaching at two southern California colleges. But his evenings and weekends are filled with STGs, RPGs, and action titles and well at writing for Tech-Gaming since 2007.

52 comments

  1. This seems to be getting hammered by all the gaming sites.

  2. Will it be better than the movie? That’s the real question.

  3. My friends want to see the movie. I’d rather play the game. Thanks for the review. Seemed very fair.

  4. IGN said the graphics look N64 quality. Are they really THAT bad?

  5. Isn’t this selling for $49.99. Even with a $10 discount, I’m going to have to wait on this one.

  6. I’ll probably pick this up when it hit the $20 mark, judging by the reviews, it should be soon.

  7. Painless Fragger

    What’s that an “F”, then?

  8. http://www.1up.com/do/reviewPage?cId=3175464&p=4

    A D+ from 1up. This doesn’t look good.

  9. I also think shooters are relaxing. Reminds me of Mercs.

  10. Why does Heavy Duty have a bigass “HD” on his back? Stupid!

  11. Electric Relaxation

    What others shooters does this resemble DE?

  12. While you guys were nice on the game, most sites are calling this a shameless cash-in.

  13. They should have made it into a RTS. That would have been awesome, Halo Wars style.

  14. I played it for a little while yesterday. I have to agree with this review. Most sites are being way too harsh. It’s just a simple shooter. Nothing too fancy.

  15. Sound good enough for a Gamefly rental.

  16. Double Helix made Earthworm Jim, which was a great game. No reason this is second-rate.

  17. I’ll be seeing the movie today. I hear it’s not too bad, sounds like the game.

  18. That was when David Perry was with Shiny. He has long since left.

    Programmers from Shiny+Collective=Double Helix.

  19. RocksontheScotch

    Who knows how the Metacritic figures out their scores. They are broken.

  20. Yeah, probably too nice.

  21. The great American hero has let us down.

  22. Thanks for the review.

  23. Intelligent Zombie

    At least it came out a time when not much else is coming out.

  24. No interest in GI Joe.

  25. Nice explosion. That’s important in a shooter.

  26. Are GI Joes really ‘soldiers’ if they aren’t part of the Army?

  27. God question. G.I.=General Infantry, a term traditionally used by the Army. So while they aren’t part of the U.S. Armed Forces, they are still soldiers by name.

  28. I think IGN needs to play a few N64 games, before making that claim 😉 No, they aren’t that bad, but not up to usual now-gen quality, either.

  29. Ever play Expendable of the Dreamcast? While many loathed the game, I found it enjoyable, albeit repetitive.

  30. Cloud, I’d have to agree! Good call.

  31. Thanks for the review. Yo Joe!

  32. I’ll let everyone know which is better the film or game by 5:00 PM today. Hold your breath.

  33. Never heard of them. Thanks for the info.

    Great review. No online is the deal killer for me.

  34. Its rated Teen? That means most of the people interested in this won’t be able to play it.

  35. Great review!

  36. oh noes, Joes! Maybe the top down DS shooter will be better. Will you guys review that?

  37. DE finds worth in worthless games!

  38. RamBOT First Blood

    Is AirTight in the game?

  39. I loved GI Joe so much as a kid. This movie and game are mental anguish.

    Trivia: What G.I. Joe team member was once accused of treason?

  40. I might grab this if it ever goes on sale, I guess.

  41. If Snowjob isn’t in it, the game is an automatic fail.

  42. Thanks for the review. I definite pass.

  43. I think this snake I’ll stay away from.

  44. Sounds more like Fail of the Cobra.

  45. Great review well written!

  46. How many characters are in there altogether? Can you play the Cobra campaign?

  47. I wonder how long the game was in development.

  48. Good review! I’ll probably see the movie this weekend, and rent the game after wards.

  49. I picked it up today. Casual is too easy, and the other difficulties are frustrating. Graphics are just ok. It really looks like a DLC gamer.