Imagine a 3D
Commando, the underrated NES shooter, and you should have a pretty clear picture of the
G.I. Joe movie game tie-in. With a third-person, behind the back, locked camera perspective, you must constantly press forward, unleashing an endless stream of bullets and melee attacks, occasionally taking cover behind the conveniently placed cement barrier.
Your battles waged best in local co-op, as two Joes go into every battle. To make things easier, the entire game can be played with just the left analog stick and the right trigger, and health can be shared between partners. So, if your mother or jockey brother or grumpy neighbor who never plays games wants in on some Joe fun, invite them over. For the more hardcore, more complex control options can be layered on from the beginning of the game. That said, if you cant find a nearby partner (multiplayer action online is still up in the air), you have the option to switch between these two Joes with the tap of a button, or just let the AI provide battlefield support.
In our demo, the two American heroes were Snake Eyes and Heavy Duty, though weve been assured many more will be available at releaseScarlett and Gung-Ho were name dropped in passing, as was Duke (natch). Each Joe has a unique action and weapon. For example, Snake Eyes employs a dashing katana melee attack and wields a pistol for long-range needs. The soldiers also have the Yo Joe power-up (think Marios gold star) to help take out swarms of enemies. When activated, the Joe dons an Accelerated Suitthe gnarly body gear we see in the trailer when the folks leap over cars down the streetthat momentarily grants them extra strength and invincibility.
To unlock more Joes and fully navigate the games 20 some missions, players must collect various forms of intel scattered across the stages. Our personal favorites are the intel cards, which resemble those on the back of the original G.I. Joe toys boxes. With these various intel pieces and the points you acquire from kills, the player will be able to unlock goodies like new characters and some classic GI Joe PSAs. No word on possible body massage machines or pork chop sandwiches.
The mission system resembles the modern LEGO franchise. There are three classes: commandos, combat soldiers and heavies. Certain areas are reserved for a particular class, as the designers hope youll spend time replaying levels with different characters. However, the mission hub is The Pit, now a mobile unit to match up with the movie, designed as a 3D menu; this is different from the LEGO franchises 3D world hubs.
Visually,
G.I. Joe looks fine, though were hesitant to judge the graphics at this pre-alpha stage. To say one thing, the character models have an action figure aesthetic that shows promise for the overall look. Wed like to see a few more passes at the special effects and textures, and were sure the folks at EA will toiling with the product over the coming months as its early August release nears. To be frank, were also a little sad it wont be downloadable content. Right now, the non-split screen, co-op feels perfectly old school, an easy impulse buy over Live or PSN, but 60 bucks seems pretty steep for that sort of experience. Hopefully additional features will make this a more complete package.
On a personal note, kudos to Varietys former video game editor, Ben Fritz, who broke EAs development of the
G.I. Joe movie game
nearly a full year in advance. Love him or hate him, thats some damn good journalism.
I knew something didn't look right and sure 'nuff thats it.
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