G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra Review for PlayStation 3 (PS3)

System: X360, PS3	Review Rating Legend
Dev: Double Helix	1.0 - 1.9 = Avoid	4.0 - 4.4 = Great
Pub: Electronic Arts	2.0 - 2.4 = Poor	4.5 - 4.9 = Must Buy
Release: Aug. 4, 2009	2.5 - 2.9 = Average	5.0 = The Best
Players: 1-2	3.0 - 3.4 = Fair
ESRB Rating: Teen	3.5 - 3.9 = Good

The game also allows players to take advantage of a beefed up arsenal and the Accelerator Suits featured in the upcoming movie. Players will constantly gain up to three special combat actions. These simply make you more devastating for a few seconds, allowing you to rip through more challenging baddies. Further dumbing down the challenge is the inclusion of Accelerator Suits - talk about lame! By racking up kills and points, players will eventually fill a power meter that allows them to become invincible for a not-so-short period of time. By saving this ultimate powerup for ideal moments, there's nothing aligned against you that can stop you. Truly, the Accelerator Suit foiled most of the game's challenge, I've also got a feeling it's going to be even more detrimental to the appeal of the film.

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra screenshot

Strewn throughout the game is a load of pickups that, while adding a meta-game component to the mix, are little more than inane fodder for OCD completionists. Sure, I like the idea of unlocking concept art, cinematics, and cartoon clips, but there's nothing substantial to make me want to waste my time. The only ones that felt rewarding were contact dog tags which allow you to unlock more playable characters. That being said, these collectibles are forced fed to you, requiring no investment in time other than advancing the plot.

Presentation in G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra was simply not where it needed to be. Visually, the game is polluted by fuzzy resolution, poor textures, featureless environments, stilted animations, and meager cinemas. The graphics are acceptable for facilitating gameplay, but they're certainly not up to snuff. On the aural side, the musical themes are of high quality, as they were created specifically for the game by Cris Velasco and Sascha Dikiciyan at Monarch Audio. Hopefully the movie boasts as good a score. Ironically, voice over work was supplied by the movie's cast, but it is some of the worst I've heard. Dennis Quaid's portrayal of Hawk is particularly grating.

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra isn't exactly fan service, as it changes a lot of the conventions established through the cartoons and action figures. Still, it will likely appeal to youngsters craving to blast around the world of G.I. Joe. Too bad the Teen rating will frustrate the target audience's chances of getting their hands on the title. The co-op functionality and the vast array of collectibles are nice additions on the surface, but being unable to play with friends online and not unlocking anything substantial keeps the experience lackluster.

By Jonathan Marx
CCC Editor / News Director

RATING OUT OF 5

RATING DESCRIPTION

2.7

Graphics
The fuzzy, cookie-cutter visuals are enough to get the job done but little else.

3.1

Control
It's technically easy to blast your way through this game, but the auto-targeting feature and CPU-controlled camera could have used a lot more work.

2.8

Music / Sound FX / Voice Acting
While the musical themes are solid – an obvious highlight of the game – the voice over work is painfully kitschy to listen to.

2.8

Play Value
Twenty missions, lots of collectibles, and co-op play can't make up for the fact that this is a forgettable title.

2.9

Overall Rating - Average
Not an average. See Rating legend above for a final score breakdown.

Game Features:

Exclusive all-new storyline that picks up where the film ends and is inspired by 45 years of rich G.I.JOE history.

Two player co-op lets players choose an elite team and call in support from other G.I. JOE characters.

Choose from 16 playable characters (four of which are unlockable COBRA characters) - each with a unique set of abilities and weapons.

Announced G.I. JOE characters include Snake Eyes, Duke, Heavy Duty, Ripcord, Scarlett, Shipwreck and Gung Ho.

Storm Shadow has been revealed as an unlockable playable COBRA character.

Characters are classified into one of three units: Commandos who do well at close range, Heavys who possess extraordinary shooting skills but do it best from a distance and Combat Soldiers who are a balance between the two.

Gear up with the latest in high-tech gadgets like the film-inspired Accelerator Suit which makes you invincible and gives you short bursts of additional fire power.

Drivable G.I. JOE and COBRA vehicles designed for two-player co-op.

Three difficulty levels - appealing to players of all ages and skill levels (Casual, Advanced and Hardcore)

20 levels - each with 3-5 areas to explore - across four environments.

75 file cards and various intelligence items hidden throughout the game which can be used to unlock additional playable characters, special missions, 4 PSAs and other bonus content.