Bionic Commando: Elite Forces

The Good
I've played every game in the series, so it stands to reason that there's something they all share that I like about them. BC: Elite Forces is no exception. The same unique jump-free platform gameplay is back, and still fun as ever. Also returned are the map, the overhead "encounter" segments, the sort of RPG-ish caspsule level-up system, the variety of weapons and tools, etc. All good stuff, just as they were in previous installments. But what's new you ask?

The Bad
Outside of the ground the series has already tread, this game has little new to offer. There is very little innovation on the original gameplay, and even the new elements, such as being able to charge your gun, the sniper minigames, or the choice of a male or female commando barely contribute or enhance and are barely noticeable. Furthermore this game has the worst graphics in the series - its colour graphics are a joke in comparison to the NES version and even pale to the Gameboy game. Also curiously absent (from what I can tell from the progress I've made through the game so far) there are no longer any town-like neutral areas. The latter is not a huge deal, I guess, but read on for the worst of it...

The most horrible part - the part that turns this game from a slight disapointment to pure insult - is the absolutely terrible bugs that plague the game. I've owned two different copies of the game and both had a tendency to freeze whenever I entered a level, and sometimes during game save. It gets to a point, later on, when I can't even get further because the game pretty much freezes every single time I enter a level. While someone I know did assure me that he owned a copy that was bug-free, the fact that 2/3 of the cartridges I know of have a crippling bug that makes playing the game impossible speaks volumes. I cannot believe that a company like Capcom would release a game this screwed up, and for an installment to a classic series to boot!

The Bottom Line
This is a terrible letdown for fans of the series and pretty much anyone else who buys it. The bugs alone would earn the greatest of games a bad review, and this game is mediocre. I don't know how many ways to say it. Don't buy this game. If you are lucky enough to have a copy that isn't bugged to hell, maybe it was worth it. But to the rest I say steer clear.