‘G.I. Joe’ game brings firepower to consoles - Military Video Games, computer games, games, gaming - Military Times

‘G.I. Joe’ game brings firepower to consoles

You never know what you’re going to get when you buy a movie-based video game. You might be pleasantly surprised with the results, but more often than not the game feels like a shameless marketing tie-in or was rushed out the door to be released with the film.

Now we’ve got “G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra” from Electronic Arts, based on the highly publicized Paramount Pictures flick of the same name and, of course, Hasbro’s 45-year-old toy line. While not a flawless game, this arcade shooter proves to deliver a fun experience, especially for younger players.

Available for multiple consoles and hand-held systems, “G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra” introduces you to the G.I. (“Government Issue”) Joe team of elite military fighters who protect the world from terrorists, such as the Cobra organization. The third-person action game offers an all-new story line, but also lets you replay some of the biggest moments from the film, as well as play through story threads from G.I. Joe comics, cartoons and toys.

Climb into the boots of familiar G.I. Joe characters — such as Duke, Heavy Duty, Ripcord, Scarlett and Snake Eyes — as well as some unlockable Cobra fighters (including Baroness, who escapes from a G.I. Joe holding cell at the start of the game). Each character has his own unique weapon and special move: Snake Eyes, for example, uses a katana for close-combat attacks with super stealth as his special move, while Duke’s primary load-out is an assault rifle and he can also toss grenades at bad guys.

Before every mission and sometimes during them, you pick which two characters you want to lead the fight. If you’re playing alone, the secondary character will be controlled by the game’s artificial intelligence, but “G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra” offers two-player co-op support. This means a friend can pick up a second controller at any time, press Start, and begin to play as the secondary character.

Much of the action involves shooting enemies, vehicles and key buildings; solving a few puzzles, such as how to get through security fences or locked doors; collecting file cards and other goodies such as unlockable artwork and other bonus content; and taking down tougher boss characters. The game also lets you hop into various G.I. Joe and Cobra vehicles.

“G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra” can be a fun romp through multiple environments — especially when playing beside someone, as you’ll need to work together to better clear each stage — but there are a few nagging issues with this game. For one, you can’t control the camera, so you can’t see what’s around a corner until you walk that way and wait for the game’s auto camera to pan around, which may be too late to avoid enemy fire. Another beef is frequent load screens during levels. They don’t take long, but there are at least three per level, which require you to stop playing, in order for the next area to load. These breaks in the action can get annoying after a while, and many other games have solved this issue.

Shortcomings notwithstanding, “G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra” will likely appeal to young teenagers who want an enjoyable co-op action experience alongside a friend, especially for fans of G.I. Joe who will likely appreciate the recognizable characters and fictional universe.

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Platforms: Microsoft Xbox 360, Sony PlayStation 2 and 3, Nintendo Wii, Sony PlayStation Portable, Nintendo DS

Developer: Double Helix

Publisher: Electronic Arts Inc.

Price: $29.99 to $49.99 (depending on platform)

Rating: Teen

Score: 3.5 stars (out of 5)