As a devoted enthusiast of retro beat ’em ups, I yearned for Wrath of Cobra to be a worthy contender in the league of TMNT Shredder’s Revenge or Streets of Rage 4. Alasaurus is accompanied by hordes of minions that attack incessantly. The gameplay is so rudimentary is, the mini-boss isn’t it has and how little rewarding its defeating. After multiple encounters with this foe, I began to feel like a boxer and my fingers cramping up.
In the spirit of a ’90s beat-’em-up enthusiast, let me tell you how pumped I am by the recent resurgence of classic side-scrolling action in gaming! All I need is a straightforward and exhilarating experience where I can lay waste to hordes of enemies alongside a couple of pals. However, some games fall short when it comes to offering the diversity and depth that I crave, and unfortunately, that’s my take on G.I. Joe: Wrath of Cobra.
This game is a basic and uncomplicated brawler that doesn’t really stand out among its competitors with anything more than its intellectual property. Additionally, there are some gameplay problems and glitches that prevent it from achieving mainstream success like other games in the genre have. However, it still has a lot of old-school appeal which could make the cost worthwhile if you’re craving this kind of game.
If you prefer fast-paced action in your fighting games, the control system of Wrath of Cobra should suit you well, provided you don’t require meticulous character control. The gameplay involves swiftly traversing rooms and toppling enemies, but the movement sensitivity is almost negligible. You’ll either be moving at high speed or sprinting, with no option for walking or adjusting speed gradually. Similar to many side-scrolling beat ’em ups, Wrath of Cobra emphasizes horizontal movement, progressing through levels from left to right while maintaining some vertical positioning. However, your vertical agility is restricted, offering no sprinting or directional attacks in the upward or downward directions.
Discussing attacks, every character from the six-member team has a decent variety of five to six unique attack methods available, along with some combinations you can execute. I primarily utilized sprint and jump assaults for all characters because they deliver substantial damage and provide an advantageous position. However, heavier figures like Roadblock and Duke usually yield better results when they block with subsequent strikes.
“Each character has their own special ability that does quad damage across a wide area.”
Fans of G.I. Joe will find satisfaction with the roster of playable characters. The team initially consists of Duke, Scarlett, Roadblock, and Snake Eyes. Two additional characters remain hidden, to be unveiled by collecting floppy disks. Performing each character’s unique special attacks is thrilling, and the developers have ensured a good balance between them. While character stats might not carry significant weight in this type of game, it’s still commendable that the creators made an effort to distinctly define each character’s attributes.
It’s fortunate for thorough gamers that the floppy collectibles are easy to acquire, frequently dropping from defeated adversaries just like sweets. Gathering them isn’t overly tedious, but be prepared to replay the game’s 12 stages multiple times to unlock everything. A notable issue I encountered was a few instances of soft locks when picking up enemies and tossing them. The throwing animation, especially during hectic moments, can get stuck in an infinite loop, halting further progression. Hopefully, these bugs will be fixed with future updates. Additionally, I experienced these issues while playing solo, so I suspect multiplayer modes might trigger soft locks even more frequently. In summary, the controls and general gameplay are entertaining enough for brief bouts of enjoyment, but the fundamental mechanics heavily depend on well-designed levels and intriguing enemy interactions to mask their simplicity.
“Cobra boxes contain useful health and ammo pickups and are laid out evenly throughout the levels.”
In terms of level design and enemy diversity, ‘Wrath of the Cobra’ falls short. Though each of the 12 stages might appear unique visually, they fail to offer much variety in gameplay. You’ll find yourself running from left to right, fighting repetitive Cobra troops whether you’re navigating an aircraft carrier or a subterranean cave system. The single breakable environmental object varies across levels, but the effect remains consistent. These environmental elements primarily serve to create the illusion of interactivity without providing any substantial rewards or benefits. Instead, your useful items are found in scattered Cobra boxes within stages, offering full health restoratives and temporary weapons. Invincibility pickups are scarce yet valuable for navigating the continuous enemy waves that dominate the game’s latter half.
One aspect I greatly appreciate in the level design is the strategic positioning and rhythm of power-ups. At just the right moments, when you’re struggling to survive a relentless attack from Cobra waves, there’s usually a useful health pack waiting on the next screen. Additionally, I admire that these power-ups aren’t overly abundant, which maintains an appropriate balance in the game’s challenging combat dynamics.
In terms of level design for the game “Wrath of Cobra”, there’s not much more to discuss; it’s as simple as side-scrolling beat ’em ups go, with stages moving from left to right. While I appreciate a straightforward beat ’em up, it could benefit from a wider variety of enemies to keep things interesting. Unfortunately, you’ll often encounter the same Cobra enemy units throughout your gameplay. As you advance through the levels, you’ll encounter new types like invisible ninjas and those pesky throwing star guys, but the initial Cobra unit remains a common foe that can become monotonous to fight against.
The majority of mini-bosses have excessive health and use repetitive attack patterns, making them quite challenging to defeat.
In addition to regular enemies, there are also mini-bosses that I find incredibly frustrating due to their high durability and excessive health bars. A mechanical foe with a cobra’s head stands out as particularly irritating, serving as an unnecessary obstacle that must be overcome repeatedly. This giant nuisance possesses a powerful stomp attack and a straight laser, both of which are easy to dodge or block. However, the main issue lies in the vast amount of health this type of enemy has compared to the damage you can inflict. Repeatedly punching and then blocking gets tedious quickly, especially if you don’t have another player for backup.
This game’s method for beating artificial enemies that are just padded for difficulty extends to some of the bosses too. At the end of each level, you’ll find a boss waiting for you, but these fights are among the weakest I’ve encountered in any beat ’em up. The bosses have only a few moves at most, and even if they have more, it doesn’t make much difference. The first boss uses a common shooting pattern that feels like fighting a regular enemy from earlier in the game, just with more health and damage per hit. What makes it worse is that the bosses don’t change their strategies or have different stages to their fights, making them feel like tougher versions of the mobs you fought earlier. Some bosses can be easily defeated by hitting them on the edge of the screen repeatedly. I enjoy finding unintended ways to beat bosses (like the Mega Man 1 pause trick), but it seems more like a mistake in this game than a fun feature. Although a couple of the bosses are fun, overall Wrath of Cobra doesn’t offer anything new, falling short compared to many ’90s beat ’em ups due to its underwhelming boss mechanics.
In terms of appearance, Wrath of Cobra stands out vibrantly due to its pixel art style. The game effectively portrays the universe of G.I. Joe through both its visuals and auditory elements.
In the game “Wrath of Cobra“, visuals and music are its standout features. The environments and characters are meticulously designed with an appealing color scheme. The character animations align well with their expected behaviors, although it’d be great to include distinct sounds for each character. Despite the absence of character voices, the 90s-inspired soundtrack was enjoyable enough that I didn’t mind. I appreciate the fact that each level has its own unique musical track, which is a feature I value in games. Additionally, each stage showcases distinctive background objects and landscapes that create their own distinct atmosphere. Unfortunately, the PS5 version of the game suffers from frequent screen tearing, which detracts from the overall visual experience despite maintaining a consistent 60 FPS.
As someone who appreciates classic beat-’em-ups like TMNT Shredder’s Revenge and Streets of Rage 4, I hoped to enjoy Wrath of Cobra just as much, but it seems to fall short in terms of the diversity and refinement those games exhibit. Instead, it appears more reminiscent of an unearthed gem from a past era of beat-’em-ups rather than a standout modern classic. It’s still a game I would suggest to fans of this genre or the G.I. Joe franchise, but its lack of contemporary features and polish puts it behind many recent attempts.
This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 5.
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2024-11-22 18:41