The main character, Nathan Spencer, is a complete douchebag. He looks like a douchebag, he laughs maniacally when he murders people, and he speaks to everyone with an insufferable snorting growl. The story tries to justify this by his being unjustly imprisoned for 5 years, shortly after he saved the world, shortly after his wife vanished mysteriously. We learn eventually that she was sacrificed to create his bionic arm (flashback quote: "I'll always be by your side, Nathan!"), because these superpowered limbs require BLOOD.
The game opens with a massive terrorist bombing of a major city. The radiation this leaves behind kills everyone, and it form the rails of the levels. Avoiding invisible walls is good, but the radiation kills you very quickly, making exploratory mistakes far too punishing. Spencer is freed from prison by his 'friend' in the government, given back his bionic arm, and sent to go punch in some faces.
The terrorist group, BioReign, are "pro bionics", and thus they call you "The Traitor!" as you murder them. For once, a mob of villains is actually likable. However, knowing the price (in BLOOD) of a bionic limb, it stretches credulity that they'd be common enough for an army of radical supporters to form. Regular prosthetics aren't acceptable?
Much praise should be given to the voicework and AI of the common BioReign grunts. As the game progresses, their idle dialogue changes from unaware, to paranoid, to misinformed, to angry (yet terrified). At first they believe a squad is advancing through their territory. When they learn they're being decimated by just one man, this unnerves them. As you hack into their systems, you find them researching you. Then they hurl insults, and yell "DAMN YOU, SPENCER!" as you pick off their friends. I also liked that when you take cover, they'll radio in to update command with your position.
Other enemies were less enjoyable. There are a variety of mechs that I didn't relish fighting. Some could be cheesed by using terrain, others just involved hucking grenades at them. They did not play very well with the bionic arm. They also tended to be used in the middle or end of long segments, where their ability to quickly kill you means you'll be running through all the tedium again and again. Enraging.
The arm itself is very fun. Swinging around becomes a blast once you learn it, although the learning curve may be a bit steep. Once you unlock the Kite and Throw attack, mowing down troops and mechs in many segments can be a joy. There are only a few portions of the game with instant death below you if you foul a swing. But, the first one of these was very early (imo), and I was about ready to quit playing after the 10th death. So, you may want to practice at it a bit more than I did early on.
Bionic Commando suffers from a long loading time. The stunning art detail means level changes are fairly often, but I accept transition loading times. I don't accept long loading times when I've died. What are you loading? I'm already there! And yes, the art is amazing. This shattered cityscape begs you to slow down and enjoy. The interiors are less fantastic, but rare. Some characters and their cinematics are bad, others are decent.
Overall, I liked the game. Not sure I'd recommend it unless you're interested in swinging around a gorgeous city and can put up with some annoyance. I certainly feel a bit saddened by the news that it's sales are so poor the studio is in trouble, because they clearly have talent.
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