PC Review: Bionic Commando

Can this still swing on the PC?

This is more of a comparison style review, if you do need to know more about the game then you can read the original PS3 review here.

Bionic Commando on PC sees the return of the bionically-enhanced Nathan “R.A.D.” Spencer. Time has not been kind to Spencer: Five years after his heroic defeat of the Imperials, he has been betrayed by the government he swore to serve, imprisoned for crimes he didn’t commit, and sentenced to death.

On the very day of Spencer’s execution, terrorists detonate a massive experimental weapon in Ascension City, unleashing an intense earthquake that has turned the city into rubble and wiped out its population. With the terrain in ruins and the city’s air defense grid now in the control of a massive terrorist force whose goal remains unclear, the FSA have only one option left – a behind-the-lines assault.

Bionic Commando may only have been out a few months on the consoles, but can the PC version offer something else for fans?

In some ways, yes. It has tighter controls, improved visuals and a smoother framerate. Besides that though, there isn’t anything that different between that and the other versions. Sadly there is no Live support for this Games for Windows title, so the online component comes directly from Capcom and you have to sign up an account to play, also there’s no achievements to unlock…yet, the challenges from the game still remain.

You can either use an Xbox 360 controller to play the game or rely on the keyboard and mouse setup. The mouse adds more accuracy to your weapons and swinging arm, but the keyboard commands are a mixed bag and can be more complicated than they needed to be. The game oddly only tells you the controls for using an Xbox 360 controller, so if you don’t have one then you have to look at the controls in the menu or the manual…which I found more than slightly odd.

Whatever method of control you choose, one thing is still certain…Bionic Commando is hard. If this is the first time for you, then it does have quite big learning curve and takes a while to get used to, even after that you’ll still be challenged. You do need some patience and skill to make it through the game, but it’s rewarding and fun from start to finish. This is my second playthrough of the game and on the PC it is definitely a better experience. It’s just a shame there’s no G4WL support which would have made it a must-have game in my eyes.

The Verdict

In terms of visuals and overall performance, Bionic Commando outdoes its other versions on the PC. It may not have anything extra that makes it a must-have over another version, but it is the one that looks and handles the best…it’s just a shame that the G4WL support is missing. Apart from that, this is a great conversion and an even better game second time around.