G.I. Joe: Wrath of Cobra review for PC

For a franchise that’s been around as long as G.I. Joe has, it’s surprising that there haven’t been more games based on the show or toyline from the 80’s. Most entries came along in the 80’s and 90’s, with only a couple of console releases afterwards, the last of which was the poorly received G.I. Joe: Operation Breakout. That overall lack of quality is likely one of the culprits, as unfortunately most G.I. Joe games have been less than stellar. Developer Maple Powered Games is hoping to change that track record, with the recently released G.I. Joe: Wrath of Cobra. Taking a page out of the recent success of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge, Wrath of Cobra takes the Joe’s back to their 2D roots, as a classic arcade beat ‘em up using designs based on the 80’s cartoon. If, like me, you grew up watching the show, you’ll see plenty of favorites through the 12 levels contained within G.I. Joe: Wrath of Cobra.

As far as beat ‘em ups go, I had a good time with G.I. Joe: Wrath of Cobra. The 12 stages you play through give ample room to showcase a large variety of notable locations for long-time fans, along with a whole host of classic enemies. One feather in the cap of the G.I. Joe series in general is that there’s a whole lot of different enemies throughout the series and toyline, giving the developers the option to really diversify enemy encounters and enemy types throughout, keeping the action from feeling stale. I really dug the art style in Wrath of Cobra, and thought the sprite-work was great throughout. Seeing 2D versions of classic vehicles was also pretty cool, as was the large variety of boss encounters you’ll come across. Just about every notable Cobra villain makes an appearance here, which was nice to see.

The roster of selectable characters on the Joe side is a little light, featuring Duke, Scarlett, Snake Eyes, and Roadblock. There are a couple of additional unlocks you can get access to buy spending in-game currency that you’ll earn by defeating enemies and playing through the game. I’d have loved to see a larger roster for the good guys though, considering how many different villains make an appearance, but I suppose there’s a desire to hold things back for either DLC or a sequel. While each character has the same basic move set, like a light and heavy attack, jump attack, block and so on, they also have their own unique super attacks that can be unleashed once you fill up the necessary gauge. Also, each character, has a handful of stats to differentiate them from one another, Roadblock for instance has a higher defense then the other Joe’s, whereas Duke is a more well-rounded character across the board.

Unfortunately, when compared to modern 2D beat ‘em ups, it is a little difficult to suggest G.I. Joe: Wrath of Cobra above more recent releases like the aforementioned TMNT game, or the River City Girls series for instance. G.I. Joe: Wrath of Cobra is a very, very straightforward arcade beat ‘em up experience. Modern bells and whistles, like any sort of progression system or collectibles, isn’t present here. The levels are all straight up belt-scroller style stages, where you’ll move from screen to screen, clear enemies, advance, and then repeat. There’s no online co-op either, but there is support for 4 players locally. It feels like Wrath of Cobra ignores the last decade of improvements made to the genre, which is unfortunate to see. While I’m stil a big G.I. Joe fan, even I found my interest in the game waning after the first playthrough.

I’d say G.I. Joe: Wrath of Cobra can be fun, provided you can get some friends together on the couch to play through the game with you. If not, as a single-player experience, there’s far better options on the market nowadays. It’s a good looking game, again I really did dig the design of these classic characters, but there’s not a lot else supporting the experience that would keep me coming back again and again.

Note: indie.io provided us with a G.I. Joe: Wrath of Cobra PC code for review purposes.