360 Gamer: Bionic Commando: Rearmed Review

360 Gamer writes: "In this age of high-quality downloadable games, retro remakes must be among the toughest to really get right. Stray too far from the source material and fans of the original will be up in arms but stick to the aged blueprint too closely and your brand new game will be tired and dated the day it comes out. We've seen both PSN and Live throw up examples of both extremes already – a lot of the Atari remakes offer nothing new, for instance, while things like Bomberman Live have alienated veteran players somewhat with a selection of cheap new power-ups. It's a delicate balance to strike and despite Rearmed often falling closer to the retro-by-numbers side of things, there's enough fresh substance here to make it very much a new experience for most players.

We'll start with the game's decidedly old-school mechanics, nothing new perhaps to those familiar with the retro revival but still something that might come as a shock to newcomers. The first – and arguably most alienating – thing to get your head around is the lack of a jump button. Any aerial activity needs to be kick-started with a scenery swing courtesy of your extending arm and while this at first feels extremely backwards, it must be said that it works well once you get your head around it and appreciate that levels and bosses are all designed with your ground-ridden status in mind. Even when you do get airborne, don't expect any degree of aerial control either. You better hope you judge your distances well and swing accordingly because whether you're falling to your doom or not quite reaching a platform, there's zero chance of altering your course in mid-air."