G.I. Joe has been a pop culture staple since the ’60s, but the ’80s animated series defines the franchise for many modern fans. With its larger than life battles between the Joes and Cobra, that iconic show set the tone for generations. G.I. Joe: Wrath of Cobra, is the latest video game adaptation, and attempts to bring that nostalgia into the modern living room by tapping into another ’80s hallmark: the arcade-style beat ’em up.
The decision to embrace this retro format is fitting, as it echoes the era when G.I. Joe was at its peak in pop culture. Unfortunately, while the game aims to capture the magic of titles like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge, it ultimately falls short of that mark.
The story mode starts with an animated cutscene designed to mimic the feeling of watching an old cartoon episode. However, the art and animation felt lackluster, almost like a Flash video from the early 2000s, lacking the polish that could have truly transported players back to the ’80s. At least, this is what I felt when watching it.
In terms of plot, Cobra is up to its usual world domination schemes, this time involving robot clones capturing global landmarks, a premise that feels tired, as though it’s been done before by Carmen Sandiego or even G.I. Joe itself. At first, you’re limited to Story Mode, but as you progress, you collect floppy disks that can unlock additional content, such as modifiers and new modes. These modifiers, like Boss Rush, 1 Hit Mode, and Low Gravity, offer some fun alternatives to spice up gameplay. You can also unlock Arcade Mode, which adds more difficulty and tweaks that differentiate it from Story Mode.
However, the story itself is thin. After the opening cutscene, you get minimal narrative input aside from the occasional boss dialogue. The bosses themselves, classic Cobra villains like Storm Shadow and Baroness, are fun to encounter but aren’t particularly challenging. The fights tend to drag on, making the already lengthy levels feel even more tedious. Playing solo, I found the game’s pacing sluggish, and I imagine co-op might help ease the monotony, but I don’t know if that would fully salvage the experience for me.
As for the Joes, you can choose from Duke, Roadblock, Scarlett, and Snake Eyes immediately, with each character offering different stats and special attacks. I played Snake Eyes; for example, he can unleash Timber, his wolf companion, to attack enemies. While including different attack ratings and the ability to unlock more characters later adds some depth, the combat itself feels too repetitive to keep things engaging for long. The game’s lack of variety becomes a real issue. While there are firearms and items you can pick up along the way to spice up combat, the overall gameplay doesn’t have the complexity or combo system needed to keep things exciting over time.
The sound effects also felt somewhat disjointed, which further detracted from my experience. For example, the punches sounded too “fake”. I don’t know the best way to describe it either; they just felt like they belonged in a different game.
Ultimately, G.I. Joe: Wrath of Cobra borrows heavily from the arcade beat ’em up playbook, but almost to its detriment. Fans of the franchise will likely enjoy some moments of nostalgic fun, especially in co-op mode, but the game suffers from overly long levels, repetitive combat, and a lackluster story. I found myself wanting to like it more than I did, but it just didn’t have enough spark to keep me hooked. If you have a buddy to join in for co-op, it can elevate the experience slightly, but as a solo adventure, it’s a bit of a slog. There was so much potential here for a great nostalgia trip, but in the end, Wrath of Cobra is just another run-of-the-mill beat ’em up.
A Steam code was provided in advance by the publisher for review purposes
