Reviews

Posted by: jkdmedia

It’s a simple proposition. There is your side and there is the other side. And yep, it’s button-mashing fun, to boot.

Crash Commando is one of the latest titles to make its way onto the PlayStation Network (PSN), and this downloadable game is arcade in nature, quick paced with a 2D environment and a solid online game.

There are objectives, to be certain, but what really matters is that you constantly move, aim and unload your weapon’s ammunition as quickly as you can. Of, if the mood suits you, hop into a vehicle, ride it back and forth on predetermined paths (there are rails) and run over opponents whose jet packs have set them down on the pathway. There are pickups dotted throughout the platform-based environment, and these can range from armor boosters to ammo and grenades to health packs. But in reality, you should expect to have your little character splashed (the characters, when they die, go up in a bloody splash) many times. The idea, therefore, is to attack, attack quick and not worry about the deaths you will rack up. The respawn rate is fast, so don’t expect to wander off while you are given another life to play with.

That red mist was an enemy, a eye-blink ago.

While the game is two-dimensional in appearance, there is a sense of depth to environs. You can actually see action in the background and if you find a tunnel, you can zip over there and partake in the carnage. Sometimes, hopping between the two areas of the level is a way to survive a particularly brutal battle.

The game can be played as a single player, working against bots, but the real joy of this lays in the multiplayer action. There is the standard mix of multiplayer match types – and really, when you get right down to it, there is not a lot of originality in this game in terms of basic design – but fighting on the two levels produces some exhilarating moments.

The controls are mapped well to the PS3 controller so players should not have to fumble with those elements. The right analog stick aims, the R1 button fires, you can use the jetpack to launch yourself around the zone and become something more than a static target.

The sound is much what one would expect from a title like this – lots of gunfire and explosions that make it sound as if the battle is more on the lines of a Call of Duty title than a sweet little platform-based shooter.

The dev team, EPOS Game Studios, did a very good job with the graphical elements. They are bright, colorful and enticing. You won’t grow bored looking at the game.

But what is more important is the sneaky way the game grabs you, pulls you in and completely holds your attention. Maybe it’s the pacing, maybe it’s the level design, but maybe it is just because this game is fun.

The PSN is growing and with titles like Crash Commando, it feels like Sony is moving the downloadable games in the right direction. Crash Commando is definitely worth a look.

Gameplay: 8.4
Hmm, let’s see – fun? Check. Short load times? Check. Quick action-packed gaming? Check. Easy to understand controls? Check … Looks like a solid outing for a 2D platform-based shooter.  

Graphics: 8.5
The deaths may be a little gruesome with the exploding, bloody masses, but the game has nice details that shine through on a high-def big screen.

Sound: 8.0
The sounds may be what you were expecting, but they come across crisp and clear, and highly reflective of the action.

Difficulty: Medium

Concept: 7.5
The foundations may not be all that original, but there are some nice elements here nonetheless – like the layered battle zones.

Multiplayer: 8.4
Single player merely warms you up for the intensity and fun of multiplayer. The modes may be tried-and-true, but when a game is done well, that rarely matters.

Overall: 8.4
It seems that 2D platforming and shooters within that framework can be as addictive today as they were years ago. Hats off to the dev team for bringing the genre back to life in a visually appealing way that is a lot of fun to play.