Cheers to Capcom and developer Grin for working on an update to last year's stellar Bionic Commando: Rearmed even after the game has pretty much been played, processed, and put aside by the gaming community at large. This doesn't track in an era where games are consumed and dropped mere weeks after release. The PlayStation Blog has the announcement that the Sony PlayStation 3 (and, by extension, Microsoft Xbox 360) version of the game is going to get some new features and enhancements including Trophies for the PS3 version which, as I recall, was once something that was supposedly off the table for time and technical reasons.
New “Normal” difficulty setting. In this setting, the following changes are made:
- When you die, you respawn at the last solid ground or checkpoint
- The level Albatross B was cut
- The ability to reel out the cable when hanging or swinging to its full length
- If the player swings into a wall, they will no longer disconnect and be thrown away from the wall. Instead, they will keep connected and reel in
- Unlimited lives
Super Joe Machine Gun bug fix:
- When upgraded, the weapon also becomes more powerful in addition to the larger clip
- Fixed for all difficulty levels.
These all sound like solid enhancements, particularly the removal of the Albatross B level and its hellish unstable platforms of doom (that is the one we're talking about, right?). The big question from me is: why is this update happening now? The official statement has to do with listening to the fans and their requests, but I can't help but wonder if this has something to do with an attempt at stoking a little renewed interest in the Bionic Commando franchise in the hopes that sales of the new 3D title will increase (which, as you'll recall, have so far been disappointing). This isn't a criticism on my part if that is indeed what Capcom and Grin are trying to do. The new Bionic Commando game is fantastic and is much better than most of the ho-hum reviews are making it out to be. So, again, not a complaint. Just a curiosity.
