CNET Networks Entertainment GameSpot | GameFAQs | SportsGamer | Metacritic | MP3.com | TV.com
Home | About Metacritic | About Metascores | What's New | Wireless Versions | Discussion Forums | Advertising Inquiries | Contact Us | RSS
Metacritic.com: We Deal With Criticism
     Help
> Switch to Advanced Search  
Film Video/DVD Music Games TV

Games

Playstation Reviews
PS3 | PS2 | PS One | PSP

Xbox Reviews
Xbox 360 | Xbox

Nintendo Reviews
Wii | DS | GBA | Cube | N64


PC | N-Gage | Dreamcast

How Metascores Are Calculated
Discuss Games In Our Forums

 

Upcoming & Recent Releases

sort by name sort by score

Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed games.



Printer-Friendly Version Email This Page Discuss In Our Forums
Armed & Dangerous xbx Game Reviews
Armed & Dangerous
Critic Score
Metascore: 79 Metascore out of 100
User Score  
7.6 out of 10
based on 41 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
based on 13 votes
Read user comments
Rate this game

Take a band of gun-toting rebels - a robot, a madman, a mole and a criminal mastermind. Put them in a vividly stunning fantasy realm. Then give them an impossible mission - pulling off the biggest heist of all time in the middle of a war. All you have to do is battle your way through dastardly enemies, giant war machines and an army of psychopathic robots. But don't worry; you have plenty of ammo and absolutely no common sense. Victory is yours in 12,000 bullets or less! Fight your way through 21 action-packed missions. Brandish over 17 outlandish weapons like the Cyclops Sniper Rifle, the Vindaloo Rocket Launcher, or the Topsy-Turvy and Sticky bomb. Explore five diverse environments including icy and snowy regions, mountains with breathtaking vistas, deep and foreboding woods, and rain-spattered cliffs. Take down wicked enemies like half-man, half-animal Grunts, eliminator droids, wall-smashing Goliaths, evil monks and wild twiglets. Navigate through a richly entertaining story with two smack-talkin' partners in crime. [LucasArts]

PUBLISHER: LucasArts
DEVELOPER: Planet Moon Studios
GENRE(S): Third-Person Action
PLAYERS: 1
ESRB RATING: T (Teen)
RELEASE DATE: December 2, 2003

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

100
Play Magazine
This is a game that re-invents nearly everything it does, from weapons fire to storytelling to rescue missions to boost-and-hover gameplay to bold new ways to humiliate farm animals. [Dec 2003, p.68]
100
Yahoo! Games
Planet Moon set out to create a game that was pure, visceral fun and it did just that. You can sit down and play for ten minutes or ten hours and still be enthralled.
Read Full Review
92
XboxAddict
I think Planet Moon did a great job of taking a genre that could become repetitive and dull, and whip it up into a non-stop fun fest.
Read Full Review
90
GMR Magazine
A stellar third-person shooter that pulses with feverish invention, A&D welds together top-notch controls, a truly mental plot, and some of the most strategic gunplay to hit consoles in ages.
Read Full Review
90
Loaded Inc
The depth of humor is very refreshing but some of the jokes will likely be lost on many who play the game.
Read Full Review
90
GamePro
Despite its technical achievements, the real star of Armed and Dangerous is the exhilarating and thoroughly challenging gameplay.
Read Full Review
90
Official Xbox Magazine
The most surprisingly addictive shooter of the year. [Holiday 2003, p.84]
90
Cheat Code Central
The cutscenes are hilarious. They are rude, crude and to some, maybe even a little shocking.
89
netjak
Literate, funny storytelling is at a premium in gaming these days, so it’s really good to see developers making a real effort to make their audience laugh – even if they have to rely on semi-frequent potty humour to get the yuks.
Read Full Review
87
Game Chronicles
Despite the lack of intelligent AI that ruined any team-tactical strategy, the game is redeemed by its original gameplay and ongoing humor that is interwoven into every aspect of the game whether it be movies, gameplay, or even the weapons.
Read Full Review
85
GameSpy
Some homogenous gameplay and the occasional graphic lapse aside, Armed & Dangerous scores with humor and weapon innovation.
Read Full Review
85
Armchair Empire
The collected cutscenes are funnier 100 times over than an episode of "Friends" and on par with "Monty Python" for being off-kilter.
Read Full Review
85
Gamer's Hell
Sometimes linear action is definitely made up for with great humor and excellent voice acting.
Read Full Review
83
Gamezilla!
A sold third-person shooter but gets a little old after awhile, the game’s saving grace is its well-written plot and myriad of dialogue jokes. It’s almost like playing a Monty Python script.
Read Full Review
83
Cinescape
An exciting action game that features a plethora of shooting. While it does this aspect well, the main selling point is the fantastic sense of humor.
Read Full Review
83
Next Level Gaming
You will fall over laughing at some of the cut-scenes in the game. Very well done, and hilarious.
Read Full Review
82
Xbox World Australia
Pure, unadulterated, shooting fun and offers a fresh coat of paint to a tired genre.
Read Full Review
82
GameBiz
The unique weapons themselves are great, and ridiculously fun.
Read Full Review
82
IGN
A challenging shooter that features tight controls, nice graphics, and a wicked sense of humor... Easily one of the best action shooters on the Xbox, hands down.
Read Full Review
80
1UP
It's not the best-designed shooter of the year, and it's far from the nicest-looking, but it is one of the most fun to play, thanks to solid controls and some of the most drop-dead hilarious cutscenes in recent memory.
Read Full Review
80
Game Informer
While the graphics leave much to be desired and the quality of the CG cutscenes is crude at best, Armed and Dangerous is in the most side-splitting of ways, pure comic genius. [Jan 2004, p.144]
Read Full Review
80
GameZone
A unique third/first-person shooter that doesn't take itself seriously but still manages to keep trigger-happy gamers pleased with its over-the-top arsenal.
Read Full Review
80
Total Video Games
A large portion of the enjoyment comes from the same type of British humour that featured in ‘Giants’; it’s certainly not an easy thing to develop a game that manages to make you laugh, however this one certainly succeeds.
Read Full Review
80
Xbox Nation Magazine
Embarking on the game's destruction train gives players access to dandy weapons such as the shark gun. [Mar 2004, p.93]
76
Team Xbox
There are plenty of methods in which to wreak havoc and weapons like the Land Shark Gun are fun as hell, but no matter how you dress things up, Armed & Dangerous is simply an above average third-person shooter.
Read Full Review
75
Worth Playing
Just your average shooter. It doesn't really offer any innovation in the genre and the graphics and audio are rather plain.
Read Full Review
75
Gaming Age
Whether you enjoy the story and characters is very subjective and will probably drive how much time you're willing to put into the game. For most with a sense of humor and a thirst for destruction, A&D is well worth the time.
Read Full Review
75
GameNow
Sure, its graphics are ugly, but its action is first-rate...It's one of those rare games in which almost everything is destructible. [Jan 2004, p.65]
75
GameSpot AU
Despite the shallow gameplay, the shooter who wants something different and entertaining will find it here with the Lionhearts and their ultimate heist.
Read Full Review
73
GameSpot
A good game, but toward the end of it, you'll likely be far more interested in seeing how the story ends--and the jokes it tells along the way--than in its gameplay.
Read Full Review
72
Electronic Gaming Monthly
The open-ended level design - and especially the nifty fortress-defense stages - made for many moments of shooter Zen. [Jan 2004, p.154]
72
3DAvenue
It is a shame that the storyline wasn't fleshed out a bit more with unique levels as it would have made it a far better game but really, only the comedy saves this one from becoming an average title.
Read Full Review
70
GamerArchive
Quite simply the greatest humour since the good old days of the first two "Monkey Island" titles.
Read Full Review
70
Edge Magazine
We need more games like this - ones that are confident and individual - but we need them to be less roughly hewn. The core of the game is solid, but the way it's applied throughout the levels just isn't interesting enough. [Mar 2004, p.98]
Read Full Review
70
Gamestyle
Enough cutscene and Land Shark buffoonery accompanies their jaunt across Milola to cover the price of (one's) tagging along. Strip them away and the barenaked shooter still plays better than most. That it somehow feels disappointingly ordinary only serves to confirm the creative genius evident in the rest of the 'designer' garb.
Read Full Review
70
Game Power Australia
An amusing game, and it's relatively enjoyable for a while. But at its core, the gameplay isn't all that interesting, and can only hold your attention for so long.
Read Full Review
67
Game Revolution
Has some funny moments and wild weapons, but it still can’t shake its straightforward gameplay. If you’re in the mood to just blow things up with no strings attached, this is the game for you, but more discerning gamers might be left wanting a little more.
Read Full Review
65
MS Xbox World
The simplistic nature of the game play makes it pale in contrast to its peers such as the previously mentioned "Brute Force" and "Freedom Fighters."
Read Full Review
60
G4 TV
There are glimpses of genius here for sure -- the landshark gun, the topsy-turvy mine, and some of the level design and humor come to mind -- but it doesn't add up to a complete game.
Read Full Review
50
TotalGames.net
With controls that make accurate aiming tiresome and visuals that could be forgiven for being quaint, until they move, finding areas where this one should be recommended is akin to picking gnat shit out of pepper.
Read Full Review
40
games(TM)
A relentless conveyor belt of cannon fodder ensures the carnage is kept at a suitably frantic rate, yet with every wave of cookie-cutter thrown to the mercy of your crosshair, repetition becomes an increasingly prevalent factor. [Mar 2004, p.116]

What Our Users Said

Vote Now! The average user rating for this game is 7.6 (out of 10) based on 13 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Mooses M. gave it a5:
A&D is definitely not the most fun shooter I've ever played. The graphics are just a step above Half-Life 1, which is pretty much unacceptable for a game made in 2003. The gameplay is overly repetitive and gets old after a short bit of playing. However, the cutscenes are hilarious and the Shark Gun and Topsy Turvy Bomb give at least 30 minutes of pleasure. This is a game for entering cheat codes in, not one for playing in full.

A Monster gave it a10:
Simply enjoyable.

Michael C. gave it a 9:
This one is pure genious, folks. A&D is probably the most quality third person shooter I've played on the XBox, with the exception of MechAssault. The story elements are definitely original. The action is tried-and-true 3ps, but with a few extra elements not found anywhere else (jetpacks, black-hole grenades, and the landshark gun). The biggest downfall is the graphics, which are still better than some of LucasArts' other endeavors. If you're into this genre, its definitely worth picking up.

Uter gave it an 8:
The weapons and humour in this game are outstanding. But the gameplay variety could really use some work. It's a single player only shooter, and the goals always seem to involve blowing something up.

David Brewster gave it a 2:
Well - granted the game was a riot. but if I want comedy I'll rent a movie. I expect good game play, with comedy being a bonus. The graphics were HORRIBLE. Honestly the worst I had ever seen. It's a basic shootem up - with some from what I hear nifty weapons (I couldn't stomach the game long enough to play with everything). It's basically a shoot-em-up game with hilarious dialoge but Commodore128 like graphics. Ok - that was too harsh, but the graphics were so bad - nothing can make up for it. I wouldn't pay $5 for this game.

Alex K. gave it a 5:
Fun gameplay for about 20 mins then gets really boring. Graphics are a little low. Guns are so cool. But gameplay just cant last. Only a 5.

Zach B. gave it a 10:
Funny.

Read more user comments...

Discuss this game in our forums

Return to top of page
Home | FILM | DVD/VIDEO | MUSIC | GAMES | TV | Forums | About Metacritic metacritic.com

Popular on CBS sites: World News | Fantasy Football | Amy Winehouse | Baseball | E3 | Batman | Firefox 3 | iPhone 3G

About CNET Networks | Jobs | Advertise

© 2008 CNET Networks, Inc., a CBS Company. All rights reserved. | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use