G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra

 PlayStation 3
G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra Image
Metascore
43

Generally unfavorable reviews - based on 32 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
4.8

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 16 Ratings

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  • Summary: As COBRA unleashes its deadliest plot yet, the G.I. JOE Team is counting on you and your hand-picked team of heroes to lead the counterattack. Every mission is critical and so is every G.I. JOE character. Picking up where the Paramount Pictures live action film leaves off, G.I. JOE The RiseAs COBRA unleashes its deadliest plot yet, the G.I. JOE Team is counting on you and your hand-picked team of heroes to lead the counterattack. Every mission is critical and so is every G.I. JOE character. Picking up where the Paramount Pictures live action film leaves off, G.I. JOE The Rise of Cobra is an accessible third person action-arcade shooter that allows players to recreate and relive the greatest moments from the film, cartoon series and action toy line. Exclusive all-new storyline that picks up where the film ends and is inspired by 45 years of rich G.I.JOE history. Two player co-op lets players choose an elite team and call in support from other G.I. JOE characters. Choose from 16 playable characters (four of which are unlockable COBRA characters) - each with a unique set of abilities and weapons. G.I. JOE characters include Snake Eyes, Duke, Heavy Duty, Ripcord, Scarlett, Shipwreck and Gung Ho. Storm Shadow has been revealed as an unlockable playable COBRA character. Characters are classified into one of three units: Commandos who do well at close range, Heavys who possess extraordinary shooting skills but do it best from a distance and Combat Soldiers who are a balance between the two. Gear up with the latest in high-tech gadgets like the film-inspired Accelerator Suit which makes you invincible and gives you short bursts of additional fire power. Drivable G.I. JOE and COBRA vehicles designed for two-player co-op. Three difficulty levels - appealing to players of all ages and skill levels (Casual, Advanced and Hardcore). 20 levels - each with 3-5 areas to explore - across four environments. 75 file cards and various intelligence items hidden throughout the game which can be used to unlock additional playable characters, special missions, 4 PSAs and other bonus content. [Electronic Arts]… Expand
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Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 32
  2. Mixed: 12 out of 32
  3. Negative: 19 out of 32
  1. Play Magazine
    80
    It’s not without its flaws, but Joe manages to pack in plenty of third-person, fast-paced arcade-flavored fun. Addictive co-op, power-ups galore, and thumb-numbing action make it much more a modern-day Contra than another lame licensed effort.
    All this publication's reviews
  2. PSM3 Magazine UK
    61
    Slow-witted camera, idiotic targeting system and abysmal vehicle sections. [Oct 2009, p.82]
    All this publication's reviews
  3. Gaming Age
    58
    I personally would have preferred a classic “Joe” title, since nostalgia seems to be in these days, but for what’s it’s worth, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra video game is exactly what you would expect from a film to game translation, nothing more, nothing less.
  4. Gamer 2.0
    40
    The most enjoyable part of the game would have to be the unlockable Public Service Announcements from the old cartoon show. But chances are, you could save the cash and look them up online. And, trust us, you would be very well served by saving that cash.
  5. Game Informer
    35
    Those patient enough to suffer through the initial gameplay inadequacies are rewarded with horrible, low-quality cutscenes, a “special” Accelerator Suit ability that often drains during said cutscenes, unreachable power-ups that hover just out of grasp, the worst vehicle controls I’ve used in years, and voice overacting that makes the guy who says “killing spree” in Unreal Tournament sound understated.
  6. PS3bloggen.se
    30
    Despite the fact that the game is based on a bad movie, Double Helix have managed to create a game that's even worse. The graphics and controls go head to head to see who's the worst, but to be honest they both equally awful.
  7. Game Revolution
    16
    The shooty stuff is okay, the cover is fine, the difficulty is all but nonexistent given your inability to die, but the worst part of all of this, the real slap in the face, is that it costs FIFTY !@#$ING DOLLARS

See all 32 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 4
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 4
  3. Negative: 0 out of 4
  1. AndrewD
    Aug 5, 2009
    9
    The only thing keeping this game from greatness is its price-tag. It's awesome otherwise. This game will appeal more to fans of the The only thing keeping this game from greatness is its price-tag. It's awesome otherwise. This game will appeal more to fans of the original animated series than the band-wagon variety climbing on-board for the new movie. It's obvious the developers tried to play on the nostalgia factor, and it works.… Expand
  2. NateJ
    Aug 4, 2009
    8
    Got this game for my nephews and have also played it a lot myself. This game is perfect for kids when set on casual difficulty, medium and Got this game for my nephews and have also played it a lot myself. This game is perfect for kids when set on casual difficulty, medium and hard can be difficult even for experienced gamers. Vehicles are difficult to control under the default options, make sure to change the vehicle control options to be based on the screen (so down means down, up goes up, simple to use), not vehicle position (up means forward, right and left turn righ and left). I had fun with this game. Mindless shooting and blowing things up. This game is not deep at all. Sub par to bad visuals and story. But based on what the game is (a mindless arcade shooter), I am giving it an 8. My nephews love it and I have fun with it as well. Way better than I expected based on the trailers. Some of the reviews are too harsh. This is no gears of war, but a solid and simple shooter.… Expand
  4. FairWarning
    May 9, 2011
    6
    Let me start off by saying that this is not a great game by anyone's expectations, at all. Fun can be had however, if you are tired to theLet me start off by saying that this is not a great game by anyone's expectations, at all. Fun can be had however, if you are tired to the point of hallucination, or drunk. If you understand the basics of the 80's animated TV series then the plot will not be anything super interesting. The gameplay is actually felt original by comparison to the dozens of second rate Call of Duty clones out there. It's a modern old school arcade game and your main objective is to rack up as many points and vaporize as many enemies with inhumanly bad voice acting as humanly possible. To describe the gameplay as point and shoot would be an insult because the game locks on to the enemies for you and all you have to do is strafe and hold down that trusty fire button. The vehicle controls can be awkward due to the far away third person angled POV. I'll be the first to tell you that I'm not someone that says the graphics make or break a game but even a 5 year old could tell you this game was rendered with Playstation 2 graphics. The "characters" are truly a substance thinner than paper in personality. Music is surprisingly adequate but nothing memorable. In truth this could have been not necessarily a ground-breaking but fun and easy to pick up and play game if it had better variety, online co-op, and maybe if the camera wasn't getting behind random objects and blocking my view. If only it wasn't a movie licensed game, if only it wasn't.… Expand
  5. rcoberle54
    Nov 1, 2020
    6
    I was so surprised to see this game get as bad if not worse ratings than the Watchmen game. This is so much better. It's another movie gameI was so surprised to see this game get as bad if not worse ratings than the Watchmen game. This is so much better. It's another movie game that came out in 2009 but this one is actually finished! It has variation to it, it's colorful, and it's mildly fun. I didn't exactly know what to expect with this game, but what it is certainly wasn't what I had in mind. This game plays like a throwback to old 80s and 90s arcade games where you move forward, hold the shoot button as you have unlimited ammo, and strafe left and right to avoid the attacks coming down the screen. It almost plays like a 3D Galaga or 1942 in a sense. This actually might have been better if it was just a twin sticks shooter.

    The graphics look like garbage but I can forgive that when it's actually a completed game that's somewhat fun. I liked the variation on all the characters that you can unlock. Finding the best combo of characters and playing around with them to discover the best pairing was a bit of fun. You have your secondary fire that you gain through power ups and pick ups then you also have your accelerator suit from the movie as basically your super move. You have to strategically use these to your advantage and sort of know when to hold em and know when to fold em for lack of a better metaphor. The fact that this game actually had a bit of strategy and variation to it was a welcome surprise after the awful Watchmen game. There's even bits of driving sections to this game. Even though it's incredibly hard to control the vehicles with just the one joystick, at least it's there.

    The level design is alright and they all don't feel the same. Even though it's basically rinse and repeat, this game offered just enough wrinkles to be competent and fun enough. It's comic booky, cartoony, and doesn't take itself seriously. It made me wish the movie was a lot better and that this franchise would have taken off like the MCU did because I feel there is a lot of potential. Overall I had fun with this game. It wasn't a broken, glitchy mess. It was never frustrating. I liked the bonus content that you could unlock like the featurettes of the music of the movie and the old 80s cartoon PSAs. Plus this was one of the first ever PS3 games to support trophies. All that together made this a surprisingly mildly fun experience.    … Expand