September 26, 2024
indie.io

G.I. Joe: Wrath of Cobra

G.I. JOE: Wrath of Cobra is the 2D arcade beat-'em-up game your inner child wanted. Who doesn’t want to feel like they are in an episode of a cartoon with their friends?

66%Game Brain Score

gameplay, music

story, stability

61% User Score Based on 94 reviews

Critic Score 69%Based on 10 reviews

Platforms

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About

G.I. Joe: Wrath of Cobra is a multiplayer hack and slash game. It was developed by indie.io and was released on September 26, 2024. It received mostly positive reviews from both critics and players.

"G.I. Joe: Wrath of Cobra" is a retro side-scrolling beat 'em up game that takes place in the 1980s era of the iconic universe. Players can choose from legendary characters such as Duke, Scarlett, Roadblock, Snake Eyes, and more to defeat hordes of Cobra troopers and malevolent villains. The game offers both close-range combat with unique combos and special moves and long-range fighting with a variety of weapons. Experience classic arcade gameplay updated for modern times with smooth controls and challenging enemies.

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61%

Audience ScoreBased on 94 reviews

gameplay10 positive mentions

stability12 negative mentions

Captures the nostalgic feel of the G.I. Joe franchise, reminiscent of the 80s cartoon.
Unique character special attacks and varied playstyles make for enjoyable gameplay.
Good graphics and sound design, with fun easter eggs for fans of the series.

The combat is basic and repetitive, lacking depth and variety in moves.
The game is plagued by bugs, including soft locks and character freezing issues.
Unbalanced characters lead to frustrating gameplay, with some being significantly easier to use than others.

gameplay
30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
44%
23%
The gameplay of the game is a mixed bag, featuring serviceable beat'em up mechanics that some players find fun and nostalgic, while others criticize it as boring and lacking depth. Controls are generally responsive, but the absence of a conventional grab mechanic and simplistic enemy attack animations detract from the overall experience. While some players enjoy the addictive combat, many hope for future improvements and additional content to enhance gameplay.
- “The gameplay and combat is so addictive and fun.”
- “It has serviceable beat 'em up mechanics that I had fun with overall.”
- “Joe: Wrath of Cobra is an energetic, nostalgia-fueled beat-em-up that has some length and technical issues, but not enough to seriously dampen the solid side-scrolling gameplay and excellent retro aesthetic.”
- “Gameplay is boring.”
- “The gameplay is awful.”
- “Almost every beat 'em up I've played has better gameplay.”
music
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
32%
52%
16%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players finding it uninteresting and lacking the classic G.I. Joe theme, possibly due to licensing issues. However, others appreciate the nostalgic 16-bit soundtrack, describing it as enjoyable and fitting for the game's retro style. Overall, while the music may not fully satisfy all fans, it does evoke a sense of nostalgia for some players.
- “Nice and short experience for the price, great replayability, and the background music is an absolute bop.”
- “Anyway, I have to rate this game positively because the OST is fantastic and the game itself scratches some nostalgia itches.”
- “[Great music and sprite artwork, satisfying sidescrolling fisticuffs.]”
- “The animations look amateurish and the sounds/music aren't from the cartoon.”
- “Music is also pretty meh.”
- “Nice graphics and many easter eggs, but sadly no old Joe theme song (is it a licensing issue?)”
graphics
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
76%
12%
12%
The graphics of the game are generally praised for their nostalgic appeal and good visuals, effectively capturing the essence of the G.I. Joe franchise. While many users appreciate the vibrant aesthetics and the fun representation, some feel that the visuals could benefit from further refinement, with a mix of impressive and amateurish elements. Overall, the graphics contribute positively to the game's experience, aligning well with its retro beat 'em up style.
- “Audio on point, graphics on point, very nostalgic. I am so pumped to be able to play this - the funnest Joe experience I've had in a long time!”
- “Fun game and graphics are perfect for the nature of this license.”
- “Joe: Wrath of Cobra is an energetic, nostalgia-fueled beat-em-up that has some length and technical issues, but not enough to seriously dampen the solid side-scrolling gameplay and excellent retro aesthetic.”
- “As it is, it's baby's first beat 'em up; it kinda feels like some dude's 'Beats of Rage' amateur effort with some decent visuals in some places and bad in others.”
story
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
62%
19%
The game's story is criticized for being minimal and linear, with players experiencing significant bugs that prevent cutscenes from playing, leading to confusion and a lack of context. While there are some story elements, they are overshadowed by gameplay issues and a simplistic narrative structure, making it feel less engaging compared to other titles in the genre. Overall, the story is seen as an afterthought, detracting from the overall experience.
- “The opening cinematic was skipped when I first started story mode - suspecting it was weird I was given nothing for context, I returned to the main menu and started again and sure enough got the opening cut-scene.”
- “Overall this is a fun novelty, but don't expect the level of consideration that was put into TMNT: Shredder's Revenge; this is a linear level system, scant story points, purely left-to-right scrolling, and unbalanced playable characters which is a shame when you consider this is a franchise that people will heavily favor a specific Joe over others.”
- “[short story mode, frustrating bugs]”
- “The game has no story (edit: apparently, the game has a story. There are a few cutscenes that play, but for some reason they didn't play for me on first playthrough, maybe because I changed the language to Brazilian Portuguese. Either way, it doesn't matter much because the game always softlocks after a cutscene, so I have to skip it anyway), no stage transitions, no alternative paths.”
- “Overall this is a fun novelty, but don't expect the level of consideration that was put into TMNT: Shredder's Revenge. This is a linear level system, scant story points, purely left-to-right scrolling, and unbalanced playable characters, which is a shame when you consider this is a franchise that people will heavily favor a specific Joe over others.”
- “Of course there's not much storyline, simplistic action, and the game itself is bug-city.”
stability
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game suffers from significant stability issues, with numerous reports of bugs and glitches that lead to frequent crashes and gameplay interruptions. Players have experienced problems such as freezing, getting stuck in midair, and bosses slowing down, which detracts from the overall experience. Overall, the game's stability is a major concern, impacting its quality and playability.
- “The game is also amazingly buggy; it would consistently crash after the opening cutscene for me, and playing through it I encountered an endless string of bugs and glitches.”
- “The game itself is buggy, such as getting stuck in midair and can't complete a level.”
- “The glitches are beyond annoying.”
grinding
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviews highlight that the grinding aspect of the game is marked by a lack of enemy variety and tedious combat mechanics, with base enemies taking too long to diversify and certain foes being particularly frustrating. Players find the boss battles unengaging due to their excessive health and simplistic strategies required to defeat them, leading to a monotonous experience throughout the lengthy levels. Overall, the grinding feels unsatisfying and detracts from the enjoyment of the game.
- “Occasionally it throws a big mid-boss style enemy at you that provides at least something of interest, breaking these boring stages up, but they have a huge amount of HP and have to be dealt with using the most tedious techniques, making them become an incredible drag.”
- “Every boss in the game just appears with barely any fanfare suddenly at the end of whatever of the 12 boring long corridor levels you're in, and what follows is tedious fights against super-armored bosses with enormous amounts of health.”
- “The combat is very basic, unsatisfying, and tedious with barely any of the satisfying aspects of good beat-em-ups.”
humor
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is consistently praised, particularly highlighting the hilarity of the introduction, which many users found to be exceptionally funny.
- “The intro is hilarious.”
- “The humor in this game is top-notch and keeps you laughing throughout.”
- “I love how the game uses clever jokes and puns to enhance the experience.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Reviewers express a strong appreciation for the character designs, noting that they remain true to their original forms rather than being altered into unrecognizable redesigns. This fidelity to classic designs enhances the nostalgic appeal for players.
- “I appreciate that the character designs are as they were back in the day, and not some unrecognizable redesign.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
100%
The game offers some replayability through various unlockable game modes that can be accessed by collecting floppies, allowing players to experience altered gameplay.
- “There is a bit of replayability; many game modes that provide alterations to the game can be unlocked by collecting floppies.”
- “There is a bit of replayability; however, many game modes that provide alterations to the game can be unlocked by collecting floppies.”
- “There is a bit of replayability; however, many game modes that provide alterations to the game can be unlocked by collecting floppies.”

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69%Critics’ scoreBased on 10 critic reviews

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Frequently Asked Questions

G.I. Joe: Wrath of Cobra is a hack and slash game.

G.I. Joe: Wrath of Cobra is available on Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S, PC, PlayStation 5 and others.

G.I. Joe: Wrath of Cobra was released on September 26, 2024.

G.I. Joe: Wrath of Cobra was developed by indie.io.

G.I. Joe: Wrath of Cobra has received mostly positive reviews from both players and critics. Most players liked this game for its gameplay but disliked it for its story.

G.I. Joe: Wrath of Cobra is a multiplayer game with local co-op support.

Similar games include Streets of Rage 4, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge, The TakeOver, MARVEL Cosmic Invasion, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita's Rewind and others.

G.I. Joe: Wrath of Cobra

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