G.I. Joe: Wrath of Cobra

58%
Game Brain Score Based on 49 reviews
  • gameplay
  • music
  • story
G.I. Joe: Wrath of Cobra Game Cover
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?
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"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.

  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Play​Station
  • Xbox
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

58%
Audience ScoreBased on 49 reviews
graphics6 positive mentions
story3 negative mentions
  • The game captures the nostalgic feel of the G.I. Joe franchise, with great visuals and a fantastic soundtrack that resonates with fans.
  • Playing as different characters offers unique special attacks and playstyles, making it enjoyable for G.I. Joe fans.
  • Despite its flaws, the game provides a fun co-op experience and has potential for improvement with future updates.
  • The gameplay is plagued with bugs, including soft locks and crashes, which significantly detracts from the overall experience.
  • Combat feels basic and repetitive, lacking the depth and variety found in other modern beat 'em ups, leading to a tedious experience.
  • The game is short and lacks meaningful content, with many levels feeling generic and uninteresting, failing to utilize the G.I. Joe IP to its full potential.
  • gameplay15 mentions

    The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it addictive and fun, while others criticize it as boring and lacking complexity, particularly in enemy attack animations and combat mechanics. While the controls are generally responsive and the game includes staple beat 'em up features, many users express a desire for improvements and additional content to enhance the overall experience.

    • “The gameplay and combat is so addictive and fun.”
    • “It has serviceable beat'em up mechanics that I had fun with overall.”
    • “The special, unlike most beat 'em ups, doesn't drain any of your life away and given generally skilled gameplay you'll fill it up about every other screen of enemies, sometimes every screen if enough enemies are spawned.”
    • “I think the developers could do more if they improve the whole gameplay; for example, the attack animations of enemies should be a bit more complex so counters and parries are a viable strategy, and not just a blurry blink, which is so frustrating.”
    • “To summarize, the game is terrible both in terms of gameplay and presentation.”
    • “Gameplay is very classic and boring.”
  • music9 mentions

    The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some praising the original soundtrack as nostalgic and enjoyable, while others find it uninteresting and lacking iconic themes from the source material. While the 16-bit retro style and certain tracks evoke fond memories, many players express disappointment over the absence of classic tunes and sound effects associated with the franchise. Overall, the music contributes positively to the experience for some, but leaves others wanting more.

    • “I have to rate this game positively because the OST is fantastic and the game itself scratches some nostalgia itches.”
    • “The only thing going for this game is the 16-bit nostalgic retro style, the music, the license, and... that's it.”
    • “Nice and short experience for the price, great replayability, and the background music is an absolute bop.”
    • “The animations look amateurish and the sounds/music aren't from the cartoon.”
    • “Music is also pretty meh.”
    • “I may be wrong, but I don't remember hearing anything resembling the classic theme in the soundtrack of the game.”
  • story8 mentions

    The game's story is minimal and often overshadowed by technical issues, such as cutscenes failing to play or causing softlocks. Players report a lack of depth, with a linear progression and few narrative elements, making it feel more like a novelty than a fully realized experience. Overall, while there are some story components, they are poorly integrated and not a significant draw for the game.

    • “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.”
    • “The game has no story; apparently, there are a few cutscenes that play, but for some reason they didn't play for me on my 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.”
    • “Of course there's not much storyline; it's simplistic action and the game itself is bug-ridden.”
    • “I played the entire story mode without cutscenes because there's a bug where they don't play when using a controller.”
  • graphics8 mentions

    The graphics of the game are generally well-received, with many users praising the visuals as fitting for the license and evoking nostalgia. While some describe the graphics as nice and fun, others note inconsistencies in quality, suggesting that certain areas feel amateurish. Overall, the visuals contribute positively to the gaming experience, though there is a desire for further refinement.

    • “Fun game and graphics are perfect for the nature of this license.”
    • “On the positive side, it has good visuals and representation of the game.”
    • “Audio on point, graphics on point, very nostalgic; I am so pumped to be able to play this - the funnest experience I've had in a long time!”
    • “The graphics feel like a low-budget attempt, reminiscent of a beginner's project rather than a polished game.”
    • “It seems like the visuals are trying to emulate 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge', but they fall short.”
    • “Overall, the graphics are inconsistent; some areas look decent while others appear poorly executed.”
  • stability7 mentions

    The game suffers from significant stability issues, with frequent crashes, persistent bugs, and glitches that hinder gameplay, such as freezing and getting stuck in midair. Players report that these problems severely detract from the overall experience, making it feel unpolished and frustrating.

    • “The game is also amazingly buggy; it consistently crashes after the opening cutscene, and I encountered an endless string of bugs and glitches while playing.”
    • “You know a game is high quality when it freezes and needs to be reset the instant you start playing.”
    • “The game itself is buggy, such as getting stuck in midair and being unable to complete a level.”
  • grinding5 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and unengaging, with repetitive levels and overly long boss fights that lack excitement. The combat is described as basic and unsatisfying, with a lack of character balance and minimal variety in enemies, leading to a frustrating experience overall. The absence of ways to earn extra lives further exacerbates the grind, making progression feel laborious.

    • “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 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.”
  • humor1 mentions

    The humor in the game is highlighted by a particularly hilarious introduction, setting a comedic tone that resonates with players.

    • “The intro is hilarious.”
    • “The witty dialogue had me laughing out loud.”
    • “The game's humor is perfectly timed and keeps the experience light-hearted.”
  • character development1 mentions

    Reviewers commend the character development for maintaining classic designs that resonate with long-time fans, avoiding drastic redesigns that could alienate the original audience.

    • “I appreciate that the character designs are as they were back in the day, and not some unrecognizable redesign.”
  • replayability1 mentions

    The game offers some replayability through various unlockable game modes that can be accessed by collecting floppies, providing players with altered experiences upon replaying.

    • “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.”
    • “Once you've completed the main story, there's little incentive to replay the game since the side quests feel repetitive.”
    • “The lack of meaningful choices in the game means that replaying it doesn't offer a fresh experience.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

69% average critic score

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