Bionic Commando Rearmed 2

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Bionic Commando Rearmed 2 is a 2011 run-and-gun platform game by Fatshark, published by Capcom. It’s a sequel to Bionic Commando Rearmed and uses a 2.5D style where you move and fight from a side view. The game keeps the grappling arm mechanic but adds new bionic abilities and upgrades.

What’s new and different
- New arm powers: hack data terminals, a powerful uppercut, and a grenade launcher. You can also use the arm to grab objects and enemies for shields or to swing.
- Jump and Death From Above: you can jump and slam the ground to create a shockwave that damages nearby foes.
- Bio Vision: a scanning mode to find secrets and learn about enemies and locations.
- Components: equipment you can attach to the arm or your body, such as grenade launchers and health regeneration.
- Upgrades and customization: you can improve Rad Spencer’s abilities in a dedicated enhancements screen.
- Co-op and multiplayer: local co-op returns, but it’s single-screen (no split-screen). The second player controls a version of Spencer.
- Challenge rooms and progression: there are 24 challenge rooms, unlocked in a set order. Some puzzles now require using specific abilities.
- Retro mode: after finishing the game, you can disable jumping for a tougher challenge. There’s also a mode that allows tackling areas without jumping.
- Level design: the game is more linear than the original Rearmed, but you can backtrack to revisit areas with new abilities to access previously unreachable spots.

Story
The action takes place a few years after Rearmed and before the 2009 Bionic Commando. A dictator named General Sabio threatens the Free Standing Army (FSA). Colonel Brubaker disappears after traveling to Sabio’s island. Rad Spencer and four other bionics split into three teams to find Brubaker and stop Sabio’s missiles. Along the way, the team faces a giant robotic foe called GORILLA. Brubaker’s betrayal is revealed as the mission unfolds, and Spencer must disarm Sabio’s missiles. The ending hints at growing public fear of bionics and questions about their future, with political pressure to disband the program.

Development and release
- Origin and studio changes: development started under GRIN, but the company folded. Fatshark took over and finished the game.
- Creative input: Simon Viklund, the original Rearmed composer, served as a creative advisor.
- Technology and design: the game runs on the Diesel engine and features a redesigned look for Spencer to bridge Rearmed and the 2009 3D game.
- Release: announced in 2010 and released in February 2011 for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. It’s also included in the Capcom Digital Collection.
- Music: Viklund returned as composer. The game features NES-inspired tunes and 8-bit remix tracks created by fans through a contest.

Reception and sales
- Reviews were mixed; many critics felt it was not as strong as the first Rearmed, though some praised the new mechanics and improved swinging.
- Some criticisms pointed to jump changes, pacing, and rough frame rates.
- Sales were modest, with about 8,359 copies sold on Xbox Live Arcade in 2011.
- Some outlets highlighted the PS3 version’s need to sign into PlayStation Network as a form of digital rights management.

Extras
- A fan remix contest produced two winning 8-bit tracks that were included in the game’s soundtrack.
- The game’s music draws from classic NES-era games and was composed for the sequel by Viklund.