GRIN Talks Bionic Commando: Rearmed

GRIN, speaking at the Nordic Games Conference, talked about the things that went right and wrong with Bionic Commando: Rearmed.Looking back, Rearmed director Simon Viklund thinks that GRIN “should have focused on fewer things.” The team “became blind to flaws,” ignoring an early beta test, and they now believe that they should have reworked both the tutorial and the control scheme, considering the problems people had getting to grips with Rearmed. Equally, they think the system of players having lives and then being forced to restart the stage should they run out was outdated.Because of the widespread focus, a lot was cut before release. Originally, the game featured between 70 and 80 Challenge rooms, but it was cut down to 56 as some were simply too difficult. A multiplayer race mode was cut out, as were multiplayer special moves, and single player scoring was “broken.”In the end, however, GRIN sees Rearmed as a success, following critical acclaim and impressive sales. The team decided early not to worry too much about minor details – like weapon change animations – which ended up serving the game well. Likewise, while Viklund previously didn’t consider story important, he says that Rearmed changed his mind, with ideas such as making the first level an oil refinery giving the game “the power of scenario.”Thanks to 1UP for this. If you’re interested in all things Bionic Commando, then we touch on Rearmed during our first ever podcast, and you can also check out our review of the recently released Bionic Commando.