Contra Rogue Corps

There's some fun to be had with this twin-stick action shooter, but it doesn't last too long to keep you interested unless you love this franchise. Contra Rogue Corps is easy to pick up and play, with accessible controls that rely mostly on the dual analog sticks. It's fun to walk around these urban environments, mow down thousands of creatures, avoid obstacles (like enemy fire), and master your main and sub-weapons. The progression system is interesting, with various upgrades to augment your weapons. While the story is trite and the one-liners grow tiresome quickly, fans of the franchise will enjoy playing as familiar characters, including Kaiser, The Gentleman, Ms. Harakiri, and a giant panda cyborg called Hungry Beast. As you'd expect, there's some variety between each of these characters, which you'll learn to exploit -- especially when fighting against huge boss characters.

But for the most part, the run and gun action has a lot of "rinse and repeat": you'll move your protagonist around, firing away to clear the area, likely while walking backwards to keep your distance as they approach you (and wait for your weapons to cool down, if you can't use them temporarily). You want to make sure you don't paint yourself into a corner, so you''ll likely employ these basic tactics to clear each level. The gameplay grows stale quickly, the missions aren't very imaginative ("clear the area" or "reach the end of the level" are two examples), and missions are timed and you can't pause or save progress midmission -- so if you die, you'll have to start all over again. The co-op or team-based player-vs.-player (PvP) matches add some variety but aren't too thrilling. The graphics are also dated, with bland character models and repetitive environments. Overall, Contra Rogue Corps will appeal to fans who are huge twin-stick shooter players or have a nostalgic leaning toward the series (even though this doesn't feel like part of the franchise). Otherwise, other gamers will probably stay away.