Little Red Riding Wolf
Wolf of the Battlefield: Commando 3 is not your father's Cold War.
Published: June 25, 2008
But I didn't go at it alone. All of this action was best shared with a friend... well, two friends in actuality. With a pair of comrades at my side, what could be seen as a repetitive romp through linear worlds became a race to score the highest number of points and grab the coolest loot we could find out of every breakable crate we came across. Whether it was side by side or online, there's nothing like a pair of your buddies hunkering down in the trenches for what amounts to an hour worth of explosions over funky music (complete with dial tones and '70s funk bass). I mean, what else are you going to do on a Saturday when the government comes calling and you're the only team willing to stand up to '50s style Cold War dictators? Think the Marines are going to answer? Nope. The Army? Are you kidding? Only the Jackals have the cojones to dive into the fray.
Yet I couldn't help feeling that something was lacking once I'd experienced the adventure once. I could excuse the clunky but suitable presentation (and one would argue that since this game has an arcade legacy that the presentation is far from suitable, but that's far too subjective for this article), the repetitive nature of each mission (blast enemies, free prisoners, collect medals, discover random secrets, and fight a tank boss if there's such a fight to be had), and the small number of arenas where I could practice my grenade throwing abilities, and, for $9.99, I should be ecstatic. But when all was said and done and we had brought the dictator to his knees and saved the world like no other organization could, I didn't feel as if I had accomplished anything spectacular. There was also little reason to relive our escapades; it was too short for a lengthy sit-down and too long for a fifteen minute gambol before heading out the door.
Perhaps it's because there are other, and arguably better, adventures in this same vein available on the PlayStation Network. The genre has become so saturated with same style top-down shooters that any new entries, regardless of what ever new approaches they take, are destined to be seen as the same old. There's only so many ways one can blast enemies, with friends or otherwise, before it feels as if you've seen it all before. Even if the Jackals are your first foray into this world of arcade shooters, a world that will be fun the first time through, once you've completed your objectives there won't be a reason to return.
For the price, Wolf of the Battlefield: Commando 3 is not a bad way to bring an hour worth of fun to the table. Suiting up and fighting alongside the Jackals can be a nice diversion to a busy day. Unfortunately, it's a singular diversion with virtually no replay value, especially in the face of more robust experiences like Rocketmen: Axis of Evil. The more experienced will have to weigh whether to join the Jackals on their latest campaign against what they hope to get out of the genre as a whole. With so much other software out there, especially on the PlayStation Network, Wolf of the Battlefield: Commando 3 lacks crucial features that could make it one of the top buying decisions when looking for that next fix. But if joining the Jackals is what you're after, you won't be disappointed. Just be forewarned that your hard earned money may be better spent elsewhere.
