Wolf of the Battlefield: Commando 3

Wolf of the Battlefield: Commando 3

Commando 3 is a videogame like how they used to make 'em. A sequel to Capcom's 1991 arcade classic Mercs, it casts its player as a muscle-ripped commando fighting his (or her) way through swathes of enemy soldiers turrets tanks and helicopters. Viewed from a 3/4 top-down perspective you've got four grenades to throw and one gigantic machine gun, rocket launcher or flamethrower to wield. It's pure macho, Rambo-style nonsense and, just as you might expect, it's completely brilliant fun.

Created by Western developer Backbone Entertainment, the game's split over five varied and interesting levels, each with its own unique theme from a sun-soaked desert island through to a murky, steamy swampland. As you move up the screen you'll pick up new weapons, discover upgrades for your main gun, hunt for much-needed health packs and earn medals for score bonuses.

The game employs the twin-stick control popularised by Geometry Wars: the left stick controlling movement of your solider on the ground and the right stick aiming your stream of bullets around 360 degrees. Grenades are handled by the trigger button and the longer you hold the button down the further your throw.

Captive friendly units must be freed from their cane cages and each level boasts a number of secret areas that must be discovered if you're to scale the high-score tables. Manage to shoot enemy gunners from their turrets and you'll be able to commandeer the position, turning enemy bullets back against them. Likewise occasionally you'll stumble across an unmanned vehicle that can be seized and used to plough through the grunts that stand between you and the next hulking end-of-level boss.

The emphasis is on earning high scores and the game provides four distinct difficulty levels to play at, each with its own dedicated score list to tackle. The high score tables are undermined a little by the fact enemies continually spawn if you stand still and, as there's no time limit to completing a level the highest scores will always naturally be awarded to those who take the longest to inch forward - hardly an ideal situation.

Nevertheless, with a three-player multiplayer mode (featuring adaptive difficulty to compensate for the extra help on your side) and some impressive set-pieces this is a blast of old school shooter excellence that's hugely enjoyable as long as it lasts.

3 out of 5