It warms the cockles that games like G.I. Joe: Operation Blackout are still getting made. Back on the Xbox 360 we would get licence after licence, with big budget takes on Captain America, Family Guy, Hellboy, etc. Now? Eh, not so much. G.I. Joe: Operation Blackout lines up for duty today on the Xbox One, PS4, Switch and PC.
Rather than bring us The Rock and Channing Tatum, G.I. Joe: Operation Blackout elects to present a more animated G.I. Joe, and Snake Eyes, Duke, Roadblock and the rest don’t half look bad. From the official trailers, this is a colourful, vibrant take on our favourite heroes, and it does give it an action figure vibe.
Gameplay-wise, this is third-person action fodder but with a team-based approach. It’s hard to see how the teams will be fully employed, but you will – at the very least – be able to switch between characters in the midst of battle.
Even more enticing, for those who want to watch the world burn, is that you get to play as Cobra as well as Team G.I. Joe, and that’s within the 17-mission, single-player campaign, too. Shotgun Cobra Commander!
There are quite a few ways to play, it seems. There is the mentioned campaign experience, which can also be played in co-op, and there are four 4-vs-4 multiplayer modes. They seem to be familiar flavours of Capture the Flag, King of the Hill, Deathmatch Arena and Assault. At least we’ll know what we’re doing.
Not going to lie, from all the press materials that we’ve been given, the bit we’re interested in is getting the chance to drive the G.I. Joe Persuader and some of the other iconic vehicles. We had one of those back in the day.
Features include:
- G.I. JOE VS COBRA – Play with 12 of your favorite characters from both sides including Snake Eyes, Duke, Roadblock, Storm Shadow, Cobra Commander, Destro and more in 4-player PvP and across 17 epic campaign story missions. Includes voice acting for over 20 iconic characters in the G.I. Joe universe.
- COMBAT TOOLS – Fight for your side with 18 awesome weapons, 36 weapon skins, 12 alternate character skins and a series of uniquely devastating ultimate abilities.
- LEGENDARY FRANCHISE – Take control of the iconic G.I. Joe Persuader and Cobra H.I.S.S. tanks in your battle across classic locations like the USS Flagg and Cobra Headquarters.
- CO-OP & PVP MULTIPLAYER – Play the campaign with a friend in local co-op, or compete in 4-player PvP local matches in 4 Multiplayer Modes: Capture the Flag, Assault, King of The Hill, and Deathmatch Arena.
It’ll be fascinating to see if G.I. Joe translates to modern gaming and whether there’s still some love for the dusty old franchise. We hope so. Check out our incoming review to find out.
Edit: Our review of G.I. Joe Operation Blackout is now live.
G.I. Joe: Operation Blackout is out now on Xbox One and will cost you £34.99 for the Standard Edition, or £44.99 for the Digital Deluxe Edition – it is that which brings you the following…
- Classic Duke & Classic Cobra Commander Character Pack – Two new characters skins based on the iconic 80’s TV show!
- Battle Gear: G.I. Joe and Cobra Weapons Pack – Includes 12 new weapon skins in Cobra Gold and G.I. Joe Chrome.
- Exclusive Digital Art Book – Get a look at the never-before-seen art used to create the game.
- Digital Soundtrack – Full length music tracks from game plus bonus tracks from the 80’s TV show.
The game is also out on PS4, Switch and PC via Steam.
Game Description:
G.I. Joe and Cobra are back! G.I. Joe: Operation Blackout is a team-based third- person shooter where you play as your favorite characters from Team G.I. Joe and Team Cobra. Experience the action from both sides as you help G.I. Joe restore order and lead Cobra to world domination. Continue the fight with all new character and weapon skins and get exclusive access to the art and music from the game!
