G.I. Joe: Operation Blackout | PS4 Review

Alright, everyone, I’m ready to call it. We are past the point of assuming licensed games will be terrible. The fact that G.I. Joe: Operation Blackout has come out of seemingly nowhere, and is a competent and fun shooter, is proof positive that developers have learned their lessons.

Yoooooo Joe!

IguanaBee and Fair Play Labs are not studios I had heard of before, so I picked up the controller with some trepidation as I began G.I. Joe: Operation Blackout. To my splendid surprise, this game is a complete celebration of all things Joe. It’s obvious the developers have a lot of care for the property, which is infectious while playing.

The story is a testament to the studios’ appreciation of G.I. Joe. Cobra causes a worldwide blackout and largely takes over the globe, leaving the scrappy remaining members of G.I. Joe to fight back. That’s not all, as Cobra is after a mind controlling bell made from the metals only a meteorite can provide. The world will bow to the heel of Cobra Commander! It’s campy and ridiculous, which is exactly what you want. It feels very much like the outrageous plot of any given Saturday morning cartoon from yesteryear.

Knowing is Half the Battle

What’s super cool about the plot in G.I. Joe: Operation Blackout is that you swap between playing as the Joes and the Cobras. It’s a lot of fun getting to play both sides of the conflict, and IguanaBee and Fair Play Labs have done a remarkable job handling the characters. The banter had me actively laughing out loud at several points. The game typically chooses two characters for each mission (which include co-op), and the different camaraderies and rivalries are constantly entertaining.

There are 12 characters total, and each one has a specialty weapon to call their own, as well as a unique “Ultimate” ability. No matter whether you’re playing as Cobra Commander, Duke, Baroness, or anyone in between, you’ll be shooting. Like, a whole lot.

The shooting is serviceable, bolstered by the inclusion of an active reload mechanic, but it’s almost all you’ll be doing. The enemies are utterly brain dead, and only come in maybe 3 or 4 varieties. Thankfully, boss fights are pretty fun, as you’ll be facing down the other playable characters. It’s fun to see your own skills used against you, and luckily these fights are frequent enough to help break up the monotony of the shooting corridors. There are occasional vehicular missions, as well. These are mostly on-rails affairs, and quite simple, but I had a blast playing through them.

Snake is Sneak Spelled Sideways

What’s baffling and borderline inexcusable is the lack of online multiplayer. Not only is this feature almost guaranteed with a shooter in 2020, but the game seems built around playing with friends. With each character having their signature weapon and unique Ultimate ability, some built around boosting your squadmates, I can’t imagine online wasn’t originally in the cards. It’s cool split-screen is an option, but I was ready and raring to get online and kick some Cobra butt. 2v2 split-screen just doesn’t deliver the feeling you want out of a competitive shooter.

I imagine this speaks to G.I. Joe: Operation Blackout’s budget price. It’s obvious as much as the developers’ cared about the product, it just didn’t receive the money it needed. Most of the campaign’s maps are used 2-3 times, and considering there are only 17 missions, you can probably guess at the repetition. True, there are small side missions and collectibles to discover, but seeing the same maps over such a short campaign is brutal. I didn’t mind as much as other players might, as I was busy distracted by the delightful dialogue, but you need to be aware going in.

Bow Before the Cobra Commander

There is a great game buried inside of G.I. Joe: Operation Blackout. If only the game got the budget it deserved, we probably could have had the definitive G.I. Joe video game. As it stands, it’s a fun, simple, brief video game that won’t stick with you unless you’re a fan of the property. It’s almost heartbreaking to see how much the developers obviously care about this franchise, only to be held back by circumstances outside their control. Give these folks more money, and let’s get the G.I. Joe game of our dreams next time.

This review is based on a PlayStation 4 copy of G.I. Joe: Operation Blackout provided by Sandbox Strategies for coverage purposes. It is also available on Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and Microsoft Windows.