Just what you'd expect from a movie licensed game, nothing more, nothing less.

First, Transformers is dug up from the 80's archives and turned into a movie, now my beloved childhood memories may be forever tainted with the upcoming release of G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra film adaptation. Sure, they get all the names right, but accelerated suits, and the god awful look of Cobra Commander just makes me wanna punch a kitten. Of course I will save my judgment and criticism until the movie is released and hopefully it won't destroy my memories as much as I expect it will. Of course as with any blockbuster summer movie, comes the tie-ins, such as candy, fast food kids meals, and of course the coup de grâce, a video game based on the film.

If you are going into purchasing G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra on the merits hoping that it looks as flashy as the blockbuster film, do yourself a favor and turn that part of your brain off right now. Not only does "Joe" not look the part of a next generation title, it would be even criticized on a PS2. Dull, lifeless textures, explosions that provide little in the oomph department, level designs that are completely generic, and let's not forget the uncontrollable static camera. With that being said, if you can get by the less than stellar visuals and concentrate on having a fun time with an arcade shooter, you'll find yourself enjoying the journey greater.

Based on the upcoming film, you will choose from a select few Joes to do battle against the forces of Cobra. Once you find and/or rescue other members of G.I. Joe, you can purchase them with medals you earn throughout the game. Each soldier has a unique way set of firepower and abilities, with the unfortunate outcome of some of the lesser known or cared about Joes being more effective than say Snake Eyes or Duke. Once you have your team of two selected you can either choose to cooperatively with a friend, or single player with a CPU partner make your way though such well scripted levels such as Snow Level, Desert Level, and even a Lava Level... oooooh!

Each mission will have working towards several objectives ranging from taking down enemy force fields, destroying satellite beacons, or even taking down all opposing forces to save a fellow Joe member. While there are no missions that last for too long thanks to well placed checkpoints, there will be times half way though the game where you will get the feeling of deja vu. The game does do a good job of mixing up objectives as not to feel overly monotonous, but all the same, the game is roughly 6 plus hours long and repetitiveness in certain mission objects do tend to weigh on as time presses on.

While the game is a straightforward action title, there are some control issues that take the game from a fun romp to an utterly frustrating one, especially if you are playing anything higher than the default casual difficulty. First off, there isn't a controllable camera, and while not a major hamper on the game itself, you will find yourself wanting to turn about and back track for a hidden item, only to find your journey more taxing due to the lack of the ability to control said camera.

Next you will find targeting a bear at times as the game utilizes an auto locking scheme. What's worse is that you have little control on where the lock on should take place with the exception of flicking the right analog stick left and right. This becomes an issue when you are trying to find hidden items, and while you are trying to aim for a set of barrels or boxes to explode, the targeting device locks onto an enemy far off screen and refuses to lock onto the boxes in question, forcing you to melee attack them to uncover the goods.

Lastly, the vehicles control pretty badly... there I said it. Think of those limited remote control cars that only had two positions of control, up and down, and you get the idea of how infuriating controlling a powerhouse vehicle can be in this game. There were times where I wanted to say to hell with it and just move on foot as I kept getting stuck or couldn't get into a tight place or over rough terrain.

Beyond the basic missions of moving from screen to screen destroying everything in sight, there are some missions that break up the monotony like a very "missile command meets space invaders" style level where you control a satellite weapon to keep waves of enemies from breaching an area. It is little levels like this that keep the dullness to a minimum, but unfortunately there just isn't enough like this that stray away from the basic formula to really keep your interest for long.

Unlocking all the Joes, and 4 cobra missions are just half the battle... you also get to unlock make of movies, musical score videos, and even PSA's from the original G.I. Joe cartoon. None that are totally worth trekking through the game multiple times for, but they are a novelty when you do uncover them though typical gameplay.

I personally would have preferred a classic "Joe" title, since nostalgia seems to be in these days, but for what's it's worth, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra video game is exactly what you would expect from a film to game translation, nothing more, nothing less. I do, however wish they would have released the title as more budget priced than it is, because this game purchased at 30 or 40 dollars is easier to swallow than paying 50 big ones for it. Especially with co-op being local only, and with no online play, I can honestly only recommend a rental, finding it on sale, or waiting for the price to drop. Now you know... and knowing is half the battle. (come on now... you knew it was coming sooner or later)