CONTRA RETURNS BEST CHARACTERS TV
The gameplay of Contra: Rogue Corps is akin to classic twinstick shooters like Smash TV or Total Carnage if they were made today and were over the top, carnage filled homages to ‘80s and ‘90s action flicks. The element of upgrading a character’s stats and weapons is somewhat of an alien concept to Contra games but it is a fun mechanic.
Just like real life, surgical organ swaps are not something where skimping on the expense is recommended.
Sometimes the bonuses can be greater than advertised or additional perks may be included, but sometimes there might some penalties that unexpectedly arise. These can have a variety of stat increases but getting surgery does have some inherent risks. Weapons are not the only thing can be upgraded as the characters themselves can go under the knife to get some nice surgical augmentations with black market organs. This can be done with each character’s weapons which allows players to personalize their arsenal in a way that best fits their play style. In the camp that serves as a general hub players can use accumulated credits to purchase weapons that can do things like increase damage or decrease cooldown, along with more specialized functions. To further deviate from the classic formula, Contra: Rogue Corps introduces light RPG elements in the form of weapon and character customization. This is purely speculation, but he strikes me as someone who would enjoy a spot of tea drank from the skulls of his enemies. Lastly there is the Gentleman, who is some bug looking alien creature who has a penchant for killing but will do so in the most polite way possible. Not much is known about this character but somehow the brain of a brilliant scientist Steiner was transplanted into a cyborg panda bear. The cuddliest commando was once known as Kurt Steiner but now goes by HB for Hungry Beast. Sticking a sword through him seems to prevent the spread of taking over her entire body but that doesn’t succeed in shutting him up. Harakiri due to the fact her midsection has been taken over by a parasitic alien being. Adding some femininity to the roster there is Sweets W. The first of these is Max Doyle, aka Kaiser, the typical Schwarzenegger clone with a machine gun in one hand and a bad pun generating drill for his other hand who likes heavy metal and Bach. The roster each has their own weapon types and special attacks, and the diversity extends into the inhuman realm, similar to the characters that were introduced in Contra: Hard Corps on the Sega Genesis. The four playable mercenaries are resistant to the mind destroying effects of the Damned City, making it a potential goldmine for them provided they can survive the dangers that lurk within. This mysterious place is home to many terrible creatures and causes tremendous psychic damage to those who enter. The events in Contra: Rogue Corps occur a few years after the events of Contra III: The Alien Wars in a place called the Damned City. This sets the tone for the level of over the top ridiculousness that the player can expect to encounter in the latest installment in the 32 year old franchise. After a brief comic book style cutscene to cover the basic elements of the plot the scene shifts to one of the playable characters riding a missile like a surf board as it explodes in a group of aliens. Some of them include long introductory sequences that go into a detailed and nuanced backstory before getting into the meat and potatoes of what the game is about. Contra: Rogue Corps is a twinstick shooter, which is nothing at all like classic Contra fans may have been hoping for but once that expectation is dropped Rogue Corps can be a blast. Historically, Contra has offered different perspectives in their games and has even attempted a couple tries at going 3D but the general consensus seems to be Contra is at its best when it’s 2D run and gun.
Initial reactions to Rogue Corps were naturally mixed. The most recent Contra related game Hard Corps: Uprising came out in 2011 and it has been a decade since we’ve seen a game that has a proper Contra title. Contra: Rogue Corps was a surprise announcement a few months ago.