Rogue Warrior (video game)

Last updated

Rogue Warrior
Roguewarrior.jpg
Developer(s) Rebellion Developments
Publisher(s) Bethesda Softworks
Producer(s) Michael Burnham
Designer(s) Tim Jones
Programmer(s) Kevin Floyer-Lea
Artist(s) Martin Carter
Writer(s) Richard Marcinko
Composer(s) Mark Rutherford
Engine Asura
Platform(s)
Release
  • AU: 26 November 2009
  • EU: 27 November 2009
  • NA: 1 December 2009
Genre(s) First-person shooter
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer

Rogue Warrior is a 2009 first-person shooter video game developed by Rebellion Developments and published by Bethesda Softworks for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The game was released on 26 November 2009 in Australia, 27 November in Europe, and 1 December in North America.

Contents

In Rogue Warrior, the United States has sent in Richard Marcinko, a veteran U.S. Navy SEAL, on a mission into North Korea to disrupt ballistic missile launchers. Despite the game being named after Marcinko's 1992 autobiography, the game's storyline bears no relation to it or to his subsequent series of fiction novels. Marcinko is voiced by actor Mickey Rourke.

First announced in 2006, Rogue Warrior was originally being developed by Zombie Studios, and was set for a 2007 release. However, the game's release was delayed after Bethesda stated they were unsatisfied with the direction Zombie Studios was taking the game. Bethesda quickly scrapped the project and brought in Rebellion Development to develop an entire new game from scratch. Rebellion, while retaining some major elements from Zombie's rendition, has taken a whole new approach to the game and its focus.

Rogue Warrior received negative reviews from critics, who cited it as one of the worst games ever made. Criticism of the game included its poor controls, multiple glitches, outdated graphics, poor gunplay, frequent profanity, rushed production, uninteresting gameplay, short length, very limited multiplayer, and broken and exploited combat techniques.

Gameplay

Richard Marcinko using a kill move to eliminate an enemy. A third-person perspective is used when showing kill moves. Rogue Warrior Screen 1.JPG
Richard Marcinko using a kill move to eliminate an enemy. A third-person perspective is used when showing kill moves.

Rogue Warrior is primarily a first-person shooter with tactical elements. The player assumes control of U.S. Navy SEAL Richard "Demo Dick" Marcinko, also known as "Rogue Warrior". The primary goal for Marcinko begins as an infiltration mission to disrupt hostile missiles and evolves to prevent other potentially dangerous situations. To achieve this goal, Marcinko may use a wide array of weapons and explosives. Such weapons include AK-74s, grenades, and combat knives. In addition to weapons, Marcinko may also utilize explosives barrels and gas tanks to eliminate enemies.

The focus of the gameplay is Marcinko's over-the-top methods and signature execution moves used in war situations. When the player is in close proximity to an enemy, they may press one of several buttons to trigger an instant kill via finishing moves, referred to as kill moves in the game. There are more than twenty-five finishing moves available to players. Such moves include throwing an enemy over a rail, slashing their throat, or stabbing them in the head. Upon initiating a finishing move, the in-game camera shifts to a third-person cinematic angle to show the finishing animation. A cover system akin to Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas is incorporated. This allows the player to blind-fire and pop in and out of cover, but some positions of cover may be destroyed. There is also a "robust" checkpoint system that tracks player progress.

Plot

In 1986, Richard Marcinko (voiced by Mickey Rourke), a U.S. Navy SEAL, is sent on a classified mission into Unggi, North Korea, with two other SEALs, to retrieve intelligence from a North Korean mole on ballistic missiles of an unfamiliar design that North Korea is supposedly in possession of, as well as to recon a factory that is allegedly developing the missiles. Shortly after touching ground, Marcinko's unit successfully takes out a Korean People's Army patrol, but one of the North Koreans suffers only wounds and manages to pull the pin of one of his grenades, killing Marcinko's team. Admiral Travis Payton (voiced by Neal McDonough), the commander of the operation, demands that Marcinko abort, but he refuses, saying he intends to finish the mission. After fighting through Unggi, Marcinko discovers the mole was killed. However, he finds the intel in the mole's apartment room on missile launchers that have been developed in Unggi.

Marcinko is then ordered by Payton to disable the missile launchers by any means necessary. Marcinko enters the facility that is producing the missile launchers but finds that only one is present. According to intelligence received from Payton, the rest of the launchers are being moved out by sea. After destroying the missile, Marcinko heads to the Unggi harbor and sees that they are actually being sent out of Unggi by train to the Soviet Union, not far from Unggi. Marcinko boards the train and destroys it as it crosses the border. Marcinko enters Soviet territory and gathers intelligence that the ballistic missiles were of Soviet origin, not North Korean. Marcinko also notices that the remaining ballistic missiles were moved out of North Korea to a palace in the Soviet Union. Marcinko insists on going after the missiles, but Payton warns that an attempt to go after the missiles will not only result in Marcinko's court-martial but even war between the United States and the Soviet Union. Marcinko dismisses these warnings and goes after the missiles.

Marcinko enters the palace where the missiles are located. He contacts Payton, who threatens to have Marcinko court-martialed for disobeying orders. Marcinko suggests that he found proof that the Soviet Union created a missile defense program aimed to deter any U.S. nuclear launch against Soviet territory. This program was similar to the real-life U.S. Star Wars program aimed at deterring any Soviet missile attack on U.S. territory. Marcinko launches a missile at the palace, destroys the missiles located in a bunker under the palace, and escapes the palace. Marcinko then goes to a dam to disrupt electricity to a Soviet submarine base. Marcinko then heads to the submarine base with the purpose of destroying a submarine carrying the remaining missiles. Marcinko escapes onto a patrol boat with Navy SEALs aboard that were sent by Payton to help Marcinko. Marcinko hands over a computer chip to the commanding SEAL of the boat and tells him that it is evidence that justifies Marcinko's actions that is to be presented at his court-martial.

Development

Announced in the fall of 2006 as a partnership between Bethesda Softworks and Zombie Studios, Rogue Warrior: Black Razor was billed as a tactical first-person shooter for release in 2007. Set in present-day North Korea, the plot focused on Marcinko and his team's effort to neutralize the country's nuclear launch capabilities. The game was supposed to include drop-in four-player cooperative and 24-player competitive multiplayer, with the latter featuring a unique map system where each team would select the layout of their territory, and the center area of the map would be randomized. [1]

In 2009, the game resurfaced after much silence. Bethesda publicly stated that they were not satisfied with the direction Zombie was taking the game. Bethesda scrapped the project and commissioned Rebellion Developments to develop the game. Starting fresh, Rebellion made numerous changes to the gameplay, plot, and features. The setting shifted to 1986 Soviet Union and North Korea; the game engine became proprietary; the cooperative play was struck along with the multiplayer tiling system; the overall focus turned to Marcinko's personality and kill moves, and the name was shortened to simply Rogue Warrior. Mickey Rourke was also announced as the celebrity voice actor for Marcinko. On 6 September, the video game website GameSpot posted the game's first preview after the game had been reconstructed.

Reception

Rogue Warrior received "unfavorable" reviews on all platforms according to the review aggregation website Metacritic. [2] [3] [4]

GameSpot said of the PC and Xbox 360 versions, "This dreadfully boring, expletive-filled, extremely short shooter is an absolute rip-off." [8] [9] IGN said that the gameplay is poorly done. [13] GameZone's Natalie Romano said of the Xbox 360 version, "A very disappointing game from start to finish, Rogue Warrior is a game that brings nothing new to the genre nor does it make for a fun first-person shooter worth the money. Simply put, this isn’t just an awful shooter but it’s also a terrible game. Sorry, but this is one hero we would like to leave behind." [11] Andrew Reiner of Game Informer concluded that "with the gunplay being as bad as it is, and the story coming across as a six-year-old’s interpretation of Cold War events, the only fun comes from the possibility of stepping into the shoes of a blatantly homoerotic Rambo". [6]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Marcinko</span> United States Navy officer (1940–2021)

Richard Marcinko was a U.S. Navy SEAL commander and Vietnam War veteran. He was the first commanding officer of SEAL Team Six. After retiring from the United States Navy, he became an author, radio talk show host, military consultant, and motivational speaker.

<i>Test Drive Unlimited</i> 2006 video game

Test Drive Unlimited is a 2006 racing video game developed by Eden Games and published by Atari for Xbox 360 and Microsoft Windows. Atari Melbourne House developed the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable versions. Being the eighteenth entry in the Test Drive series, Unlimited serves as a reboot of the franchise, discarding the continuity of the previous games. The game features over 125 licensed sports cars and motorcycles and the terrain is modeled after the Hawaiian island of Oʻahu that features over 1,000 miles (1,600 km) of roads and highways.

<i>Blazing Angels: Squadrons of WWII</i> 2006 video game

Blazing Angels: Squadrons of WWII is a flight combat video game for Microsoft Windows, Xbox, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Wii. It was developed by Ubisoft Bucharest during the second fiscal quarter of 2006 for both the North American and European regions. The game features 46 different World War II fighter planes and allows the player or players to take part in several World War II events as a fictional squadron. Online support allows 16 players to take part in head-to-head and co-operative battles.

<i>Just Cause</i> (video game) 2006 action-adventure game

Just Cause is a 2006 third-person action-adventure game set in an open world environment. It is developed by Swedish developer Avalanche Studios and published by Eidos Interactive, and is the first game in the Just Cause series. It was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 2, Xbox, and Xbox 360. The area explored during the game is described as being over 1,024 km2 (395 sq mi) in size, with 21 story missions and over 300 side missions to complete. As of 23 April 2009, it has sold more than one million copies.

<i>Clive Barkers Jericho</i> 2007 video game

Clive Barker's Jericho is a horror first-person shooter video game developed by MercurySteam and Alchemic Productions and published by Codemasters. It is produced by Clive Barker. The game was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in 2007.

<i>Tom Clancys Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2</i> 2007 video game

Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 is a tactical shooter video game developed by Ubisoft Paris and Red Storm Entertainment and published by Ubisoft. It was released for Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable. It is the sequel to Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter. High Voltage Software developed the game's PlayStation Portable version, while Grin developed the Windows version.

<i>Dynasty Warriors: Gundam</i> 2007 video game

Dynasty Warriors: Gundam, originally released in Japan as Gundam Musou, is a 2007 video game based on the Gundam anime series. It was developed by Omega Force and published by Namco Bandai Games. Its gameplay is derived from Koei's Dynasty Warriors and Samurai Warriors series. The "Official Mode" of the game is based primarily on the Universal Century timeline, with mecha from Mobile Suit Gundam, Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam, and Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ appearing in the game, as well as a few units from Mobile Suit Variation and Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory appearing as non-playable enemy units. The "Original Mode" of the game also features mecha from the non-UC series Mobile Fighter G Gundam, Mobile Suit Gundam Wing and Turn A Gundam. A newly designed non-SD Musha Gundam designed by Hajime Katoki is also included.

<i>Rage</i> (video game) 2011 video game

Rage is a first-person shooter video game developed by id Software and published by Bethesda Softworks, released in October 2011 for Microsoft Windows, the PlayStation 3, and the Xbox 360, and in February 2012 for OS X. It was first shown as a tech demo at the 2007 Apple Worldwide Developers Conference and was announced at the QuakeCon. Rage uses id Software's id Tech 5 game engine and is the final game released by the company under the supervision of founder John Carmack.

<i>Wet</i> (video game) 2009 video game

Wet is a 2009 third-person shooter action game, developed by Artificial Mind & Movement and published by Bethesda Softworks for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. A PlayStation Portable version was planned, but ultimately cancelled.

<i>Bionic Commando</i> (2009 video game) 2009 video game

Bionic Commando is a 2009 action-adventure video game, part of the Bionic Commando series. The game was developed by Swedish developer Grin and published by Capcom. The game is a sequel to the 1988 NES game Bionic Commando, with certain storyline elements taken from its 2008 remake Bionic Commando Rearmed. The game runs on Grin's Diesel engine.

<i>Lost Planet 2</i> 2010 third-person shooter video game

Lost Planet 2 is a third-person shooter video game developed and published by Capcom and Beeline Interactive, Inc. The game is the sequel to Lost Planet: Extreme Condition, taking place ten years after the events of the first game, on the same planet. The game was developed for BlackBerry, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Microsoft Windows. Originally set to be released in early 2010, Capcom delayed the game's consoles release to May 11, 2010 in North America and Europe, May 13 in Australia and May 20 for Japan, while the BlackBerry version was released worldwide on April 28 and the Microsoft Windows version was released in October that year. The title sold more than 1.5 million copies worldwide.

<i>Rogue Trooper</i> (video game) 2006 video game

Rogue Trooper is a third-person shooter video game developed by Rebellion Developments and published by Eidos Interactive. It was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 2 and Xbox in 2006. The Wii version, entitled Rogue Trooper: Quartz Zone Massacre, was released in 2009.

<i>Battlestations: Pacific</i> 2009 video game

Battlestations: Pacific is an action and real-time tactics video game published by Eidos Interactive and developed by Eidos Hungary. It is also the sequel to the 2007 video game Battlestations: Midway. It was released for Microsoft Windows and Xbox 360 worldwide in May 2009. The Mac OS X version of the game was developed by Robosoft Technologies and released on October 8, 2010, by Feral Interactive.

<i>Singularity</i> (video game) 2010 video game

Singularity is a 2010 first-person shooter survival horror video game developed by Raven Software and published by Activision and released for Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. It is built on Epic Games' Unreal Engine 3.

<i>Wanted: Weapons of Fate</i> 2008 video game

Wanted: Weapons of Fate is a third-person shooter video game, first developed and published by I-play in 2008, before being developed by Grin and published by Warner Bros. Interactive and distributed by Universal Studios in 2009, based on the film of the same name. It was released for mobile phones, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

<i>Bolt</i> (video game) 2008 video game

Bolt is a video game developed by Avalanche Software and published by Disney Interactive Studios for Wii, Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Nintendo DS, and Microsoft Windows. It is based on the 2008 film of the same name. Mark Walton, Sean Donnelan, and Malcolm McDowell reprise their roles as Rhino, Penny's TV father, and Dr. Calico respectively. Miley Cyrus, who voiced Penny, is replaced by Ashleigh Prather.

<i>Mini Ninjas</i> 2009 video game

Mini Ninjas is a 2009 action-adventure game developed by IO Interactive and published by Eidos Interactive for Microsoft Windows, Nintendo DS, PlayStation 3, Wii and Xbox 360. A Mac OS X version of the game was released on July 8, 2010, by Feral Interactive. In December 2011, it was announced that the game would be also made available as a browser game for Google Chrome.

<i>Hunted: The Demons Forge</i> 2011 video game

Hunted: The Demon's Forge is a 2011 action game set in a dark fantasy world. It was developed by inXile Entertainment and published by Bethesda Softworks for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Microsoft Windows.

<i>Fuse</i> (video game) 2013 video game

Fuse is a four-player cooperative third-person shooter video game developed by Insomniac Games and published by Electronic Arts for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The game was announced as Overstrike before it was rebranded in August 2012. It was released on May 28, 2013 in North America, May 30, 2013 in Australia and on May 31, 2013 in Europe. Fuse was both a critical and commercial failure for Electronic Arts.

<i>Deadpool</i> (video game) 2013 video game

Deadpool is an action-adventure video game based on the Marvel Comics antihero of the same name. It was developed by High Moon Studios and published by Activision for PlayStation 3, Windows, and Xbox 360 in June 2013. Written by Daniel Way, the game's story follows Deadpool as he joins forces with Cable and the X-Men in order to thwart Mister Sinister's latest scheme, getting into numerous comedic adventures along the way. Similarly to other media featuring the character, the game includes self-referential humor and numerous fourth wall breaks.

References

  1. Ogden, Gavin (30 October 2006). "Bethesda creates new first-person shooter". Computer and Video Games . Retrieved 20 July 2009.
  2. 1 2 "Rogue Warrior for PC Reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive. Retrieved 18 July 2015.
  3. 1 2 "Rogue Warrior for PlayStation 3 Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 18 July 2015.
  4. 1 2 "Rogue Warrior for Xbox 360 Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 18 July 2015.
  5. Leadbetter, Richard (9 December 2009). "Rogue Warrior (Xbox 360)". Eurogamer . Gamer Network. Retrieved 18 July 2015.
  6. 1 2 3 Reiner, Andrew (February 2010). "Rogue Warrior (PS3, X360): A Game That Makes Almost Every Game Before It Look Better". Game Informer . No. 202. GameStop. Archived from the original on 26 December 2009. Retrieved 15 July 2019.
  7. Herring, Will (1 December 2009). "Rogue Warrior (X360)". GamePro . GamePro Media. Archived from the original on 7 June 2011. Retrieved 16 July 2019.
  8. 1 2 VanOrd, Kevin (2 December 2009). "Rogue Warrior Review (PC)". GameSpot . CBS Interactive . Retrieved 18 July 2015.
  9. 1 2 VanOrd, Kevin (8 December 2009). "Rogue Warrior Review (X360)". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 15 July 2019.
  10. 1 2 Manion, Rory (14 December 2009). "The Consensus: Rogue Warrior Review (PS3, X360)". GameSpy . CBS Interactive. Retrieved 18 July 2015.
  11. 1 2 Romano, Natalie (14 December 2009). "Rogue Warrior - 360 - Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on 18 December 2009. Retrieved 15 July 2019.
  12. 1 2 Gerstmann, Jeff (3 December 2009). "Rogue Warrior Review (PS3, X360)". Giant Bomb . CBS Interactive. Retrieved 18 July 2015.
  13. 1 2 3 4 Haynes, Jeff (4 December 2009). "Rogue Warrior Review". IGN . Ziff Davis . Retrieved 18 July 2015.
  14. "Rogue Warrior". Official Xbox Magazine . Future US. February 2010. p. 88.
  15. "Rogue Warrior". PC Gamer . Vol. 17, no. 3. Future US. March 2010. p. 85.
  16. "Review: Rogue Warrior". PlayStation: The Official Magazine . No. 29. Future plc. February 2010. p. 81.