Contra: Rogue Corps

Contra: Rogue Corps is a run and gun video game in the Contra series developed and published by Konami Digital Entertainment in association with Toylogic. It was released on September 24, 2019 for Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.[1][2][3]

Contra: Rogue Corps
Developer(s)Konami Digital Entertainment
Toylogic
Publisher(s)Konami Digital Entertainment
Director(s)Nobuya Nakazato
SeriesContra
Platform(s)Microsoft Windows
Nintendo Switch
PlayStation 4
Xbox One
Release
  • WW: September 24, 2019
Genre(s)Run and gun
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Rogue Corps is set in the fictional Damned City years after Contra III: The Alien Wars and Contra 4, featuring four playable characters and a wide degree of weapon customization. It received mixed to negative reviews upon release. While praise fell toward its upgrade and customization system, the game was criticized for its gameplay, graphics, and story.

Plot
Contra fictional chronology

The story is set seven years after that of Contra III: The Alien Wars, taking place in Damned City.[3][4] Due to the catastrophic events of the Alien Wars, Damned City has now become a post-apocalyptic environment that is home to "all sorts of strange artifacts and tech". The harsh environment causes incurable psychic damage to the minds of human beings, driving them insane. The city has a mysterious gate that unleashes hideous Fiends, attacking anything that is alive.

Players assume the roles of four classic Contra series characters, as a former military group of mercs, scrappers, and bounty hunters who are known as the Jaegers:[5][2][6] Kaiser, a rebuilt cyborg from The Alien Wars; Ms. Harakiri, an assassin with a parasitic alien attached; The Gentleman, a well-cultured, highly intelligent alien bug; and Hungry Beast, a brilliantly scientific cyborg giant panda.[6][3] Naturally immune to the mind-destroying effects of the city, the Jaegers are humanity's hope against the threat of the Fiends.

Gameplay

The gameplay utilizes a top-down isometric view[6] similar to Neo Contra. The gameplay modes are single-player story campaign, multiplayer online cooperative, and four-player local cooperative (with separate Switch consoles[5]). It is based on player versus environment (PVE) gameplay, with dual analog controller sticks.[5]

Players configure a main weapon and sub-weapon in real time. These have unlimited ammunition, but also a heat meter to be managed. Between stages, weapons are upgraded and uniquely customized. As a last resort, the player can clear the area with a huge bomb or use the character's special ability.[6][4]

Development

The development of Contra: Rogue Corps was overseen by veteran Contra series director and senior producer Nobuya Nakazato, who also had been director, game designer, and artist of Contra III: The Alien Wars (1992) and Contra: Hard Corps (1994) and was producer and director of Contra: Shattered Soldier (2002) and more.[5] He said he wanted to capture the traditional spirit of the Contra series, while modernizing it for a new audience.[4]

Reception
Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
MetacriticNS: 40/100[7]
PS4: 52/100[8]
XONE: 56/100[9]
Review scores
PublicationScore
IGN4/10[10]
Nintendo LifeNS: 4/10[11]
PlayStation LifeStylePS4: 7.5/10[12]
MetroNS: 2/10[13]

Contra: Rogue Corps received "mixed or average" reviews on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, and received "generally unfavorable" reviews on the Nintendo Switch, according to review aggregator Metacritic.[9][8][7] Mitchell Saltzman of IGN attended the E3 2019 preview, initially feeling "some strong initial whiplash" from the dramatic departure from the series' history and the lack of nostalgia. With its "solid foundation" of gameplay, he found "a respectable twin-stick shooter with good gunplay and the potential for a great time with four-player couch co-op". He praised the way the game rewards a player's thoughtful strategies with a "smart and fun dynamic where you'll need to juggle your main and sub-weapon regularly".[6]

Destructoid criticized the use of season pass downloadable content though "nothing of substance is being gated off", and noted that the overall reception by E3 attendees was "incredibly mixed".[14] Nintendo Life criticized its controls, graphics, and "bland" mission structure—while praising its complex upgrade and customization system.[11] Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw of Zero Punctuation ranked it as the Worst Game of 2019.[15]

Metro GameCentral's pre-release reception was positive,[16] but in their post-release review, they heavily panned the game, stating it to be "the worst Contra game ever made and an object lesson in how not to revive a classic franchise, especially as there are multiple unofficial homages that are far superior." They ultimately gave it a 2 out of 10, three points lower than Metal Gear Survive.[13]

PlayStation LifeStyle's review of the game was more positive, stating that it "understands the appeal of revisiting gratuitous 90s cheese, but filters out all the tropes we’ve grown out of since. By injecting actual, creative humor instead of edgy cynicism or boring references, Contra: Rogue Corps really has a personality of its own despite most of the storytelling living in the background."[12]

References
  1. Bullard, Benjamin (June 11, 2019). "Gaming: Konami fires up the nostalgia with Contra: Rogue Corps; Xbox One says goodbye to older games; more". SYFY WIRE. Retrieved June 12, 2019.
  2. McWhertor, Michael (June 11, 2019). "Konami brings back Contra with Contra Rogue Corps". Polygon. Retrieved June 12, 2019.
  3. Nunneley, Stephany (June 11, 2019). "Contra: Rogue Corps. coming to consoles and PC in September, Contra Anniversary Collection out today". VG24/7. Retrieved June 12, 2019.
  4. Contra Rogue Corps Gameplay Walkthrough - IGN Live E3 2019. IGN. June 11, 2019. Retrieved June 18, 2019 – via YouTube.
  5. Romano, Sal (June 11, 2019). "Contra: Rogue Corps announced for PS4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC". Gematsu. Retrieved June 12, 2019.
  6. Saltzman, Mitchell (June 12, 2019). "CONTRA ROGUE CORPS PLAYS NOTHING LIKE THE ORIGINAL – E3 2019". IGN. Retrieved June 14, 2019.
  7. "Contra: Rogue Corps for Switch Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 10 October 2019.
  8. "Contra: Rogue Corps for PlayStation 4 Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 14 December 2019.
  9. "Contra: Rogue Corps for Xbox One Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 10 October 2019.
  10. Jagneaux, David (24 September 2019). "Contra: Rogue Corps Review". IGN. Ziff Davis. Retrieved 10 October 2019.
  11. O'Reilly, PJ (25 September 2019). "Contra: Rogue Corps Review (Switch)". Nintendo Life. Gamer Network. Retrieved 30 October 2019.
  12. "Contra Rogue Corps Review - Cybernetic Pandamonium (PS4)". PlayStation LifeStyle. 2019-09-25. Retrieved 2020-03-19.
  13. "Game review: Contra: Rogue Corps is worse than it looks". Metro. 2019-09-26. Retrieved 2020-03-19.
  14. Glagowski, Peter (19 August 2019). "(Update) Contra Rogue Corps is getting a season pass because of course it is". Destructoid. Enthusiast Gaming. Retrieved 1 October 2019.
  15. Croshaw, Ben "Yahtzee" (1 January 2020). "2019 Best, Worst, and Blandest – Zero Punctuation". The Escapist. Enthusiast Gaming. Retrieved 2 January 2020.
  16. "Contra: Rogue Corps hands-on and interview – 'Konami have a gaming heart!'". Metro. 2019-07-02. Retrieved 2020-04-13.
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