10 Worst Licensed Video Games Of The Generation (So Far)

On paper, G.I. Joe should’ve been a perfect match for video games - a toybox full of colourful characters, ridiculous weapons, and cartoonish military mayhem. Sadly, Operation Blackout doesn’t so much roll out as stall on the starting line, coughing smoke and frame drops.

Combat is clunky and chaotic in all the wrong ways. Aiming feels like wrestling the stick of a busted arcade cabinet, and enemies seem programmed to ignore everything except you, even if your AI teammates are literally punching them in the face. Mission design is stuck in a loop: defend this, destroy that, now do it again… but slower.

Visuals don’t help. Character models are stiff, animations are shoddy, and cutscenes are told through static comic panels, which would be fine if they didn’t feel like budget placeholders. Split-screen is your only multiplayer option (online co-op was apparently too high-tech for Cobra Command), and performance issues on some platforms make it feel like you’re playing underwater.

There are flashes of nostalgia here and there, but they vanish as soon as you start actually playing the thing. With no meaningful unlocks, shallow character variety, and a story that barely holds together, Operation Blackout squanders its license at every turn.