Rush 'N Attack: Ex-Patriot

The Cold war climax offered the world whole new ways of deceiving and scheming with spies and secret operations being set up around the globe. But once this non-existent war was resolved, everything and more importantly everyone that was associated with it got swept under the global rug. This means that leftover operatives behind enemy lines were left on their own, with no info as to whether their investigation around nefarious warfare schemes was still needed. It is only decades later that Russian Rush ‘N Attack Ex-Patriot reemerges from the cold threat to reevaluate that whole missile threat deal. Time to parachute in Sid Morrow, a proclaimed ninja badass under the call sign of “Wolf Spider,” to go and rescue some lost souls and discover what these red bastards are up to these days. So much for forgiving and forgetting then.

Prepare for my signature move: Teabag of Death!

Rush ‘N Attack Ex-Patriot is the sequel from its rigid original over 20 years ago, but only by name. While the 2D action platformer feel is still present and there are several nods towards its authentic counterpart, everything else has been enhanced for good measure. The environments of the 3 huge levels; being a prison, a laboratory and a nuclear facility, present a grim 2.5D reality where the red threat is ever present in posters, decaying structures and industrious surroundings. From these sordid domains, Morrow will have to find a way through the many ledges, grates, vents and openings which will provide him of crawlspaces and secret areas. This excellent level design makes for an open-ended approach to any section, where ambushing enemies becomes a spectacle to witness.  On top of that our American ninja can also climb walls with ease and hide within doors or any opening in floors or ceilings, to surprise oblivious passers-by.

But all this superhuman tomfoolery can only succeed if the controls are up to par; but boy, are they ever adequate. Morrow, or Spider-Monkey as he should rightfully be called, will jump and grab, climb, crawl and kill as if he were an extension of your hands. These instinctive controls work so well that each ambush or leap of faith from this parkour god will stay fresh and exciting throughout its many instances. Additionally, each combo and death animation will be impressively displayed, with some slow-motion emphasis for extra vigor. Even though some platform bits are a bit annoying, everything else feels so natural that this insignificant imperfection will not even be noticeable. There is none of the standard inching to correctly grab a platform and climbing, crawling and murdering is always correctly executed, which is a feat of accuracy many games can take note of. Morrow works the difference away for any task and adjusts distance and strength where needed, just like the Spider-Monkey that he is.

Stealth versus Flame Thrower. Stealth loses every single time.

To help him destroy everything from his scarlet enemies, there will be a set of weapons and accessories scattered throughout the many nooks and crannies of each level. Even though there seems to be a large surplus of aides and enemies will also drop additional weaponry, it’s still very exciting to play around with the different arms. In particular, the many ways to stealthily dispatch a grunt, even when holding a rocket launcher, feels pretty damned rewarding. Additionally, the more hands-on the kill is performed, the more points will count towards an end rating; which is also rewarded by chaining kills in rapid succession. There is just no describing how awesome it is to hide in a doorway and whistle a guard over, just to break his neck, exit hiding, unload a clip into another guard and immediately combo-slice another guard, jump up to a ledge and grip another foe by his legs and throw him away. Performing this in a matter of seconds like it was everyday business will make anyone feel like a big man, complete with badass bandana in front of the mouth.

And what truly makes this Russian attack shine is that all levels offer a large and constant amount of espionage action, only offset by great comic book, art panel cutscenes when relevant. There are virtually no loading screens within the huge sections and there’s always a doorway to hide in and an enemy to kill.  This unrelenting, natural flow of action and stealth make Spider-Monkey everything that Solid Snake is not. He’s a stylishly murdering, sneaking, creepy crawly, one-man army and he barely stops to chew the fat or lament his situation. How does it feel to be upstaged by a budget title of the same stable?

Ulyssium-enduced tank boss; not as impressive as it sounds.

If there are any downsides to note of, it may be that Spider-Monkey’s natural sense of killing makes playing a bit lenient. Even though it’s a good thing that there are no lives and dying puts Morrow back to the nearest checkpoint, there are some things that feel like they might be a tad too breezy. In particular the boss fights encountered at the end of each level are a tad unimpressive; with the final boss being the most disappointing of all. After easily chopping Comrade Volkov to bits, he proceeded to die in the most awkward, anti-climactic and ridiculous manner possible; simply folding over backwards and prompting the score screen. Not every showdown needs an elaborate epos, where the beaten proceeds to a tale of his entire Shakespearian existence, but the exact opposite might be a little too much as well.

But to conclude, Rush ‘N Attack Ex-Patriot is an amazingly exciting experience to jump through. The constant, organic flow in gameplay from this very appealing title make every second of its existence a blessing, where any minor specks fade away in its greatness. It accurately portrays what every Americanized action espionage film is about; sneaking and killing in the most rugged of ways possible. The superhuman abilities present only amplify the sense of accomplishment throughout the entire experience of our ninja friend, kicking communist butt and taking no prisoners. It’s a stealth title that many others in its genre should swiftly take notes from, to change their boring ways. It’s a true rush and attack!

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Daav Valentaten, NoobFeed. (@Daavpuke)