A great example of this deep misunderstanding between the creators and the players is developer Teyon’s Rambo – The Video Game which was released back in 2014 for the PS3, Xbox 360, and PC. The game was unanimously criticized for pretty much everything it tried to do, and remains one of the worst licensed video games of recent memory. To that end, we ask the question – what the hell happened with Rambo – The Video Game? 

Rambo The Video Game is obviously based upon the Rambo trilogy which sees popular action hero Sylvester Stallone take on entire hordes of soldiers using guerrilla tactics and primitive weapons like bows and knives. I vividly remember watching these movies and the action-packed set-pieces, and saying to myself, “They really should make a video game out of these movies”.  So, when developer Teyon announced Rambo – The Video Game back in 2012 with a short montage of iconic moments from the trilogy, the excitement of all Rambo fans – including myself – were through the roof. 

Sure, there had been games based on this very property – but they were limited to primitive games and arcade shooters and Rambo fans were left starving for a proper console release for a long time. Rambo – The Video Game had two major advantages that set it apart from other licensed video games – a) it wasn’t restricted to one movie for source material as the game is based around the whole trilogy and b) there wasn’t any upcoming movie meaning that the developer didn’t have to rush the game to meet deadlines. As such, Rambo – The Video Game seemed set to be a successful licensed video game; one that would quench the thirst of Rambo fans after all these years.

But when Teyon revealed the first gameplay details about what Rambo – The Video Game’s gameplay would entail, fans got suspicious. An on-rails shooter with quick-time events-based stealth sections? That sounds like someone made a Spider-Man game, but subjected players to the mundane life of Peter Parker rather than letting them swing around buildings as the beloved webhead. And these suspicions about Teyon’s upcoming game being a disaster waiting to strike were uplifted when the game was first shown off to the public. Rambo – The Video Game didn’t look like a late-generation PS3 and Xbox 360 title, with its muddy texture work and sub-par character models being two of the biggest issues with this game. 

Despite a delay from its original release of 2013 to 2014, the production quality just wasn’t up to the mark. And despite the plentiful red flags, some fans were still hopeful of Rambo – The Video Game being a worthy game. For others though, this was a disaster just waiting to happen. And when Rambo – The Video Game did release to the public, critics and fans across the globe panned the game for a variety of reasons – and many called it out to be one of the absolute worst games of recent memory. 

On top of the muddy visuals, the gameplay was pretty shallow – lacking depth and variety as you were subjected to one tightly scripted on-rails shootout after the other. Even the basic act of shooting through hordes of soldiers is made unsatisfying thanks to the brain-dead AI and little variety amongst the shootouts themselves. Entire stealth sections and set-pieces comprised of QTEs, meaning the only real gameplay you get is mowing down endless hordes of soldiers which wasn’t all that fun to begin with.

To add fuel to the fire, the game was only 3 to 4 hours long – though in Rambo’s defense, the game features additional modes and challenge runs to keep players returning for more. But because the core gameplay is so sloppy and unenjoyable, getting through this relatively short campaign feels like a massive trudge – let alone going in for a second or a third time.

Rambo – The Video Game was an utter disappointment by all means. The game stands at a rating of 34 on Metacritic, making it one of the lowest-rated games of all time. What actually went behind the scenes that resulted in such a horrendous output is a big mystery, but almost all signs point to Rambo – The Video Game being a clear case of cash-grab. 

For starters, even something as basic as the game’s concept was questionable from the very start. While the graphics aren’t the be-all and end-all for a game, Rambo – The Video Game has such muddy visuals that you could easily mistake the game for a PS2 and Xbox generation title. It’s a complete disaster by all means and seems to have been clearly made on a very tight budget and time constraints with the sole intention of snagging a quick buck from the millions and millions of Rambo fans across the globe. 

Looking back at Rambo – The Video Game, this drastic failure seems like an utter disappointment. The team seemed to have everything going in their favour – no strict deadlines and constraints for a tie-in movie release and the like. Just imagine how great it would be if we actually got a proper AAA-level Rambo game that featured these dense and lush jungle environments. The gameplay would be a mix of stealth and action, something akin to Splinter Cell. Rambo would have a huge arsenal of both primal and heavy-duty weaponry at his disposal which he would use to take out huge hordes of enemies all by himself. Of course, we could dream on and on about what that perfect Rambo game could be like – but in the face of such disappointing releases throughout the last decades, it seems highly unlikely that we will see another game featuring this mighty soldier anytime soon.

Hilariously enough, i isn’t the only disappointing release from developer Teyon Entertainment. Following the release of Rambo in 2014, the developer would go on to create yet another licensed video game in the form of Terminator: Resistance which did fare comparatively better than Rambo, but failed to really leave a mark on the industry. Teyon Entertainment is at it once again with the recently unveiled Robocop: Rogue City, which is currently set to release sometime next year. The first look at the game isn’t anything mind-blowing, but we are hoping with crossed fingers that the game changes the fate of this developer for good.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

15. Past Cure (2018)

There’s sordid plot, shoddy action and oddly ilfitting puzzles in a supernatural third person shooter…and then there’s Past Cure. The development team was small and fairly inexperienced, thus resulting in uneven AI and performance. However, that doesn’t excuse the story which was just a meandering mess when it wasn’t outright dull.

Rambo: The Video game, the third person shooter based on the classic action movie, will be releasing on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC on February 21 in Europe, with a release in North America to follow shortly after, within Q1 2014, the publisher has confirmed.

‘We are delighted to announce the final EU release date for Rambo: The Video Game and although the main game is now complete our journey with Rambo continues as we will soon start development on the game’s first DLC expansion pack with our partners at Teyon,’ said a spokesperson from Reef, the publisher of the game in the UK.

Rambo: The Video Game will feature voice talent and music from the original movie; although I have, on several occasions, made fun of how bad the game looks visually, it could still turn out to be a fun game when all is said and done.

Stay tuned to GamingBolt for more info.

I know I have been hard on Rambo: The Video Game in the past, making fun of how generic it seems to be, and how awful it looks, but the above gameplay video seems to be rather interesting looking, at the very least. I mean interesting in an ‘it’s an action game that looks like all other action games, but at least it looks like it is fun, and at least it appears to be using a character and license that I like’ kind of way.

So check out the video above, tell us what you think. Yes, it doesn’t look like it is breaking any new ground. Yes, it looks like an early generation Xbox 360 game at best. But, well, maybe you still find it interesting in spite of all that? I dunno. At least I can say the cockpit flying and shooting sequence piqued my interest.

Stay tuned for more coverage.

For whatever reason, it has been decided that making a video game on a series of movies nearly thirty years old is a good idea. And then, to keep the mood intact, it has also been decided that the game should also look like it is from thirty years ago.

I’m being a bit hyperbolic, of course, but from this trailer, the game just looks bad. The graphics are awful- if this were a 3DS game, they’d actually be acceptable, but on consoles, this is a regression to PS2 level visuals.

Then there is the fact that the actual gameplay looks mediocre at best, and it seems to be channelling modern military shooters. Which, of course, there is such a shortage of, that this game will immediately be appreciated for such a unique take on shooters. Not.

But at least you get a nice Rambo figurine if you pre-order the game. I might end up getting it just for that.

Rambo: The Video Game actually has a chance to be that rare licensed video game adaptation that lives up to the source material, instead of just being a hastily baked product meant as a cash in. The fact that it is being developed nearly three decades after the trilogy of movies it is based on means that there is no pressure on the developer to meet a deadline dictated by the release of a movie or a cartoon.

And sure enough, it seems likt it is turning out pretty well. In an interview with VG247, Will Curley, general manager of the team behind the product, shed some light on the game.

“We felt that controlling the player’s journey through the levels and maximising the visual and set-piece variety we could offer was the best way for us to go,” Curley explained. “We want players to have the feeling of the game being complete-able but also that when they get to the end they have the sense that they have seen, experienced and achieved a lot of things.

“It’s similar to a classic arcade game feel, even something like Outrun that speeds you through five stages quickly so in a small chunk of time you’ve seen a lot of content. We’re fans of that type of gaming. So we appointed our developer Teyon and our initial plans were to make a straight ‘rail’ shooter that moved the player through the set-pieces and environment of the three films.

“We looked around at rail shooters both classic and current to find what people enjoyed and also think of ways to make them feel fresh again. There were a few issues that came to light once we started project planning. First, a pure rail-shooter tends to be about single shot accuracy and very clinical play. If you go down the other route and do more of a ‘spray’ rail-shooter you lose the every-bullet-counts feel and re-load management somewhat.”

So, the solution was a best of both worlds compromise- a bit like the 2011 shooter Kid Icarus: Uprising, the game plays on rains till you reach a specific point, following which it becomes a cover based shooter. You still never have full control of movement, but then again, having full movement control probably wouldn’t be living up to the spirit of the franchise to begin with.

Rambo: The Video Game launches on Xbox 360, PS3, and PC later this year. Stay tuned to GamingBolt for more coverage.

Rambo: The Video Game will be released sometime this year and we have the feature list for the game. Reef Entertainment is developing the game and they’ve sent a list of what gamers can expect from the game.

Shoot-Out, Destruction, QTE-Fight, Fixed-Gun & Vehicle, Stealth-Hunt and Bosses are available in the game, and the description gives a lot more idea about them.

The game will be released for the PS3, Xbox 360 and PC.

Shoot-Out: All-out action in fixed-perspective shoot-outs – players will need to make tactical use of cover-options to survive the enemy onslaught. Mini-missions, multiple-paths, quick-time-events, interactive scenery and more than 25 enemy types will keep player’s adrenaline-pumping.

Destruction: Unleash heavy weapons such as the M60, explosive-tipped arrows and time-bombs. Cause some wide-spread damage against hard-targets. Take control in iconic scenes from the films such as Rambo’s destruction of the Police Station in First Blood.

QTE-Fight: Authentic fight scenes from the movies are recreated in third-person, quick-time-events sequences.

Fixed-Gun & Vehicle: Take aim of gun turrets and rocket launchers in an array of authentic fixed-gun and vehicle sections from Rambo: First Blood Part II and Rambo III

Stealth-Hunt: Fixed-perspective infiltrations through forests and enemy-camps armed with Rambo’s trademark Bow and Knife. Dodge search-lights and time your bow attacks perfectly to silently eliminate enemies from the shadows. Knife sections will give players the choice of lethal or non-lethal force.

Bosses: Boss showdowns and take-downs from the films – everything from Rambo’s single, explosive bow strike on Lieutenant Tay to shredding Russian helicopters with the DShK 12.7mm Heavy Machine Gun.

Tell us what you think in the comments section below.

Rambo: The Video Game is in development and Reef Entertainment have announced more details on the game. It will be first-person shooter and action game, with a fixed perspective and it allows players to play as John Rambo and relive the moments spread across three Rambo movies.

First Blood, Rambo: First Blood Part 2 & Rambo III will form the basis for authentic Rambo gameplay comprising shoot-outs, stealth killings, demolition, knife-play and more.

Reef Entertainment Commercial Director Craig Lewis said: “For Rambo The Video Game we are concentrating on authenticity to the films, variety of action and explosive gameplay sequences.

Developed by Teyon; the game  will leverage contemporary gameplay elements such as destructible terrain, cover-based shooting and rag-doll physics to deliver the high-quality Rambo-action fans around the world expect. By matching classic fixed-perspective play to a contemporary game engine we believe we can deliver a game that matches the pace and action set-piece diversity of the films

Check out the trailer below.

Craig Lewis of Reef Entertainment stated this morning that Rambo will feature at Gamescom in some form, as well as going over the title’s history to date: “We have been quiet since we acquired the Rambo license last August.

“During this time we have been dedicated to creating a videogame for consoles and PC that will allow Rambo fans and gamers across the globe to really get under the skin of Rambo and wield his iconic weapon-set in battle.”

Very little is known of Rambo The Video Game, although suggested to be across the original three films.

Rambo The Video Game is ‘coming soon’ according to the official website.