Space Adventure Cobra: The Awakening review — Galactic Blast from the Past

Space Adventure Cobra - The Awakening (or Space Adventure Cobra as I’ll be calling it for the remainder of this review) for PlayStation 5 is both an action-packed reimagining and a worthy tribute to Buichi Terasawa’s 1982 classic anime. It takes the vibrant, 80s-style animation of the original material and channels it through an enjoyable and casual action platformer, resulting in a game that feels both new and old. I wasn’t very familiar with the source material, having only heard of it and knowing what Cobra’s appearance looks like. Still, upon rolling credits, it’s easy to see why the source material has become a cult classic and favorite of retro anime fans and gamers alike.

Our adventure drops us into the cosmos as Cobra, a renowned space pirate whose forgotten memories are returned, bringing back both his endless charisma and skill with the iconic Pyscho-Gun. Teaming up with Cobra is his partner, Armaroid Lady. Together, you’ll travel planet to planet in pursuit of mysterious sisters whose fates are tied to an incredible treasure, hunted by the ruthless and ever-dangerous Space Pirates Guild. Along the way you’ll cross paths with some familiar faces, including the uniquely named Crystal Bowie, leading to Cobra and crew discovering just how big this galaxy-wide threat truly is. It’s a story that feels ripped straight from the 80’s action genre, hosting an unstoppable main character, loyal and funny partner, and plenty of catchphrases to go around. 

Every level environment in Space Adventure Cobra feels like an episode of a space odyssey. From the chrome corridors of space stations to the dusty sands of harsh deserts, there was a surprising amount of emphasis on verticality when running around. Each stage is laid out with multiple pathways that invite exploration and revisiting — think a pinch of Metroidvania. There is a good mixture of enemy encounters and exploratory sections, leaving you room to breathe and not worry about fighting off enemies while trying to figure out how to reach unexplored areas.

Like I mentioned earlier, the graphics and visuals in Space Adventure Cobra make the game feel fresh yet familiar. On PS5, the game runs smoothly even during boss battles and more dense enemy encounters. Neon blues and fiery reds shine against outer-space backgrounds, with the art leaning into the tech noir that personifies Cobra’s universe. Cutscenes taken straight from the series offer a break from running and gunning to move along the story and introduce the next level. 

At its core, Space Adventure Cobra is an action platformer with touches of side-scrolling and Metroidvania scattered throughout. Cobra’s signature Psycho-Gun is the foundation of combat, offering a mix of aiming and lock-on mechanics powered by his psychic energy. You have your standard fire, but can hold for a more powerful shot. The gunplay feels responsive and consistent which going into was one of my concerns, but the team did a fantastic job in making the gunplay run smoothly. On the flip side, melee combat is more of a way to bypass shields, but it remained very satisfying when it came to taking out enemies in one or two swipes.

While enemy density was great throughout, many of the encounters felt repetitive. In multiple sections across many of the various levels, certain points produced exit-blocking shields that wouldn’t go away until the ambusing enemies were defeated. Especially towards the final few levels, I would’ve loved to have seen more variety in the encounters, or even specific mechanics themed to some of the planets you visit.

One aspect of the game I was not expecting to be a surprise were the difficulty spikes throughout. Primarily, in a couple of the boss encounters, the level increase may catch people off guard. Without spoiling anything, it felt that thematically, the sections weren’t intended to be tougher than other sections or even enemy encounters. I have nothing against difficulty in games, but a few spots stand out as feeling slightly out of place.

Overall, Space Cobra Adventure - The Awakening is a fun and solid adventure that, while not reinventing the space-action genre, captures the spirit of a pulp sci-fi adventure with a modern polish. The level design is fun with lots of verticality, the visuals capture the magic of the era’s animation, and the gameplay strikes a nice balance between speed and gun skill. Some repetitive enemy encounters and technical hiccups hold it back, but as an overall experience, it’s an enjoyable ride through a piece of 80s cult classic royalty.