Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

Universal Soldier’s gameplay leans heavily on the proven run-and-gun platforming formula popularized in the early ’90s, most notably by its base game, Turrican II. You control Jean-Claude Van Damme’s enhanced soldier as he blasts through sprawling levels filled with enemy troopers, armored vehicles, and explosive hazards. The controls are tight, with responsive jumping, strafing, and a quick-fire arsenal that includes a rapid-fire blaster and a powerful charge shot. Each weapon upgrade feels impactful, allowing you to tailor your approach to hordes of enemies or larger, more methodical threats.

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Exploration is a key component of Universal Soldier’s level design. Secret rooms hide extra lives and weapon power-ups, encouraging thorough searches of every wall and ceiling cave. While the main path pushes you forward with a clear objective, detours can reward patient players with better gear and temporary power shields. This balance between linear progression and optional exploration keeps the stages from ever feeling too one-dimensional.

Difficulty ramps up steadily, with early levels serving as a crash course in the game’s mechanics before introducing trickier platforming sections, tighter corridors full of ambushes, and relentless enemy patrol patterns. Occasional screen-filling boss battles demand quick reflexes and pattern recognition. For veteran players of Turrican II, the learning curve is familiar; newcomers may find certain segments unforgiving but ultimately satisfying when conquered.

Graphics

Graphically, Universal Soldier is a moderately impressive port of Turrican II, dressed up to evoke the look and feel of the Jean-Claude Van Damme film. The environments showcase industrial complexes, military bases, and dystopian cityscapes in richly detailed pixel art. Background layers scroll smoothly to create a sense of depth, although the color palette sometimes feels more muted than the bright neons found in the original Turrican levels.

Character sprites have been entirely replaced to resemble Van Damme’s battle-hardened soldier, complete with a blue jumpsuit and stoic expression. Enemy sprites similarly take on a more militaristic aesthetic—ranging from standard foot soldiers to riot-gear troopers—though you can still spot the underlying Turrican designs in their movement patterns. Animation frames are slightly reduced compared to the source title, resulting in occasional stutter during high-action sequences.

Notably absent are the cinematic interludes that might have tied the game more closely to the film’s narrative. Where Turrican II featured elaborate story screens or animated cut scenes, Universal Soldier offers only brief text blurbs at level transitions. While this streamlines the action, it also leaves the presentation feeling a bit sparse and purely functional.

Story

Universal Soldier’s narrative is stripped down to its essentials: Van Damme’s super-soldier turns on the sinister government organization that created him and sets out to dismantle its operations from the inside. Though the storyline faithfully echoes the basic premise of the 1992 movie, in-game context is delivered almost exclusively through short text passages between levels.

Without animated cut scenes or voiced dialogue, the game relies on minimal exposition. This stark approach keeps the focus firmly on the action, but it may disappoint fans expecting memorable exchanges or the film’s trademark one-liners. Instead, you’re left to piece together the plot from terse mission briefs and a handful of mission-complete screens.

Despite its brevity, the story serves its purpose as a backdrop for the gameplay. The sense of betrayal, high-stakes sabotage, and the lone soldier’s quest for justice provide enough motivation to push through challenging enemy gauntlets. It might not win awards for storytelling, but it does maintain momentum across its eight levels.

Overall Experience

Universal Soldier stitches a familiar run-and-gun adventure onto a blockbuster movie license with mixed results. On one hand, the core Turrican II mechanics deliver tight controls, engaging exploration, and explosive combat encounters. On the other, the heavy reuse of existing level layouts coupled with minimal narrative trappings can make the experience feel derivative rather than fresh.

Fans of classic action platformers and Jean-Claude Van Damme aficionados will find moments of genuine enjoyment as they blast through militarized compounds and topple tyrannical commanders. However, players seeking a deep connection to the film’s characters or a more polished presentation might walk away underwhelmed by the absence of cinematic flair.

As a piece of gaming nostalgia, Universal Soldier stands as a curious footnote: a licensed makeover of a beloved platformer that trades some visual polish for brand recognition. Those willing to overlook its shortcuts will discover a solid, if unremarkable, action-platforming romp that delivers predictable thrills and the occasional hidden secret.

Retro Replay Score

6.4/10