You are the ultimate weapon.
"You are the perfect synthesis of human and machine-a Bionic Commando. Your latest mission-to rescue fellow commando, Commander Joe, will take you deep into the heart of enemy territory. Use your Bionic Claw to grapple and swing through more than 20 levels of forests, deserts, mountains and futuristic cities. Blast through dozens of unique enemies with your Assault Rifle, Rocket Launcher, and Flame Thrower as you seek to destroy the overlord, Arturus, and save your homeland of Karina from utter destruction!'
—Back of the box
In a whole new continuity, Arturus seeks to rain destruction upon Karina and has captured Commander Joe to prevent him from interfering, thus it is up to two Bionic Commandos to free their comrade and carry on by stopping Arturus from succeeding in his goal.
Bionic Commando: Elite Forces contains examples of:
- Big Bad: Arturus seeks to use the Albatross and conquer the world for his own gain.
- The Executioner: One who was scheduled to behead Commander Joe following his capture by the Avars. When the player arrives to stop him, the man will try to cut the player down as well.
- Lost Technology: In Elite Forces, Project Albatross is at first thought to be an ancient war machine created by earlier civilizations to repel an alien invasion. In the final battle, Big Bad Arturus reveals that the Albatross is actually a long derelict space craft that grants its controller monstrous powers.
- No Name Given: Neither Bionic Commando is given any name.
- Off with His Head!: The executioner was scheduled to behead Commander Joe, but the player arrived in time to stop this.
- One-Winged Angel: Arturus uses the powers of the Albatross to become a superhuman being in parts of the last boss fight.
- Powered Armor: About half the bosses of Elite Forces are guys wearing this.
- Schrödinger's Player Character: Averted in Elite Forces, which grants the player a choice between a male and female commando. The commando you don't choose must be rendezvoused with throughout the game. Though Areas 6 and 9 are different for each character. The boss and level reward in each are the same regardless.
- Sniping Mission: Elite Forces adds this as a gameplay mechanic. Certain areas contain structures far off in the background that house patrolling enemies. Sniping them all within the time limit rewards the player with supplies.
- Ultimate Universe: Elite Forces seems to be this. It starts with a similar premise — long time war hero, Super— er, I mean, Commander Joe missing, etc, but everything else is just completely different. New fictional countries, no Nazis or Hitler, different villainous motivation, a whole bionic corp. Even the final boss seems like something out of an Ultimate book.
