Metascore
79

Generally favorable reviews - based on 41 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 29 out of 41
  2. Negative: 1 out of 41
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  1. 100
    Planet Moon set out to create a game that was pure, visceral fun and it did just that. You can sit down and play for ten minutes or ten hours and still be enthralled.
  2. Play Magazine
    100
    This is a game that re-invents nearly everything it does, from weapons fire to storytelling to rescue missions to boost-and-hover gameplay to bold new ways to humiliate farm animals. [Dec 2003, p.68]
  3. I think Planet Moon did a great job of taking a genre that could become repetitive and dull, and whip it up into a non-stop fun fest.
  4. A stellar third-person shooter that pulses with feverish invention, A&D welds together top-notch controls, a truly mental plot, and some of the most strategic gunplay to hit consoles in ages.
  5. Official Xbox Magazine
    90
    The most surprisingly addictive shooter of the year. [Holiday 2003, p.84]
  6. Cheat Code Central
    90
    The cutscenes are hilarious. They are rude, crude and to some, maybe even a little shocking.
  7. The depth of humor is very refreshing but some of the jokes will likely be lost on many who play the game.
  8. 90
    Despite its technical achievements, the real star of Armed and Dangerous is the exhilarating and thoroughly challenging gameplay.
  9. netjak
    89
    Literate, funny storytelling is at a premium in gaming these days, so it’s really good to see developers making a real effort to make their audience laugh – even if they have to rely on semi-frequent potty humour to get the yuks.
  10. Despite the lack of intelligent AI that ruined any team-tactical strategy, the game is redeemed by its original gameplay and ongoing humor that is interwoven into every aspect of the game whether it be movies, gameplay, or even the weapons.
  11. The collected cutscenes are funnier 100 times over than an episode of "Friends" and on par with "Monty Python" for being off-kilter.
  12. 85
    Some homogenous gameplay and the occasional graphic lapse aside, Armed & Dangerous scores with humor and weapon innovation.
  13. Sometimes linear action is definitely made up for with great humor and excellent voice acting.
  14. A sold third-person shooter but gets a little old after awhile, the game’s saving grace is its well-written plot and myriad of dialogue jokes. It’s almost like playing a Monty Python script.
  15. You will fall over laughing at some of the cut-scenes in the game. Very well done, and hilarious.
  16. An exciting action game that features a plethora of shooting. While it does this aspect well, the main selling point is the fantastic sense of humor.
  17. 82
    A challenging shooter that features tight controls, nice graphics, and a wicked sense of humor... Easily one of the best action shooters on the Xbox, hands down.
  18. 82
    The unique weapons themselves are great, and ridiculously fun.
  19. Pure, unadulterated, shooting fun and offers a fresh coat of paint to a tired genre.
  20. Xbox Nation Magazine
    80
    Embarking on the game's destruction train gives players access to dandy weapons such as the shark gun. [Mar 2004, p.93]
  21. A large portion of the enjoyment comes from the same type of British humour that featured in ‘Giants’; it’s certainly not an easy thing to develop a game that manages to make you laugh, however this one certainly succeeds.
  22. A unique third/first-person shooter that doesn't take itself seriously but still manages to keep trigger-happy gamers pleased with its over-the-top arsenal.
  23. While the graphics leave much to be desired and the quality of the CG cutscenes is crude at best, Armed and Dangerous is in the most side-splitting of ways, pure comic genius. [Jan 2004, p.144]
  24. 80
    It's not the best-designed shooter of the year, and it's far from the nicest-looking, but it is one of the most fun to play, thanks to solid controls and some of the most drop-dead hilarious cutscenes in recent memory.
  25. There are plenty of methods in which to wreak havoc and weapons like the Land Shark Gun are fun as hell, but no matter how you dress things up, Armed & Dangerous is simply an above average third-person shooter.
  26. Just your average shooter. It doesn't really offer any innovation in the genre and the graphics and audio are rather plain.
  27. Despite the shallow gameplay, the shooter who wants something different and entertaining will find it here with the Lionhearts and their ultimate heist.
  28. Whether you enjoy the story and characters is very subjective and will probably drive how much time you're willing to put into the game. For most with a sense of humor and a thirst for destruction, A&D is well worth the time.
  29. GameNow
    75
    Sure, its graphics are ugly, but its action is first-rate...It's one of those rare games in which almost everything is destructible. [Jan 2004, p.65]
  30. A good game, but toward the end of it, you'll likely be far more interested in seeing how the story ends--and the jokes it tells along the way--than in its gameplay.
  31. Electronic Gaming Monthly
    72
    The open-ended level design - and especially the nifty fortress-defense stages - made for many moments of shooter Zen. [Jan 2004, p.154]
  32. It is a shame that the storyline wasn't fleshed out a bit more with unique levels as it would have made it a far better game but really, only the comedy saves this one from becoming an average title.
  33. We need more games like this - ones that are confident and individual - but we need them to be less roughly hewn. The core of the game is solid, but the way it's applied throughout the levels just isn't interesting enough. [Mar 2004, p.98]
  34. Enough cutscene and Land Shark buffoonery accompanies their jaunt across Milola to cover the price of (one's) tagging along. Strip them away and the barenaked shooter still plays better than most. That it somehow feels disappointingly ordinary only serves to confirm the creative genius evident in the rest of the 'designer' garb.
  35. Quite simply the greatest humour since the good old days of the first two "Monkey Island" titles.
  36. An amusing game, and it's relatively enjoyable for a while. But at its core, the gameplay isn't all that interesting, and can only hold your attention for so long.
  37. Has some funny moments and wild weapons, but it still can’t shake its straightforward gameplay. If you’re in the mood to just blow things up with no strings attached, this is the game for you, but more discerning gamers might be left wanting a little more.
  38. The simplistic nature of the game play makes it pale in contrast to its peers such as the previously mentioned "Brute Force" and "Freedom Fighters."
  39. 60
    There are glimpses of genius here for sure -- the landshark gun, the topsy-turvy mine, and some of the level design and humor come to mind -- but it doesn't add up to a complete game.
  40. TotalGames.net
    50
    With controls that make accurate aiming tiresome and visuals that could be forgiven for being quaint, until they move, finding areas where this one should be recommended is akin to picking gnat shit out of pepper.
  41. games(TM)
    40
    A relentless conveyor belt of cannon fodder ensures the carnage is kept at a suitably frantic rate, yet with every wave of cookie-cutter thrown to the mercy of your crosshair, repetition becomes an increasingly prevalent factor. [Mar 2004, p.116]

Awards & Rankings

55
43
#43 Most Discussed Xbox Game of 2003
22
#22 Most Shared Xbox Game of 2003
User Score
7.0

Mixed or average reviews- based on 23 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 13 out of 23
  2. Negative: 5 out of 23
  1. Aug 18, 2022
    7
    Trying to rate from a 2003 perspective. I think graphics is below par even for 2003, and the gameplay gets repetitive very quickly even thoughTrying to rate from a 2003 perspective. I think graphics is below par even for 2003, and the gameplay gets repetitive very quickly even though in the beginning it feels like a more robust game.
    Not sure if you need to try it in 2022.
    Full Review »
  2. Sep 28, 2021
    8
    I played the game through games with gold on series x and I really enjoyed. The story is weird and funny and the gameplay is fun old schoolI played the game through games with gold on series x and I really enjoyed. The story is weird and funny and the gameplay is fun old school third person shooter stuff. Full Review »
  3. Nov 28, 2020
    8
    playing this in 2020 just opened my eyes of how games sometimes should be.

    this game is not serious, the story doesn't matter, the graphics
    playing this in 2020 just opened my eyes of how games sometimes should be.

    this game is not serious, the story doesn't matter, the graphics are pretty bad, the animations are freaking **** but so **** that it is good, gameplay just is straight up pretty fun and okay.

    so now you think if all those things are not good and the gameplay is okay why would this game be an 8 out of 10. Thats just the fact that this game knows its a game and never forgets that. The world in this game is sort of interesting but I shouldnt really focus on it because its the comedy to focus on. For example they think a character is undercooled so they come to the conclusion they have to keep him warm, than another character comes to the idea to put him inside a rhino and when they are pulling that off they literally insurt this character into the rhino's ass and little we know that rhino was still alive.

    I know this is bad humour but with the graphics and animations that ****ty it just makes it wonderfull and wondering wtf you as the player are playing. I bought this game for almost nothing and I was looking for cupper and than found gold because of this game.

    If you like silly weird games than this is a game for you if you want something more sirious just get out of here and search further as this game is a lot of fun for people that want something silly and okay to play.

    PS: I played this on the xbox one as it is backwards compatible and it runs smooth af.
    Full Review »