Armed and Dangerous is a third-person shooteraction game, the camera hovering behind Roman, the player character, at all times. The game is played mostly on foot, with most levels incorporating usable gun emplacements, although there are some base defense levels where the player is inside a movable gun turret mounted on railson top of a defensive wall; these levels are played in first-person. Playable weaponry and equipment in Armed and Dangerous is a mix of shooter staples, including bolt-action and sniper rifles, submachine guns and rocket launchers, but also more unusual fare like the 'Land Shark Gun', which fires into the ground a rapidly maturing infant Land Shark, a creature that 'swims' through the earth, seeking out and devouring enemies. Other unusual devices include a miniature black hole, a gas grenade that turns enemies against each other, and a device that temporarily reverses gravity, causing enemies to 'fall' into the sky and literally turning the world upside-down before the device shuts down, returning gravity to normal and returning affected enemies to earth, killing them by the fall. Apart from weaponry, some of the later levels equip the player with a jet pack, allowing flight over moderate distances.
Reception
The game received "generally favorable reviews" on both platforms according to video game review aggregator Metacritic.
Backwards compatibility
On November 28, 2007, Microsoft released the backward compatibility update for the Xbox 360 which allows Xbox 360 owners to play the Xbox disc version of Armed and Dangerous. On June 10, 2019, Microsoft announced the ending of the backward compatibility program for the Xbox One for both Xbox Original and 360 titles. Armed and Dangerous were among the last batch of Xbox Original titles made compatible on the Xbox One system. The ending of the backward compatibility program is to add more focus on the upcoming new Xbox "Project Scarlet" as well as backward compatibility for the new system including Original, 360 and One titles, so Armed and Dangerous will be playable on all 4 generations of Xbox. Along with the June 10 announcement, Armed and Dangerous was added to the Xbox Marketplace available as a digital download for Xbox 360, Xbox One and the upcoming "Project Scarlet". All disc versions of the game will also be playable on all systems.