Godzilla, one of Japan’s most iconic pop icons, has returned from his sixty year hiatus to deliver massive destruction on the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3. Play as your favourite monster and feel the incredible strength and destructive power that you can unleash; while single handedly destroying cities and battling the franchises most famous enemies.
Godzilla is developed by Natsume Atari and published by Bandai Namco Games
Release date: July 14, 2015
ESRB Rating: T (Teen, fantasy violence)
Genre: Action-adventure, fighting
Platform: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3
The king of the monsters is back
Godzilla first appeared sixty years ago, threatening the world, but quickly disappeared back into the sea. Since his disappearance, scientists have studied the information gathered from the gigantic beast in hopes of unlocking its secrets. As a result, scientists have created G-Energy, an endless source of power that can meet the needs of power hungry cities and further enhance the lives of all human kind.
However, unknown to the scientist and the rest of humanity, the use of G-Energy reactors have awoke Godzilla and other kaiju from their sleep. Once again Godzilla and the other kaiju are descending upon Japan, this time seeking the precious G-Energy.
The many gameplay modes of Godzilla
Godzilla’s gameplay is dived up into a series of modes, the main mode is called God of Destruction. In God of Destruction, you can play as any of the twenty-two unlockable kaiju the game has to offer. You’ll navigate through a variety of cities and landscapes in search of the precious G-Energy. By destroying surrounding buildings, towers, defense systems, power generators, and enemy kaiju you will absorb G-Energy and in turn your kaiju will grow. The more devastation and destruction you cause the higher the disaster level rises.
The next mode is called King of Kaiju, which you battle a series of kaiju that become stronger as you progress. Legendary kaiju from the Godzilla universe make appearances, including favorites like Jet Jaguar, Rodan, and King Ghidorah. You will face wave after wave of kaiju through six stages, each requiring you to defeat your enemies as fast as you can in order to win. This mode will test your reflexes and endurance so be prepared to mash some buttons!
Exclusive to the PlayStation 4 is an online multiplayer versus mode. In this mode, you battle it out online with up to 3 players against each other for supreme victory. Sadly, a local multiplayer mode is not included, however the joy and satisfaction you will get from crushing your online opponents coupled with online leaderboards make a nice alternative.
Godzilla features an Evolution Mode, where you can upgrade your existing attacks, unlock new devastating attacks, and discover new playable kaiju that can be used in God of Destruction, King of Kaiju and online battle modes to crush your opponents.
Diorama mode, one of my favourite gameplay modes in Godzilla, allows you to create Godzilla scenes from different angles, and share them with friends via in-game photos. By using the different kaiju models, and environments that you have unlocked in God of Destruction mode, you can place models of Godzilla and other kaiju in various different settings. This allows you to recreate your favourite scene with amazing accuracy from any of the Godzilla movies or create your own epic battle scenes. I spent countless hours in this mode and was suprised the amount of detail that you can add in your scene.
Controlling your kaiju
Just imagine, controlling gigantic mythological creatures with the ability to cause un-imaginable destruction to anything and everything in their path. How about the ability to take out entire buildings, defense towers, military tanks with ease, sounds awesome doesn’t it?
With the latest release in the series, Natsume Atari chose a realistic approach when controlling these massive monsters, and in turn that offers a mixed bag of results that will require some time to master. Unlike previous Godzilla games that had fast-paced action similar to wrestling games such as WWE2K15, Godzilla and friends are slow moving, and have limited combos.
To control these massive beasts you use the left analog stick to move forwards and backwards, turning involves the use of the L1 and R1 buttons while walking, and finally the right thumb stick rotates the camera. To be quite honest, controlling Godzilla is a bit awkward at first, it’s very similar to controlling a huge military tank. Though, once you get a hang of the controls, you will have no problem obliterating your surrounding environment and enemies.
Authentic movie visuals and sounds
Godzilla has a classic look and feel reminiscent of the fan favourite “B rated” movies, which can be both good and bad at the same time. The developers, Natsume Atari, did a decent job on Godzilla and other kaiju, matching their appearances to that of the big screen. In addition, the environments in which you play and interact with are adequately represented, however some stages feel small, cramped, and look outdated. Luckily those are far and few between.
Godzilla fans will be happy to know that the iconic cheesy dialogue, that has become a staple of the Godzilla movies, is included in the game and the music has been taken directly from your favourite Godzilla movies. Even Godzilla’s un-mistakable spine chilling roar is included!
Final thoughts
Godzilla will bring a smile to old and new fans of all ages, there are a plethora of gameplay modes to explore and enjoy. Whether you are playing as one of the twenty-two unlockable kaiju in God of Destruction mode, battling wave after wave of kaiju in King of Kaiju mode, or battling your friends online in versus mode, there is something for everyone.
Nevertheless, Godzilla can be frustrating when you are first starting out, the controls may seem awkward and at times enemies can back you into a corner with no escape. However, with some patience and practice you will master the controls and be taking down enemies with ease.
Do you have a favourite Godzilla movie or favourite kaiju? If so let me know in the comments section below.
+ Plethora of gameplay modes
+ Music and sound effects taken directly from your favourite Godzilla movies
+ Good amount of unlockable content
– Gameplay can get repetitive at times during long gameplay sessions
– Controlling your kaiju can be difficult in the beginning
– No local multiplayer modes
OVERALL
Gameplay: 3.5/5
Graphics: 3.5/5
Sound: 4/5
Lasting Appeal/Replayability: 3/5
Overall Rating 3.5/5 (70%)
This game looks sooooo awesome! Too bad, the controls seem a little too complicated, gameplay just doesn’t seem too fun and no local multiplayer just sours the whole thing for me. I’ll stick to King Of The Monters on my NeoGeo for all my Kaiju action!
Still its nice to see a really good looking Godzilla game come to North America. All the Kaiju look fan-freaking-tastic!
@BRAD_Respawn it really is a good game once you get into it. I was a little bummed out that there is no local multiplayer but for me it wasnt a deal breaker. If you get a chance you should try it sometime you might be suprised just how much fun you will have. I spent alot of time in Diorama mode, its just too cool! Recreating my favourite Godzilla movie scenes was a blast.
Comments are closed.