Plot: What’s it about?
Godzilla is back and this time, he’s brought all of his friends with him. The world has been plunged into a state of chaos, with the end of times at hand. The globe is under attack on all fronts, with destruction and annihilation rampant. In the middle of all this is Godzilla, but he isn’t alone. Godzilla is engaged in combat with all kinds of monsters and creatures, from ones he has faced before to all new opponents. As the monsters clash, the cities around them are trampled, as buildings collapse, cars are smashed, and people are forced to flee to survive. The carnage is epic, entire cities are turned to rubble as the monsters, sometimes four at a time, do battle in the urban landscapes. But as Godzilla and the others take each other down one by one, who will be the last one standing and what will become of mankind?
I used to love the game Rampage, in which you controlled a giant monster as it demolished cities. In Godzilla Unleashed, that concept is expanded upon, in a three dimensional world. The goal is to eliminate the other monsters through brute force, but you can also make sure to level plenty of skyscrapers in the process. Godzilla Unleashed is not a cerebral fighting experience, this is just head on, button mashing excitement. That means anyone can jump in and have a chance to come out on top, which is good, but the lack of depth does hinder the experience. In solo mode, the fun begins to die down fast, but if you have friends over, the multi-player extends the fun, with up to four active combatants. This PS2 version isn’t as visually pleasing as we’re used to from the next-generation machines, but it looks decent. So if you want to smash up some cities with Godzilla and a ton of his fellow monsters, Godzilla Unleashed is a solid rental.
Video: How does it look?
As I mentioned above, the graphics here don’t dazzle, but they’re not bad. I think I’ve been spoiled by the PS3 and X-Box 360 of course, but this game sports decent visuals. The monsters look good, with moderate detail visible, but that detail lessens when it comes to the cities and backgrounds. It is still fun to knock over structures, but it could have been more satisfying if there was more depth to the interactive elements. So in the end, while the visuals here won’t have you in a trance, the game looks decent and capable.
Audio: How does it sound?
The sound is rather basic also, but at least the Toho monsters have their original roars and screams. That doesn’t seem like a big deal, but if you’re a kaiju fan, you’ll appreciate that touch. The sound effects on the whole seem flat, but mostly effective. So not much flash or style, but basic presence. The music is hilarious, a kind of metal that doesn’t mesh with the Godzilla theme that well, but it comes through well enough. Not much else I can say really, the game sounds all right, but the audio isn’t memorable.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes no bonus materials.
