Godzilla Unleashed came out back in 2007. The game was pretty big because it was the first time Godzilla appeared in anything since the bombastic Final Wars three years earlier. Unleashed is the third game in Atari's series, the first being the classic Destroy All Monsters Melee, then the improved and awesome Save the Earth, and of course this game There are two main versions, like with the other games. There's the Wii version, and the PS2 version. I'm going to be honest and even a little harsh....the PS2 version sucks. If that version was the only one that existed, it would be fine, but there's a far superior gamed called Godzilla: Save the Earth out there. The PS2 version felt like a rushed thing. It was never meant to be on the system, it was just meant for the Wii. The PS2 version's gameplay is slow, and I mean slow. It's like they didn't finish touching up the gameplay. (Throws are broken!) The graphics are grainy, unless it was meant to give the monsters a more gritty look, they all looked like they needed some brightness. And while the Wii version gets all the new monsters, do you know what PS2 owners are left with? Battra. Now that wouldn't be such a bad thing, in fact it'd be pretty awesome, if not for the fact he's nothing other than a Mothra clone. Same moveset, it's almost like the PS2 version is trolling the fans. The Wii version is the real deal. So many great monsters we thought we would never see in a game like this, (who remembers Varan?) and the graphics are the best in any Godzilla game. Whether it's a good game or not is a different story.
This game is basically a fan service. Varan, Godzilla 1954, only G fans could really appreciate this game. For the first time in console games, this one actually has a story. Yes, the previous two games had 'stories,' but this one is cutscene based, even if it's just comic book panels with no animation. Save the Earth is still the definitive Godzilla game, thanks to its balanced fighting style and perfect controls. Unleashed on the other hand is more of a Godzilla fan's dream. However, there's one thing holding the game back: the controls. The Wii remote is used here. Not to bash the system or anything, but their controls for fighting games never work. (Try playing Naruto Clash of the Ninja Revolution 3 with the Wii remote, seriously try it.) When you first play the game, you are not going to understand what the heck you're doing. It takes some weeks to understand and actually like the controls a bit. Whereas the attacks and combos were pretty balanced in the previous games, here it isn't, there's a lot more spamming involved. There's the normal attack and the strong attack. Only thing is that there's no point in even doing a normal attack, since a strong attack can just break through it. Both players will constantly use the strong attack. And if you thought Destoroyah was overpowered in the previous games, wait until you see him here. Unlike in the others, he has unlimited use of his horned katana, making him the character no one wants to play against. The arenas are different. You'll have to play the game to see it for yourself, but each has its own thing going. Tokyo is flooded, Seattle is a volcanic wasteland, etc. It definitely gives the battles a unique atmosphere every time. 'Rage,' isn't here, instead it's this Critical Mass. It's pretty cool, it really makes the battles all the more frantic as you see your opponent turning all fiery and giant right before your eyes.
Unleashed boasts an impressive 26 characters. We have a bunch of new monsters, which was the main selling point. Finally, we get Titanosaurus. His attacks and the way he fights matches his movie counterpart well. (Though it's ironic that his beam attack is a supersonic roar, considering that supersonic sounds are his weakness in the film.) Biollante was a HUGE selling point. I mean, just the fact that you can play as her is awesome. Varan, a monster that only Godzilla fans know, makes a return after many years absence from his previous game appearance. Though I'm not sure you'll want to play as him, he could very well be the weakest character in the game. If you're using him and your opponent is Destoroyah, you're toast. Godzilla 1954 was a odd but welcome character. Gigan gets his Final Wars look, which is pretty cool to play as. They made Godzilla 90's look way too much like 54. To the unsuspecting eye, it's easy to confuse the two. This game is also known for having two original monsters, Krystalak and Obsidius. They're pretty cool, but if you're going to have new characters, you better give them backstory. Sadly story mode doesn't do that, making these characters feel like a waste. For that, you could have put two other monsters from Godzilla lore instead (Still waiting for Hedorah...)
7/10
Godzilla Unleashed is definitely an intense game! I still prefer the PS2 one by a large margin. Not only does it have a much more retro feel to it, but it also has better controls. Still, the Wii one is intense and makes you think that things just got real! 7/10 is what I'd give it as well. Glad to see that this game got a review :)
ReplyDeleteThe PS2 version was forced, that version is nothing compared to the Wii version. Because of the lag in the gameplay, even Save the Earth, a game that was made three years earlier, is better.
DeleteI have to say I still found it better. Controls were much better than the Wii one for starters. Also the graphics had a much more retro feel to them. Save The Earth is also an awesome game and comparing them would be tricky. Not sure which is better, but they both take down the Wii version. It's still good tho, but PS2 version will always reign supreme :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the review of Unleashed. :)
ReplyDeleteGodzilla Unleashed is much more strategetic once you get into it. Each monster plays drastically different. The only reason you don't notice it is because the AI is not very difficult, so you'll survive by spamming instead of getting totally owned. Once I wanted to dominate matches, that's when I realized the extreme differences between these monsters, and now, I play completely differently depending on the monster. It's much more in depth and complex than you think, and you'll love the game much more afterwards.
ReplyDeletePlus, the unlock all cheat code is permenant this time around, so if you just want everything from the get-go, you can. Search up the cheat code, and you'll find it. AfterI found that out, I could play the Story Mode for fun instead of unlocking, solving the other problem.
The controls, yes, have a steep learning curve due to there being no precedent for this type of control scheme before, meaning everyone who starts will play like a n00b at first, even experienced players, which can be frustrating. If you take the time to fully learn it, though, the controls work well enough. There's still some occasional quirks where I don't get the exact move I want (motion controls aren't the most precise thing in the world), but I still found myself executing the moves I wanted with the same frequency as other games, so it works well enough.
I still enjoy Save the Earth, but I consider Unleashed as THE Godzilla game. It's just that all of the complexity and quality is hidden behind a steep learning curve, and that's a curve that many probably don't like climbing.
Unleashed was a fun game but despite that it can't top Destroy all monsters melee considering that game came first but at the same time not a bad game to play.
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