I almost suspect that Atari sent me a beta copy, because I just can't believe that the final game is this unpolished. Unfortunately, it's not a beta copy. Right off the bat, you'll notice that the graphics are far worse than DAMM. I'm not sure how this is possible, but the clean, sharp models of that GC original are now fuzzy, poorly textured, and don't animate smoothly. The environments look worlds worse than the monsters, though. I don't know about you, but I thought that the word “blocky" went out with the N64. Buildings don't crumble—they sink into the ground. The water effects look great—until you set foot in the water. Godzilla weighs between 20 and 60,000 tons (depending on which series you're watching), but he doesn't splash. You heard that right—there are some pixilated water drops, but no splash. Some of the monster energy weapons look pretty swanky, but the manner in which they're activated is so horrifying (I'll get to that in a minute) that you'll never use them. The game's cutscenes are told through poorly-drawn slides. This wouldn't bug me on the DS, but it's unacceptable on the Wii.
I don't think the motion controls could've been any worse. In DAMM, the various punches and kicks were activated by pressing A or B and a direction on the stick, as in Smash Bros. Not here. In Unleashed, you start swinging the Remote in a certain direction, then press and hold A (or B) halfway through and pray that the game registers your movement. More often than not, your beastie will just stand there. Sometimes, he'll do a regular punch instead of a motion-activated punch. Once in a very great while, Godzilla will do the uppercut you asked him to do. And it doesn't stop there. You're forced to deal with motion controls for throwing, jumping, flying, charging, and special attacks. And because the sensitivity is so awful, your monster will get his ass handed to him while you're busy swinging your arms like a freaking orangutan.
The HUD is confusing. You must manually charge your beam weapon, and then weep as you notice that stuff other than beam attacks requires beam energy. And when you try to use the beam weapon itself, half the time it won't work. The other half, it will work, but you have to twist and angle the Wii Remote to aim it, rather than use the Control Stick. There are big crystals around each cityscape, and they have different effects on the gameplay. Destroying bright blue crystals gives you some HP, while yellow ones give you beam energy. Destroying enough giant crystals will put you into "Critical Mass," in which your defense goes down, but your offense goes up! Critical Mass also "costs" one HP tank, and the military will begin attacking you. What fun! Finally, depending on your actions during a given level, you will gain or lose face with the different monster "factions", which doesn't have any consequence whatsoever as far as I can tell.
I've failed to mention the awful heavy metal music that pollutes the menu screens and monsters battles. I've never understood why, even though the series has Toho's blessing, the main Godzilla theme is never used in any of the recent Godzilla brawlers. All of the monsters have their trademark roars intact, but their SKREEEONKS and CHEE-CHEE-CHEES seem really quiet compared to the thumps of battle and ambient music. I gotta say, though, it was a kick to hear MOGUERA for the first time since Godzilla vs. Spacegodzilla.
The game has two selling points. Although poorly rendered, virtually all of the Godzilla series monsters are here, and their trademark roars have been kept intact. And when I say all of them, I mean it. Biollante and Varan are in this game! Unfortunately, they must all be purchased with points that you earn by completing missions in the Story mode, which is a painful experience. This is also how you unlock concept art and movies. Ideally, a player would go through the Story mode with each monster, but since fights just aren't winnable thanks to the hideous motion controls, you might never beat Story mode the first time!
Ultimately, Godzilla: Unleashed is just awful. Even the biggest Godzilla fans among us should not have to suffer through this piece of trash. Watch the movies or just play DAMM. You'll have a much better time.
Pros:
Lastability: 3.0
There is so much stuff to unlock! New monsters! Artwork! Videos! It's a shame that you have to play the game to unlock it all.
Final: 4.0
I'm incredibly disappointed because Godzilla: Unleashed had so much promise! I'm not sure whether it was rushed out the door or just phoned in, but overall this is a terrible game. You would have much more fun with the other two Godzilla brawlers (DAMM is the better than Save the Earth), and there is simply no reason to suffer through Unleashed.
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Originally posted by: GoldenPhoenix
This review phails.
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Originally posted by: insanolordQuote
Originally posted by: GoldenPhoenix
This review phails.
Now after all her Alien Syndrome bashing GP is the one defending a game that has received some very poor reviews.
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Originally posted by: ShyGuy
Apparently this game got worse since I played the preview. Or this review dabbles in HYPERBOLE.
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Originally posted by: GoldenPhoenix
::waits for Arbok::
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Originally posted by: Zachary MillerFor awhile there, it looked like Unleashed, a former Wii exclusive (now also on the PS2), would combine the fighting with some purposeful environmental destruction.
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Originally posted by: Zachary MillerRight off the bat, you'll notice that the graphics are far worse than DAMM. I'm not sure how this is possible, but the clean, sharp models of that GC original are now fuzzy, poorly textured, and don't animate smoothly.
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Originally posted by: Zachary MillerThe game's cutscenes are told through poorly-drawn slides. This wouldn't bug me on the DS, but it's unacceptable on the Wii.
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Originally posted by: Zachary MillerIn Unleashed, you start swinging the Remote in a certain direction, then press and hold A (or B) halfway through and pray that the game registers your movement. More often than not, your beastie will just stand there.
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Originally posted by: Zachary MillerFinally, depending on your actions during a given level, you will gain or lose face with the different monster "factions", which doesn't have any consequence whatsoever as far as I can tell.
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Originally posted by: Zachary MillerI've never understood why, even though the series has Toho's blessing, the main Godzilla theme is never used in any of the recent Godzilla brawlers.
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Originally posted by: Zachary MillerI gotta say, though, it was a kick to hear MOGUERA for the first time since Godzilla vs. Spacegodzilla.
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Originally posted by: Zachary MillerAlthough poorly rendered, virtually all of the Godzilla series monsters are here, and their trademark roars have been kept intact. And when I say all of them, I mean it.
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Originally posted by: Zachary MillerUnfortunately, they must all be purchased with points that you earn by completing missions in the Story mode, which is a painful experience.
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Originally posted by: Halbred
I'm starting to think I got a different game from you guys. In the game I recieved (through the mail, with shrink-wrap), there is NO water splash, the graphics are AWFUL, the controls are unresponsive, and my opponent thoroughly kicked my tail in TRAINING MODE.
Seriously.
MOGUERA never made a noise in Spacegodzilla? I'm gonna have to watch that movie again...
Thanks for the comments, everyone. If nothing else, they've left me extremely confused about what game I was playing...I'd really like to play the version that GP and Arbok are playing, because it sounds fun!
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Originally posted by: DeadlyD
I see it more of the sonic disease, average person hates it, while the fanboy is blinded
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Originally posted by: LuigiHann
I don't know if that applies to licensed games. If I loved Godzilla, I'd be angry and insulted if the game were terrible, not trying to defend it.
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Originally posted by: Morari
Plus free promo copies inherently make the review at least somewhat biased, whether it is realized or not. I can guarantee that I have different feelings concerning what is fun while playing a bad game that was free as opposed to a bad game that I personally wasted $50 on.
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Originally posted by: DeadlyD
I see it more of the sonic disease, average person hates it, while the fanboy is blinded
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Originally posted by: Pale
I just wanted to say that Zach is right. The game he played appeared totally retail. The publisher didn't flag it as being a different version in ANY way. If it is somehow different, something is seriously screwy.
That said, let's play conspiracy theory here. All of you saying you are seeing different results, are you running in 480p widescreen or 480i 4:3?
I don't see why it would make a difference, but I'm at least curious to hear. GP, if you are playing it in 480p like i imagine you are, try hooking it up through 480i and see if anything different occurs.
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Originally posted by: GoldenPhoenixQuote
Originally posted by: DeadlyD
I see it more of the sonic disease, average person hates it, while the fanboy is blinded
Then explain why the reviewer states that something like water splashing isn't in it when in my copy it does? Unless he is mistaken, there is something wrong with either his copy or my copy.
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Originally posted by: PartyBearQuote
Originally posted by: GoldenPhoenixQuote
Originally posted by: DeadlyD
I see it more of the sonic disease, average person hates it, while the fanboy is blinded
Then explain why the reviewer states that something like water splashing isn't in it when in my copy it does? Unless he is mistaken, there is something wrong with either his copy or my copy.
Maybe you're just seeing the same thing differently. You said, "while it isn't spectacular (more of a mist splash) it was there." He said, "there are some pixilated water drops, but no splash." That really doesn't sound all that different to me.
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Originally posted by: DeadlyD
I see it more of the sonic disease, average person hates it, while the fanboy is blinded
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Originally posted by: Jonnyboy117Quote
Originally posted by: DeadlyD
I see it more of the sonic disease, average person hates it, while the fanboy is blinded
By the way, Zach is a Godzilla fanboy. He still didn't like this game at all.
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Originally posted by: Caliban
Videos please...actually Professional666 would be the most indicated person to get some videos and see who's not right.
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Originally posted by: GoldenPhoenix
The reason why I bring up the unfinished thing is that I've heard from the developers that copies other reviewers got who had early reviews were based on an unfinished game and they were working right to the end which is beyond stupid if Atari did that.
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Originally posted by: Halbred
Whereas I have every Godzilla movie on DVD, minus Godzilla 1985, Godzilla vs. Monster Zero, and Godzilla vs. Biolantte, because they haven't been released on DVD yet. I do have them all VHS, though (although my VCR broke).
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Originally posted by: Halbred
No, not that one. I already have it. I mean Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monsters, which is the prequel to Astro-Monster but for whatever reason has not been released yet. That reminds me, Megalon has also not yet come out on DVD. That's probably a good thing, though.
Sorry--the American titles of the Japanese movies always throw me off.