Godzilla (2014) Video Game
aka Godzilla VS [Japan PS4 Version]
Genre: Fighting / Action | Players: 1 (Offline) or 2 (Online PS4 only) | Developer: Natsume Atari
The opening cinematic of the game teases action, with monsters going head to head, military responses, dramatic camera angles, and, of course, destruction on a grand scale.
The tutorial that follows is presented in a wonderfully apt way, with a grainy B+W hue that's reminiscent of the first Godzilla movie - and with Akira Ifukube's iconic music playing throughout, the tone is set in suitably dramatic fashion. All in all, it reinforces the notion that getting to play as Godzilla is going to be as good as many G fans thought it would be. [1]
But when reality hits, after just a couple of levels, it hits with a kaijū-sized thump. You may even feel your hopes crumble like a tiny model city during a giant creature brawl. I sure did.
The primary goal is to destroy a set number of targets within a designated area, sometimes with a limited amount of time. A level is basically a chunk of city (or sea) with invisible walls that can't be passed, even if there's more area visible outside of that. The parts you're able to roam around in aren't very large, but that's a mercy because movement of your chosen kaijū is a tedious chore. Yes, even the ones that can fly.
Besides the main objectives, which are few in number, each level offers bonus objectives that grant additional upgrade points for a creature. An example of such is achieving 100% destruction, which requires you to level every breakable structure in the playing field. That sounds like a fun endeavour, but in reality it'll often mean systematically having to check every stack of rubble for the remaining 1 or 2% that was missed... in the same slow, leaden walking cycle. It's boring².
Combat is simplistic, with very few moves available to you from the outset. Some are upgradable and you might even learn a few new ones, but all it does is enable you to swap one level of mediocrity for another – the actual combat mechanic is shit. And turning to face an enemy when they attack from any direction other than in front is an exercise in pure frustration.
You can unlock a fast turn, but you'll need to play the game multiple times to the end to get enough relevant materials to do that – if you're lucky, that is, because material drops are specific to each enemy kaijū and you won't always meet the one you want. I wanted to see each one at least once, so played it for weeks and didn't encounter Biollante even once.
The greater the destruction caused, the higher the threat level climbs, which in turn dictates how much military resistance is rolled out. They're a nuisance more than anything else, except for Super X and Super X2, which are a major pain in the dorsal fins for most ground-based kaijū.
The only positive things I can say about the game is that the number of playable kaijū in the PS4 version is pretty generous and the movie-accurate sound effects make that part feel authentic, at least. I'd recommend you try it for yourself, because your opinion may differ greatly from mine, but at time of writing it's going for ridiculously high prices on second-hand markets (i.e., £150+) and Sony have deleted it from the PS Store. Sony don't care about game preservation.
[1] Originally released in Japan in 2014 for the PS3, the game was ported to the PS4 a year later with additional features and an expanded roster of kaijū. It's the PS4 port that I refer to, specifically, because that's the only version of it that I've played.
- Look out, Mothra! There's a three-headed gobshite behind you. -
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