Godzilla Unleashed – Everyone’s favorite monster returns in a completely redesigned and updated massively destructive brawler! Play Godzilla as never before with non-linear story paths and all new Toho monsters.
- Innovative non-linear storyline – for the single player missions, choices made in battles affect how the game plays out, creating different story branches and paths leading to multiple possible endings
- Play as new Monsters as well as all the classic favorites, all approved by Toho (creators of Godzilla)
List Price: $ 29.99
Price: $ 59.95
Incredibly disappointing!,
With Godzilla popularity hitting a new high, it was a blessing that Atari took up the flag for Godzilla-based games. Starting with the first game, Destroy All Monsters Melee, Atari started what will hopefully be a long-running series of harcore fighting games. They actually got the formula right, albeit with a few flaws. Sadly, those who are familiar with Godzilla: Save the Earth will not find anything new here.
Little more than an “upgrade” to Save the Earth, Godzilla Unleashed is the next entry into the series. Unlike its Wii counterpart, the PS2 version falls short in virtually all areas. With only 2 (not quite)new additions to the roster, grainy graphics and faulty sound, coupled with tremendous gameplay slowdown, G:U is borderline unplayable. Though it could be argued that the PS2 is showing its age, the fact that G:U looks and plays the way it does is no less the fault of the developers than the dated system they created the game for.
If there’s one glaring problem G:U faces, it would have to be the fact that it has virtually nothing to set it apart from Save the Earth. Godzilla fans everywhere were elated to find that Save the Earth’s already robust roster would be bolstered by fan favorites like Biollante and first-time appearences by King Cesar and Titanosaurus, but were then disappointed to learn that NONE of the new additions would be featured in the PS2 edition. Instead, PS2 fans were treated to “exclusive” monster Battra, who is nothing more than a Mothra clone with, oddly enough, Rodan’s recycled noises and roars. The only difference between Mothra and Battra is that, like the Godzilla & Mothra: Battle for Earth film, Battra features an energy beam in his larva form instead of an immobilizing silk. In addition to Battra, PS2 players will get Obsidius, one of the two “original” monsters created by the developers. Obsidius is simply a clone of Orga with a different beam weapon.
The arenas are somewhat creative…you’ll find many of the same landscapes that were in Save the Earth, except this time they are devastated by the effects if crystal meteors that have crashed into Earth. Otherwise, the arenas work the same as they did in the previous 2 games: buildings will sink into the ground after some soid hits, and smaller buildings can be hurled at opponents. The force fields are still in place, albeit much harder to see which results in many accidental collisions with them. Other hazards on some levels include Crystal Towers that shoot laser beams, lava and poisonous gas vents. Though the levels look good in scope, there is so much going on at any given time that the game goes into tremendous slowdown…especially if more than two monsters are fighting.
Which brings us to gameplay, the game’s most disappointing aspect. The new Story Mode is so convoluted and bizarre that you’ll win missions without realizing why. The game’s Faction system is a bit bizarre as well…Earth Defenders, GDF, Aliens and Mutants are all on seperate factions, with roughly 3 – 5 monsters in each faction (more on the Wii). GDF contains the mecha units, Earth Defenders contain Godzilla and the “good” monsters, whereas Mutants contain monsters such as Megaguirus and Aliens are obviously the same cast as usual with fan favorite King Ghidorah and his pals. You gain and lose faction for bizarre and mostly unintentional reasons, often resulting in aliances you don’t want. And regardless of faction alliances, you will usually be thrown into battle with your allies for one reason or another.
The combat system is so flawed that you won’t even be able to get the least amount of enjoyment out of it. Even the Brawl mode battles descend into frustration and boredom. Your AI opponents do nothing but crouch and block, and retaliate in the middle of your combo (something players cannot do to AI opponents) with a devastating hit. As with the previous games, AI opponents typically do much more damage than you, especially with Beam attacks. Button response time is sluggish, often resulting in your attack being delayed. AI opponents tend to have ESP and predict every attack you will launch, so you rarely get a clean hit in.
The physics system is flawed, with environmental damage behaving rather erratically. One of the biggest let downs is that you can no longer throw your opponents! For some bizarre reason, any throw attack you attempt simply results in your monster placing the opponent on the ground. This means that the satisfying mid-air collision finishes you were able to perform in previous games can no longer be performed. I have only seen two monsters that could throw opponents at any length, and they were MechaGodzillla 2 and Obsidius (one of Godzilla’s throw attacks sometimes produces a ranged toss). Hopefully this is corrected in the Wii version (or I pray the eventual XBox 360 version).
One of the better aspects…
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|Godzilla: Unleashed VS Godzilla: Save The Earth,
Ok fans of the 1st game Godzilla : STE will remember the unlockable monster store (which has returned) but with several twists this time
such as you Must First unlock a Faction before you may buy monsters From that Faction
such as the aliens faction, mutants, or global defence force, even the earth defence force.
you take control of one of these forces in the story mode and in the beginning it’s a tad easy because you do not have to fight anything at all.
I stomped a few piles of small crystals and smashed a few bigger ones (they grow) and noticed a few monsters fighting in the background that didn’t seem to mind what I was doing. in later rounds you Must Fight and this is where I was let down by atari, because the controls are not nearly as tight as Save the Earth nor are the graphics as clean (I Noticed quite a bit of graininess throughout the game)
however the monster models look and even seem to act better then before godzillas’ fire and glowing back fins return from the previous game with good effect.
overall it’s save the earth with a Single New TOHO approved monster(which I will not name.)
needless to say with 4 player action and decent gameplay this game will definately be bought up and played by many I just wish the graphics had more polish because the sound is so rich and the gameplay so fun (even though marred by blocky controls)
no online modes this time was a bit of a surprise and an unfortunate one.
However the destructable arenas aka cities ROCK!
this time they don’t rock back and forth like jello when you hit one you actually take chunks of building out (does not work on all buildings) it’s a good graphical effect and one I was pleased with this game is a blast multiplayer and it’s all on one screen and thankfully this time the camera issues seem to have been addressed.
Graphics: 4 stars could have been Way better but monster models are excellent and building destruction and detail is excellent.
Sound: TOHO Perfect! 5 stars
Gameplay: not perfect but easy controls and a simple plot make the controls bearable. 4 stars.
overall: 4 stars buy godzilla save the earth if you can get it new otherwise this is the godzilla game to get.
Godzilla: Unleashed Buyers link
Godzilla Unleashed
Godzilla: Save the Earth Buyers Link
Godzilla: Save the Earth
**This review is for the Playstation 2 version ONLY**
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|What A Bunch of BULL!,
This is the Worst Game and Rip Off in Video Game History. It is Just like playing “Godzilla:Save the Earth” all over again. We don’t get the NEW GIGAN, KING CAESAR, TITANOSAURUS, VARAN, BIOLLANTE, or even that other made up monster KRYSTALIK! We only get the one Made up Monster OBSIDIUS, Like I care about made up monsters, Biggest RIP OFF in PS2 History! I feel like I am playing the same game over again, If you wanted all them new monsters, Don’t buy this PS2 game. This made my Thanksgiving a little miserable. I can’t believe ATARI would pull a Stunt like this! Oh PS2 don’t get the New Monsters, But WII does! I Blew a complete 40 Bucks on a game I already have!!!!
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