MADWORLD
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Madworld
Bloodlust, consider yourself fulfilled.
For nearly two and a half years now, the Wii has been home to some very kid-friendly, casual shovelware, with very few exceptions. One publisher seems to have noticed this and is aiming to change that. Sega, for the second time this year, is sending out a call to all you hardcore gamers looking to fill that bloodlust within, with PlatinumGames’ MadWorld. But is the gratuitous violence within worth all the hype, or is it just another quick cash-in with more mature trappings?
Gameplay
When you enter Madworld, you’re introduced to your character; the epitome of anti-heroes, Jack. Jack is one of those characters that you’re never quite sure how to take. In the end, you’re either going to love him or hate him, and it will probably take you some time to figure out which. The story begins with our hero entering a reality TV program called Deathwatch. The program is run by a group known only as the Organizers. This particular group has taken over Varrigan City, and infected everyone in it with a virus. Anyone looking to obtain the antidote is given one simple option; kill for it. Jack himself is not infected. At first glance, it appears that his sole reason for entering is the promise of a boat-load of money, but of course that would be way too simple. Or is it? The story you’ll find here is intriguing. Unfortunately for most, it will be overshadowed by other aspects of the game. Let’s face it...the story isn’t what’s got everyone talking now, is it?
What everyone is talking about is Jack’s ability to kick copious amounts of ass. It’s not the fact that Jack can and will kill anyone in his path, it’s that Jack can and will kill anyone in his path and he’ll do it with style. Now, most beat ’em ups will give you a simple list of combos to fight off your enemies, but not Madworld. No, Madworld gives you weapons. Not conventional weapons either, like guns or knives either. Jack comes equipped with a handy, dandy little chainsaw but it doesn’t stop there, my friends. Essentially, anything that isn’t nailed down, (not to mention a few things that are), is fair game. This means that the chainsaw is pretty much the least of worries among Jack’s enemies. Pop bottles, street signs, fireworks...you name it, you can kill with it. The amount of freedom you’re given here is almost unprecedented.
Progressing through levels is a fairly simple affair. Rack up enough points via creative kills to unlock bonus weapons, challenges or to gain a shot at the final boss. As I stated earlier, simply pummeling enemies with your fists just won’t cut it here. Picking up a stop sign, ramming it through someone’s head, binding them with a tire, and then throwing them repeatedly into any number of spiked objects? That’ll work. Over the top? Maybe, but this isn’t called Madworld for nothing now is it?
Can things possibly get any crazier? You’d better believe it. Earning enough points in a level allows you to take part in what are known as Bloodbath Challenges. These challenges are hosted by the Black Baron, a pimp who’s always coming up with new ways to take people out. This can involve shaking up a bottle of pop and placing the victim in line with a picture of a naked girl. When the pop explodes, the poor fool that crossed you is literally launched, and with any luck will be impaled on strategically placed spikes on said picture. There are roughly a dozen of these challenges, and once you’ve completed them in the main game, you can compete in an offline multiplayer against your friends. I do appreciate the fact that a multiplayer aspect was attempted here, but I also think this could have been left out as it’s not nearly as entertaining or engaging as the main storyline.
Alright, so enough about the craziness, let’s talk about the controls. You can opt to beat opponents down or pull off a chainsaw attack by using the Wii-mote. Yes, there’s waggle. No, it’s not excessive or intrusive in context with the game, but if you are absolutely 100% anti-waggle, you’re probably not going to love Madworld as much as those who are good with it in medium-sized doses. While you will have to waggle a little here and there against weaker enemies. For the most part it’s something that’s more prominent during boss battles. Don’t panic, though, everything works relatively well and the waggle is used mostly in context. For example, there is one boss that is quite large, and will scoop you up into his giant hand; the only way you’re getting out of this is to struggle free, which means waggle like your life depends on it. It may not be the most original approach, but if it ain’t broke...
One thing that I truly appreciated as an old-school gamer is that there are a finite amount of lives here per level, as well as high scores to beat. Coming from the arcade era, this is something that too many developers I think have forgotten about. I’m sure there will be some who complain that you have to start a level over again from the beginning if you lose your last life during the final boss fight, but the way I see it, I never had a problem doing it when the SNES was in its hey-day, and it simply adds to the challenge. Being that each level has a 30 minute time limit, it’s not as if it’s really putting you out. At most, it will set you back 20 minutes in most cases. As for the high scores, I know not many people really care about these nowadays, but I for one am glad to see some companies bringing them back for us old timers.
Graphics & Sound
By now I’m sure everyone’s heard about the style of this game. The game is presented in a glorious monochromatic colour scheme, with generous helpings of red to help accentuate your kills. Visually, this is such a fantastic looking game, and it really complements the comic book nature of the story. Madworld’s environments don’t necessarily scream with little details that other games boast, but that’s not to say they’re bad looking at all. In fact, Madworld looks better in its monochrome styling’s than some games on the other systems out there.
The animations here look particularly brutal, be it chainsawing a guy in half, bending him backwards until he snaps, or tossing him into a spiked wall from 20 feet away. It all just works so well here, and there will be quite a few times when you’re going to audibly gasp or utter various words too vulgar to print here. The one issue here that will come up from time to time is the camera. Most of the time within the game, the camera stays at a relatively good distance from Jack, and you’re able to watch the action unfold without much bother, but once in a while, Jack gets into a tight spot and the camera can go a bit goofy on you. Really, this doesn’t detract too much from the game, but it is something that could have used some work.
The sound here is also incredibly well done. During gameplay, there are two commentators (Greg Proops and John DiMaggio), that will call the action. While it’s not always an accurate play by play, the commentary is still hilariously vulgar and fun to listen to. The one complaint that I have is that you will hear the same jokes pop up several hundred times, especially during timed Bloodbath Challenges, and while they lose their edge after hearing them so often, it doesn’t take away from the fact that I still chuckled upon hearing them. The voice work is excellent for the in-game characters as well. The game is also complemented with around 20 tracks from up and coming hip hop artists. Not all of the tracks are winners of course, but when it comes to the music, it’s a matter of personal taste here. The tracks are written specifically for the game though, and they fit the material quite well.
Value
Madworld’s default difficulty can be completed within around 5-6 hours, so it’s not an overly long game. Being that the main difficulty can be pretty easy, it would be hard to justify the games price, if it weren’t for hard mode. The difficulty in hard mode, much like Sega’s House of the Dead, is for those fans that are absolutely rabid for points, and like a challenge in getting them. As I mentioned before, you can compete in Bloodbath Challenges offline with friends, but it’s not something that I think many people will really spend more than an afternoon with. An online component could definitely have been utilized here, so it’s hard to think of a reason why it wasn’t. That said, this is still a fantastic package. There’s just so many ways to unleash carnage that no two games will ever be alike.
Conclusion
Madworld is an absolute wonder on the Wii. Packed with a fantastic visual style, simple but effective controls, and a healthy dose of humour, this is almost a complete package. Diminished focus on the story, and some minor camera issues aside, this should be on any fan of mature game’s "must have" list.
Pros
+ Intense, over the top violence.
+ Art style is incredible.
+ Uses motion controls, but uses them correctly.
+ Twisted sense of humour.
+ Great boss battles.
+ Story is interesting...
Cons
-...but will likely be overlooked due to the focus on the violent gameplay.
- Camera can get a bit goofy at times.
- Commentary is great, but repetitive.
- Lacks depth, but makes up for it in freedom. It’s a trade-off that some will be able to deal with better than others.
Final Verdict
Here's a small guide to help you understand our evaluation of games.
PRESENTATION GRADE
Can be from the game's box to the contents of the booklet, and even the game introduction. (Intro, menus, options, etc)
GRAPHIC GRADE
Up to what point the graphics have been worked on my the developper. The design type, the effort used for textures and environments, as well as animations and framerate.
AUDIO GRADE
Is the soundtrack a good match to the game's style, he ambient sounds keeping with the gameplay and the sound effects clear and convincing?
GAMEPLAY GRADE
Placement of the controls and the inferface that the player with be using during the game.
REPLAY VALUE GRADE
The most important factor in the evaluation of a game. It identifies the lifespan of the game and the fun of coming back again and again.
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