MadworldPublisher: SEGA
Developer: Platinum Games
System: Wii
Release: March 11th 2009, US
After making great and visually stylized games such as Okami and Viewtiful Joe, Clover broke off from Capcom and made their own studio: Platinum Games. Their first release is a Wii exclusive; ultra stylized, ultra violent offering, called Madworld. Does it live up to all the hype?
StoryTerrorists have taken control of Varrigan City, and set up their game called "Death Watch". Everyone on the island city is trapped, nobody can get in and nobody can get out. The Organizers, the terrorist group who set up Death Watch, have released a deadly toxin in the air that infects every citizen. There's one antidote, but to get it you have to win Death Watch. In order to do that, though, you have to kill every other person and be the last one standing. Enter Jack, an ex marine who specializes in killing. At first it seems like Jack is there to win the game, but as the story unfolds we see that Jack has a hidden adgenda of his own.
Sound 15/15
The soundtrack consists of hip-hop styled beats with lyrics about death. This might seem kind of creepy, but it's actually really cool. The songs will keep players bobbing their heads because they sound so good. The best part about Madworld's sound are the announcers. Greg Proops (from Who's Line is it Anyway) and John DiMagio (Bender in Futurama) play as the comentators. They say some really hilarious and obscene things, and that's what makes it so awesome. It really sounds like they're there with you, rooting on Jack and making jokes as you progress through the game. At one part of the game, where Jack is participating in the head-golfing Blood Bath Challenge, there is a really funny dialogue. After Jack takes out an enemy's head, DiMagio says "FOUR!" then Proops says "Why do you say four?" to which DiMagio replies "For f*ck's sake! It's what you say when you tee off!". There is never a dull moment in the announcers. If you want to play without the music/announcers and vise versa, you can turn any of the sound settings on or off in the options menu.
Graphics 19/20
If you don't already know, Madworld is extremely stylized. Everything is black and white, except for the blood which is crimson red and some menus which are yellow. The story and some cutscenes are presented in comic book format, and look awesome. Since everything is in black and white, there have been some concerns about being able to tell things apart. Rest assured, everything is clearly visible and it looks great. No frame dips to report, except for in the multiplayer mode there are a few.
Appeal 15/25
The main story of Madworld is great to play through, but it is very short. Players will beat it in an average of 6-8 hours. After you beat the game Hard mode can be played on, and this ups the replay value, but not by much. There is a multiplayer mode, but it doesn't really offer a whole lot. Aside from these quirks, the main game is amazing the first time you play through it, and the short length should not stop anyone from playing this game.
Gameplay 37/40
Madworld's gameplay is divided up into several levels; new ones are unlocked after you beat the next in linear fashion. During the levels, the gameplay is outstanding. Players have to rack up x amount of points to get to the boss battle and beat the level. To get points, players have to kill enemies. Basically anything in the level can be used to kill an enemy. We're talking shoving sign poles into their faces, throwing them into saw blades, everything you can imagine. In one level there is a long table with a fire place at the end. I know what you're thinking, and this answer is yes: you can throw enemies onto the table and they'll slide all the way over to the fireplace and fall into it. The more complex and combo-esq your kill is, the more points you'll get. There's a 30 minute time limit to every level, but that's more than enough time to rack up the points needed to get to the boss battle. Speaking of boss battles, they're some of the coolest fights you'll experience in the game. Bosses are huge in stature and provide a great cinematic battle. Control wise, Madworld is solid. Z makes Jack jump, C centers the camera and locks onto enemies, A punches and grabs, and holding down B along with motion gestures commands Jack's deadly chainsaw. The chainsaw has a power meter that goes down while it's out and recharges while it's put away, so players can't just spam the chainsaw for the whole game. A verticle gesture with the Wiimote will have Jack fo a vertical swipe, and a horizontal gesture will have Jack do a horizontal swipe. The game picks up the gestures really well, so it isn't a waggle fest. The only gripe comes in at the camera and lock on, because they aren't as sharp as the could have been. As you progress through a level, the "Mayhem Machine" will give Jack some new weapons usable only for that level and for a limited amount of time. These include: a gold club, spiked bat, daggers and a spear. They all have their own awesome special abilities. In each level, players will encounter one or multiple "Blood Bath Challenges". They're sort of like mini games, where the objective is to kill as many enemies as possible in the way that they show you. A prime example of a Blood Bath Challenge is one called "Man Darts", where players have to pick up and hit enemies with the spiked bat into a giant darts target.
Overall 86/100
Madworld is an excellent 3rd party Wii exclusive, that every Wii owner should go out and buy. It has it's problems, like the camera, lock on and it's short length, but the great gameplay and musical score make it a great game.
