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MadWorld

Since MadWorld was announced just shy of a year ago it has been the subject of both intense praise and judgemental criticism. In August Mediawatch-uk and The Daily Mail launched a pre-emptive campaign against the game but thankfully the game didn’t suffer the same fate as Manhunt 2. However, in spite of any controversy the game may receive it still needs to be enjoyable to play and MadWorld does this in spades.

The game’s striking black and white visuals are reminiscent of Sin City and they work really well in the game. The blood, and there is a lot of it, is the only colour in the game and after some time seeing red-coloured floors almost feels like an achievement in itself. MadWorld’s striking visuals ultimately work in the game’s favour as they add to the ‘blood is good’ notion underlying the whole game.

MadWorld sees Jack, “just Jack” as he says at the start, purposely inserting himself in a Death Watch game. Organisers of the Death Watch game have isolated Varrigan City for the purpose of this last-man-standing event. While the game’s plot initially seems simplistic it takes several surprise twists and developments through the cut scenes, which are displayed in a comic book style reminiscent of XIII. Ultimately I found myself surprised by the depths they take the narrative to. It’s not Plato but nor is it the simple hack-and-slash that it appears to be at first glance.

Creepy crawlies.

The game is split into four areas, in each of which there are three separate levels. Other than occasional levels where there is just a boss each level will take anywhere between fifteen and thirty minutes to play. Typical levels require you to score certain amount of points to unlock things in the level, from power-ups to weapons and ultimately boss challenges. Points are obtained through killing, and the more violent and cruel the killing the more points you get. For instance, if you simply beat up someone to death you won’t get many points. If you stick five signposts through their head, a barrel over the top of them and then repeatedly impale him on a spike you’ll be well on your way to success.

In addition to the points-mean-prizes elements of killing each level contains two other elements; a Death Watch Challenge and a boss battle. The Death Watch Challenges are side games in which you are asked to kill enemies in specific ways. The Black Barron, who is an amusing amalgamation of many media representation of a pimp, introduces each game to the player but is ultimately the example case thanks to his scantily-clad-in-spikes assistant who really doesn’t seem to like him. This opening explanation starts off humorous but becomes a bit predictable after a while unfortunately, loosing its initial comedy. The games themselves range from entertaining to frustrating. While I won’t give away many details you will be asked to play golf with people’s heads, throw them into moving trains and shove a bottle of champagne in their mouth and watch as they blast off. However, toward the end of the game many of the challenges become repeated and this is one of the game’s flaws.

The bosses’ difficulty seems uneven at times, some earlier bosses being more difficult than the ones later on. Each boss contains basic elements of strategic defence and attack, and certain ‘waggle’ elements reminiscent of Shenmue’s Quick Time Events as if done successfully you take a lot of life off them, in a violent manner of course, but if you miss one action you get hit instead.