The build up to Metroid Other M continues with our boss video. http://bit.ly/d0CnlA

	Tetris Party Deluxe review ^{DS, DSI} Once more around the block
	New Kirby's Epic Yarn trailer Can you spot King Dedede?
	Metroid: Other M review ^WII Samus is back for some classic Metroid action
	Layton: Unwound Future ^{DS, DSI} We preview the final part of the trilogy

Login

Not a member yet? Click here to register!

Nintendo: Wii Reviews

Sonic And The Black Knight ^WII

Broken Sword: The Director's Cut ^WII

Review

MadWorld

85%

Format Nintendo Wii

Developer Platinum

Publisher Sega

Genre Action

19-Mar-2009 Can Sega's stylish action game live up to the hype?

19 Comments

MadWorld has been heavily hyped as a hardcore darling and Platinum Games' great black-and-white hope. It's super-violent, action-packed and has a wicked sense of humour. And at times, it's utterly brilliant.

You really can't fault MadWorld's quality when it comes to art style and character design. The environments look fantastic and, beyond the standard foe, the beefier enemies and end-of-level bosses are all genuinely memorable.
In fact, MadWorld's presentation and production values are by far its most impressive elements. Surprisingly for an all-out action title, the plot and cut scenes take up plenty of your time and are all executed to the high standards you'd expect of the studio formed from the people behind the critically-acclaimed Okami and GameCube cult fave Viewtiful Joe.

The thrust of the plot is pretty straightforward. You are Jack, a surly, violent participant in DeathWatch, a near-future gameshow in which points are awarded for dispatching your rivals in the nastiest possible fashion. Throughout, commentators chip in with remarks on the action while the hip-hop soundtrack pounds away in the background. Both get a little annoying at times, but still add to the extremely high standard of presentation throughout Jack's bloody adventure.

So does MadWorld's gameplay live up to its impressive visuals? In quick bursts, absolutely. The initial flush of adrenaline when you begin your bloody rampage is one of the most enjoyable experiences to date on Wii. But be warned - this game is perhaps not intended for extended play.

MadWorld's main gameplay mechanic is
not in the basic combat, but in the use of the environments to rack up big scores. It's not enough to repeatedly punch someone in their miserable, monochrome face; you are constantly reminded by the on-screen prompts that 'standard' violence is the bare minimum. MadWorld is all about combining objects, moves and environmental features to max out your score and make your opponents' deaths as grisly as possible.

You've Got Some Red On You
So while simply taking down the standard enemies is never really a problem, it's what you do with them once they're stunned that really matters. After clobbering your enemy with a couple of punches or kicks, you're invited to get creative with the use of whatever you have to hand. Most commonly, it's a case of immobilising them by plonking something over their head, impaling them with something sharp, then finishing them off using whatever gruesome equipment the stage has to offer. That means big spikes, mincing machines and even killer toilets, all of which require a waggle of the Remote and come with lashings of humour and some appropriately squelchy sound effects.

The quality of the experience lives and dies on the variety of different ways you can dispose of your rivals. The best levels are the ones where there's plenty of options - and the poorest are where your choices are restricted. So introducing new toys to play with is the main way Platinum Games keep you interested. As you progress Jack's primary attacks don't vary much from the core punch-impale-finish structure, but there are weapons to pick up along the way that successfully mix things up a little.

So essentially, you'll be performing the same moves over and over again, but with slightly different end results. Which is fine for a little while, but eventually becomes a chore. While each stage features different tools with which to impale or squash your enemies, the novelty wears off a little once you've chucked someone into a spike for the 20th time.

Get Into The Swing
The boss battles are a little flawed too. Where usually you'd work out attack patterns and pick your moment to strike, we found these encounters a little hit-and-miss. Swinging away with Jack's arm-mounted chainsaw and hoping for the best works almost as well. There's no block button, and while a waggle of the Nunchuk tends to avoid most attacks, the bosses, while impressive visually, are often frustrating.

This is especially true when it comes to the finishing moves. Once you've swiped 'em a couple of times with your trusty chainsaw, you'll enter a sequence in which you're asked to swing the Remote or Nunchuk in a certain direction, with inconsistent results. Several times, as with similar sections in No More Heroes, you think you've performed the required moves, but they fail to register, resulting in death and a re-start. Grrr.

These aren't game-breaking flaws by any means. Our personal highlights came largely within the Bloodbath Challenges, which break up the different stages nicely. Without spoiling the surprises and comedy within, they take the form of point-scoring bonus sequences where you're asked to dispatch as many black-and-white warriors as possible in increasingly imaginative ways. They provide welcome light relief from the run-of-the-mill combat in the 'main' game, and some genuinely funny moments. There's also a multiplayer mode based around these challenges, though it feels tacked on at best and has pretty limited appeal.

By now it's probably clear that there's a definate arcade feel throughout, and that's made more evident in the focus on high scores. Dedicated MadWorld players will be keen to maximise every death for long-term thrills if you're an old-school high score junkie.
So there's plenty to enjoy here and some outstanding moments, but there's a vague whiff of style over substance with MadWorld. If the core gameplay was as polished and impressive as the presentation, this game would cruise a Gold Award with ease, and take its place as one of the very best games ever released on Wii.

As it is, don't expect it to completely satisfy over extended play periods, but MadWorld still comes highly recommended. Adult Wii owners looking for stylish arcade action and gory guffaws need look no further.

Great fun in short bursts, MadWorld is a quality title with buckets of gore, style and humour.

Top-notch presentation

All-out arcade action

Laugh out loud funny

Fantastic character design

Gets repetitive quickly

Screenshots

Interactive

Print Article

Email to a Friend

Posted by hulkbuster

Whats BLACK & WHITE & RED all over & in my hands 2morrow morning :?: ..........a copy of MADWORLD :D

Posted by gils

got this yesterday and its great! C'mon ONM it needs more thn 85% i can see how it may get a little repeative, but this game is amazing a must buy for wii owners, even my xbox and ps3 mates (who are envious) have been drooling over this.

One of the best graphics on the wii and one of the best graphic styles i've seen in ages and great intergration of the motion controls

92-93% maybe more IMO

Read all 19 comments