The Natsume Atari developed Godzilla game comes to PS3 and PS4 as a localized version since the original Japanese game on the PS3 released at the end of last year. It’s clearly aimed at a particular audience and hasn’t been granted a big budget. So with this in mind is the almost full price tag justified and if you do succumb will you get enough bang for your buck. Take a look at our Godzilla Game review for the full picture.

Godzilla Game Review:

Today we’re taking a look at the Bandai Namco Games published and in house studio Natsume Atari developed Godzilla which released at the end of last year in Japan on PS3 and now makes a transition to the PS3 and PS4 for English speaking and European audiences. In a nutshell, players assume the role of one of the versions of Godzilla in a variety of modes which includes a story themed arcade mode – God of Destruction which has you grow your chosen beast across several stages; an online versus mode for up to three players to duke it out against each other and then several variations on the arcade mode where players can take on the stages as the other legendary kaiju or monsters whatever you want to call them. There’s a survival mode thrown in for good measure entitled King of Kaiju which has players survive six opponents without dying and the aim of completion in the fastest time to rank up on the online leaderboards. So there’s enough to do here except the gameplay fits into just two main categories. On one hand during the God of Destruction Mode you’ll be tasked with taking down generators to gain G-Energy which in turn increases the size of Godzilla – again at the end there’s a leaderboard to compare and contrast with others – and on the other hand you’ll have stages become invaded by other Kaiju sometimes more than one at a time which need to be taken out before moving to the next stage.

So there’s two layers of gameplay here where smashing up the generators (sometimes with a time limited), buildings and the human forces who come in tanks, helicopters and fighter jets and then a more traditional fighting game approach where you face off amongst all the carnage against the other kaiju. It works, and despite a lot of repetition due to a lack of moves per character is surprisingly satisfying. What is neat is the fact that each of the 22 playable characters has its own fighting style which although is limited to just a handful of moves makes them play differently. So if you take Godzilla’s ground based attacks and compare them to the flying antics of an adult Battra you’ll find each has its own strengths and weaknesses. This is most noticeable when taking out the human forces where some characters are better suited at stomping on ground units whereas other are great at swatting the aerial attackers. Either way, there’s little depth here and an distinct onus on simplicity for fun which might disappoint those looking for something a bit more meaningful. That said, more moves can be purchased by way of upgrading but this is a convoluted process that simply locks away elements of the game behind hours of grinding which isn’t big or clever. Sure, it’s something to work towards once you’ve cleared all 25 stages and replay them again and again, but just feels a bit like too much effort is required when the basics are so limited.

In terms of visuals it’s obvious the game as a whole is a low budget affair although the front end is pleasantly doused in authentic imagery from the kaiju movies. There’s little to push the hardware even when buildings are crumbling left right and centre. It’s clear the game is a PS3 port with no expense spared in making the environments look the part to suit the PS4 capabilities which is a shame. That said, everything runs smoothly at 60 frames per second with no hiccups or dips, although with the general slow pace of the hulking characters a desire to hit 60 is not really necessary. Aside from being disappointed with the game’s visual quality the audio is full on and comes with Japanese or English cheesy voice overs with subtitles that suit the tongue in cheek nature of the premise on offer here. The music can get repetitive much like the gameplay and is something that can be muted if desired.

For the longer term it will take less than a day’s play to beat all 25 stages and unlock the majority of the extra characters. Then as already mentioned it’s a hard slog to level them all up if that’s your calling, but isn’t necessary unless you want to prove your worth against online peers and random players. The versus mode offers 1 on 1 or a battle royale with three players across several stages lifted from the single player. It’s a fun distraction but due to the limited depth means it’s not something you’ll be spending days and weeks playing. Sadly there’s no local game modes for multiple players which is a shame and a co-op mode of sorts would have been a great addition. There’s a compendium of info in the form of the Kaiju guide which gives a neat look at many characters from the movies for those who need reminding or want a bit of nostalgia. There’s also a diorama model mode to tinker with which allows you to place models and then take and share snaps with the wider audience if that’s your calling. It’s a bit fiddly to use, but a nice bonus all the same especially as you can take snaps in black and white to recreate some of the older encounters.

So to surmise Godzilla is a game aimed squarely at fans of the kaiju movies and perhaps younger gamers who enjoy a bit of mindless destruction without having to think too much about plot or objectives. There’s a lot of repetition here, but due to the likeable nature of the subject matter remains an enjoyable distraction for the most part although not something that will hold one’s attention over the longer term. A lack of overall finesse for the PS4 version lets the game down greatly and having options locked away behind hours of grinding isn’t the best approach either. So for fans, the price might be a little steep coming in at almost a full priced game on the PS4 where if you’ve just got to buy it day one then you have been warned. For anyone else it’s recommended you wait for a price drop before even considering, and if you’re not impressed with last gen visuals and over-sized monsters or insects then this isn’t likely to be for you. Godzilla the game could have been so much more had it been given a greater budget but as it stands is still surprisingly fun despite its under par visuals and simplistic gameplay.

6.5/10