Godzilla is a movie icon with numerous films under his giant foot, most recently last year’s reboot from Warner Bros. Similarly, the big guy also left his mark on video games, most of them licensed by Atari and focusing on destroying cities.
That said, it seems only fair that a new video game featuring Godzilla comes along, and Bandai Namco is hard at work on a gigantic new project that will bring plenty of destruction and chaos.
The new Godzilla game will feature a number of different Godzilla types to choose from, including the Hollywood version from last year’s film, as well as a classic Heisei and Fire Godzilla. Each one has exceptional abilities that can be used to trash surrounding terrain, ranging from Tokyo skyscrapers to other obstacles. These abilities vary, ranging from a vicious tail swing to the traditional fire breath that vaporizes most objects with ease.
It won’t just be Godzilla’s show. Bandai Namco promised to include a number of fiendish creatures from the Destroy All Monsters saga, including the flying Mothra, the metallic Mechagodzilla, King Ghidorah, Rodan and Jaguar. They’ll challenge Godzilla in some capacity, but the real treat involves having players jump into the King of the Monsters, where they can challenge one another in versus combat. Bandai Namco hasn’t elaborated too much on this mode yet, but if it’s anything along the lines of SNK’s King of the Monsters series for Neo-Geo, we’re in for a treat.
From what we’ve seen, this new title has both substance and style. Each monster will be introduced just as it was in the cinematic series, stomping in from the distance and challenging Godzilla for superiority. For good measure, Bandai Namco will also include movie-style cinematics, so the creature can be shown in cheesy, slow-motion glory.
To make sure that Godzilla deals enough damage to his enemies (as well as the city surrounding them), there are meters that measure both the destruction ratio and disaster level. The higher they get, the more progress you’ll make with Godzilla – and the sooner you’ll be able to move to a new area.
As if the monsters you have to face off against aren’t enough of a threat, Godzilla will also need to contend with humans, as more and more military opposition will rise up while you trash stuff. Godzilla can take a sustainable amount of damage, but isn’t invincible. Thankfully, most of these military guys can be eaten – kind of the same way you chow down in Midway’s classic arcade monster game, Rampage. Thankfully, with the more cityscapes you destroy, you’ll earn energy that can activate Godzilla’s special techniques, including that awesome fire breath.
Godzilla’s main downside is that he’s slow – so players should plan his next moves accordingly. Without the ability to rush around with dashing attacks, you’ll have to figure out his moves without walking into a military trap. While some may grow frustrated by this lack of momentum, keep in mind that Bandai Namco hopes to stay as true to the original nature of Godzilla as possible. He’s big, so he’s supposed to be slow.
More of Godzilla is expected to be revealed as the game stomps towards its summer release on PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4. We’ll have more coverage on Godzilla’s abilities – as well as the other monsters – once it releases.
