wideawakewesley
03-10-2009, 01:59 PM
IGN (9/10) summary:
"MadWorld looks like a beautiful piece of moving art. Director Shigenori Nishikawa has admitted to comic book influences like Sin City and parallels could certainly be drawn to unique movies like Renaissance, both of which feature similar black and white presentations. The style itself is not original, but we've never seen it done like this in a videogame before and the end result is a stunning success."
"The black and white nature of the game is only compromised by the color red, which makes its presence known every time main character Jack, a ripped mystery man with a chainsaw for an arm, cuts an enemy in two, lops off a head, or pulls out someone's beating heart and crushes it. MadWorld is filthily brutal, never blinking in its quest to make mutilation funny. The concept might sound ridiculous, but the truth is that you will laugh as you battle your way through the grungy subways and Japanese dojos while shish-kabobbing enemies with long spears or blasting off their heads with golf clubs. It's all just so ludicrously overdone -- in the same way that Ash cutting off his own hand in Evil Dead 2 is -- that you can't help but giggle"
"Platinum Games has utilized a very simple, but effective control scheme and as a result MadWorld is immediately playable. Jack himself is controlled tightly with the nunchuk's analog stick and pointer functionality is tossed to the side for a combat system that relies heavily on smart gestures. Not waggle, mind you, but simple gestures to effect many of the previously noted finishers"
"It's easy to shrug off a story in a beat-'em-up -- traditionally, they're not very good -- but bear in mind that Yasumi Matsuno of Final Fantasy fame penned the exposition in MadWorld. The end result is by no means exceptional, but the writing is strong, there are a number of twists and turns along the way, some cliches slashed, and it's all backed by excellent production values. The voice acting is also moody and believable. "
"The initial play-through only takes about five or six hours to complete, typical of a beat-'em-up. Of course, I would argue that you will have more fun in this five or six hours than you would in 20 with some lesser title...There's definitely good replay value here, even if at first glance the content seems slim. And if the challenge of playing on hard isn't enough, Platinum Games has also included a two-player split-screen mode where you and a buddy can compete in the various mini-challenges, like Man Darts, from the single-player adventure."
"I realize that not everybody will find MadWorld's unique visual and aural presentation appealing, but to me, the game is an instant collector's item and a Wii showpiece, not just for its amazing style, but for its label-busting content. Anybody who says Nintendo's console is just for kids will see things very differently after a few chainsaw- induced mutilations. More importantly, though, MadWorld does not place emphasis on style over gameplay, so there's plenty of fun, smart mechanics to back up the overwhelmingly slick look and sound of the title. You'll be floored by some of the scenarios that await you in the fast-moving beat-'em-up, surprised by the unexpectedly well-made storyline, and simultaneously grossed out and cracked up by all of the completely over-the-top gore. Even with some camera issues, some repetition, and a decidedly short single-player mode (if you play it on normal difficulty), SEGA and Platinum Games have still created Wii's first truly excellent game of the year.
I'm begging you, buy this game so that we'll see more like it. "
http://uk.wii.ign.com/articles/960/960344p1.html
"MadWorld looks like a beautiful piece of moving art. Director Shigenori Nishikawa has admitted to comic book influences like Sin City and parallels could certainly be drawn to unique movies like Renaissance, both of which feature similar black and white presentations. The style itself is not original, but we've never seen it done like this in a videogame before and the end result is a stunning success."
"The black and white nature of the game is only compromised by the color red, which makes its presence known every time main character Jack, a ripped mystery man with a chainsaw for an arm, cuts an enemy in two, lops off a head, or pulls out someone's beating heart and crushes it. MadWorld is filthily brutal, never blinking in its quest to make mutilation funny. The concept might sound ridiculous, but the truth is that you will laugh as you battle your way through the grungy subways and Japanese dojos while shish-kabobbing enemies with long spears or blasting off their heads with golf clubs. It's all just so ludicrously overdone -- in the same way that Ash cutting off his own hand in Evil Dead 2 is -- that you can't help but giggle"
"Platinum Games has utilized a very simple, but effective control scheme and as a result MadWorld is immediately playable. Jack himself is controlled tightly with the nunchuk's analog stick and pointer functionality is tossed to the side for a combat system that relies heavily on smart gestures. Not waggle, mind you, but simple gestures to effect many of the previously noted finishers"
"It's easy to shrug off a story in a beat-'em-up -- traditionally, they're not very good -- but bear in mind that Yasumi Matsuno of Final Fantasy fame penned the exposition in MadWorld. The end result is by no means exceptional, but the writing is strong, there are a number of twists and turns along the way, some cliches slashed, and it's all backed by excellent production values. The voice acting is also moody and believable. "
"The initial play-through only takes about five or six hours to complete, typical of a beat-'em-up. Of course, I would argue that you will have more fun in this five or six hours than you would in 20 with some lesser title...There's definitely good replay value here, even if at first glance the content seems slim. And if the challenge of playing on hard isn't enough, Platinum Games has also included a two-player split-screen mode where you and a buddy can compete in the various mini-challenges, like Man Darts, from the single-player adventure."
"I realize that not everybody will find MadWorld's unique visual and aural presentation appealing, but to me, the game is an instant collector's item and a Wii showpiece, not just for its amazing style, but for its label-busting content. Anybody who says Nintendo's console is just for kids will see things very differently after a few chainsaw- induced mutilations. More importantly, though, MadWorld does not place emphasis on style over gameplay, so there's plenty of fun, smart mechanics to back up the overwhelmingly slick look and sound of the title. You'll be floored by some of the scenarios that await you in the fast-moving beat-'em-up, surprised by the unexpectedly well-made storyline, and simultaneously grossed out and cracked up by all of the completely over-the-top gore. Even with some camera issues, some repetition, and a decidedly short single-player mode (if you play it on normal difficulty), SEGA and Platinum Games have still created Wii's first truly excellent game of the year.
I'm begging you, buy this game so that we'll see more like it. "
http://uk.wii.ign.com/articles/960/960344p1.html