Godzilla (PS4) Review

Godzilla has returned yet again… with mixed results.

When you hear that familiar roar, you know it can only mean one thing… GODZILLA! He comes from the depths of the ocean, bringing ultimate destruction with him. He can take out entire cities as he fights for survival against other monstrous creatures. One thing is for certain, for anyone that knows what Godzilla is, this game is something of a treat. Yet can casual or non-fans get the same enjoyment?

Godzilla at its core is a fighting game, a very simplistic fighting game in many ways. Players have a standard basic attack combo, a heavy attack, and a few special moves. Moving in general is slow but steady, and players will use the L1 and R1 buttons to turn the creature. While players looking for a faster style of gameplay might be a bit disappointed, it seems to be going for a more realistic hulking monster feel. These are huge creatures, crashing through buildings, destroying tanks, and they feel appropriately weighty.

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MSRP: $59.99
Platforms: PS4
Price I’d Pay: $39.99
Multiplayer: Online versus 1-3
How long to beat: 15+ hours

In the story mode, players control Godzilla, starting off fairly weak with the intent to grow in strength and size. Players progress by blowing up buildings, generators, fighting other monsters, and gaining G energy. This energy is used by Godzilla to grow and get stronger, which is essential in fighting. Continuing through the story mode, players will also have various paths to take before deciding which level to progress through, each labeled with varying difficulty. This changes the levels of progress and also the monsters to fight. Sometimes specific key monsters won’t even attack or show up unless triggered by specific criteria.

During the fighting, players will notice camera data points. When activated, the camera takes on a very cinematic, movie like camera angle. After a few seconds, the data is collected and players can move forward. These are not necessary to obtain in every level, but they do unlock some of the harder stages and are required to see the final boss and ending sequence. In essence, levels boil down to destroying buildings, fighting other Kaiju, and tearing down generators. After completing all these goals, the levels end.

Godzilla knows very well what it wants to be: a fighter that brings the feeling of being in a Godzilla like experience, and this is where the game will excel for a lot of fans and players. There is a ton of unlockable creatures players can use and upgrade, items to harvest when defeating other enemies for said upgrades, and there is just a lot of content and moves that are there to unlock through the various modes. A Kaiju battle mode features a bunch of them in a ladder match one after another, the online mode lets folks dish out damage to two others online, and the diorama option allows figures and sets to be placed, creating various scenarios prime for taking pictures, even if there isn’t much incentive to.

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Even with all these features, the game still can’t be excused for its lack of visuals. While the Kaiju are pretty detailed, the environments are a complete bust when it comes to detail. I feel it almost fits with the style of the old Godzilla film sets, but it still feels lacking. The maps are also rather small, and the variation minimal. Fighting is basic, and the appeal of this game is not going to be about the massive combos or wicked move sets. Instead, just about the scenarios and matches taking place in front of you and living that Godzilla like dream of mass destruction and monster bashing.

Godzilla is a bit of a hit and a miss, and mileage will vary between players. On one hand, it’s a very shallow experience in a lot of ways with dated visuals and a lack of variety. After 1-2 hours of play time, I felt the tedium of repetition build up. The catch was, after stopping the game always pulled me back in later for more. On the other side, the game brings out my inner kid, seeing these massive huge monsters battle it out with each other and all in 1080p, 60fps. Cities crumble around them, rockets flying past their heads, cheesy dialog from the humans, the classic soundtrack, and the roar of battle. I couldn’t help but smile the entire time playing it, even if I had to limit my play time. So while Godzilla might be an average game in many ways, it’s also a very faithful Godzilla experience, and one that fans and will treasure having in their collection.

Review copy of game provided by publisher.

Good
  • Weighty feel
  • Destruction everywhere
  • Lots to unlock
  • Made for the hardcore fans
Bad
  • Lacking variation
  • Simple move set
  • Dated graphics
  • Repetition
7
Good
Written by
Justin is a long time passionate fan of games, not gaming drama. He loves anything horror related, archaeology inspired adventures, RPG goodness, Dr Pepper, and of course his family. When it comes to crunch time, he is a beast, yet rabies free we promise.