Godzilla PS4: Repetitive but fun as hell for fans

Hey again guys! Figured I'd check in again and let you all know what I've been up to lately. Most of my life is a routine now, I work on weekends and take care of 8 chickens and a Dwarf lionshead rabbit the rest of the time, and in what free time I have besides writing, I've been putting some hours into my PS4. 

I bought the machine 3 months ago, knowing full well it would be cheaper and easier to get a PS3 first. I've been broke as it gets for several years now, only just starting to get a bit of extra cash from time to time in the last few months. Not to mention I NEVER get a new console until it's got some age on it, so as to see what games they have to offer. And the PS4 got my attention, more than any other reason, because of the majestic love letter that is Godzilla, which came out yesterday in the states.

Where do I begin to describe this game? Well, for starters, its DEFINITELY not for everyone. Most fans I know have at least watched footage of the PS3 version, where you can ONLY play as G 89 and G 14, so they have some degree of what to expect, but there's a lot more to be said of this new version. In this day and age where gaming has become so immersive, shiny and story driven, a game like this feels antiquated before it even released LAST year. Its gameplay is pretty much a one trick nuclear dog and pony show, walking around and destroying cities, fighting other kaiju, and building yourself into a bigger, better city and monster destroyer in the process. It feels like a modern day throwback to the golden age of arcade games, which fits the retro spirit of Godzilla well.

The only real variability in the game is the threat level, which changes depending on the level chosen. Each is visually represented by the elected prime minister that you'll often see speaking with G Force about the attacks in each stage. The easy mode one is a tree hugging tool, and he's all about letting Godzilla go his own way to avoid more deaths. The normal mode one, he's a by the handbook tool that has no idea what to do when unexpected things happen, and the hard mode is an aggressive older woman who is not afraid to call in the heavy artillery like the Gotengo and Super X 1 through 3. The evolution of your attack abilities really does show, but combat is at times quite the awkward slog. And the environments were definitely only designed with Godzilla in mind. If you are playing as a kaiju with a completely different physicality, like Battra's imago form, for instance, you may have a hard time reaching low hanging buildings to destroy them, which is understandably frustrating. I've only owned it a day and I've already unlocked 9/10s of the roster, and I hardly consider myself accomplished as a gamer, so you'll get tired of it quickly without an inner fan to keep you entertained. So, if you prefer a game that constantly gives you something new, this is definitely not for you. At least not for full price. 

That said, I am certainly NOT one of those people, and the aesthetic approach of this game works VERY well for me. The graphics are dated, for sure, but that really shouldn't be a big issue anymore. And in fact, it feels more in the spirit of the old films that way. The kaiju all look, and sound, perfect, with great attention to detail given down to the last little foley effects. Seriously, few game studios would have bothered to make sure Godzilla 1989 and Godzilla 2014 had different footstep noises, perfectly transcribed from their respective films. And honestly, just being able to have two or three kaiju from different series duking it out with the film grain heavy, fps reduced color or monochrome film filter just tugs at my inner fan's heartstrings beyond the point of hate or boredom.

This game is exactly what it sets out to be, a love letter to the fans and franchise that feels so much more like a Godzilla experience than the Pipeworks trilogy ever did. All fans will certainly wish for some kaiju to appear that did not make the cut, I myself wonder why both Showa Mechagodzillas are included as separate characters when there are so many other great kaiju to choose from, and fans of the Millenium series may mourn a noteworthy lack of representation, with only Gigan's chainsaw armed form and Kiryu to show for them, but there is nothing to complain about besides nitpicking there as far as I'm concerned, and the kaiju encyclopedia included is VERY inclusive of the franchise's history to make up for it.

So there you have it, what we get is a game likely to go down in mediocre reviewed obscurity that fans may very well come to love. Even if you are a fan, I would recommend waiting a bit for the price to inevitably drop before you get it, but if you want to show your love and support of the game, feel free to splurge! Its damn nice to see someone paying such dear attention to beloved characters, and that deserves some form of thanks. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a city to destroy.