War of the Monsters
Posted January 25, 2003
The Plot:
"War of the Monsters" almost feels like one of the 50's sci-fi B-movies reimagined by Michael Bay ("Armageddon"). Bright, flashy and loaded with remarkable visuals, the game is surprisingly fun and large-scale. The game offers a few different options: single-player games include adventure, free-for-all and endurance. Two players can also go head-to-head.
The game really isn't all that complicated, but it scores with its fine details. The game offers the choice of ten different characters (giant apes, insects, robots, etc - similar enough to famous characters to be recognized, but not break any copyright laws) and thirteen different environments (a couple of characters and environments can be unlocked later, but most are available right away). Each creature has its own special attacks and special weapons. There's really no plot to the game, it's simply an all-out assault - attack the other monster and take it out before it takes you out.
What makes the game stand out is the impressive amount of interactivity. With the creatures stomping around an urban environment, pretty much everything around the characters can be used in the battle - cars, hunks of rubble, beams, anything. Buildings fall and turn to rubble if smashed or, your monster can climb up the nearby skyscrapers and leap onto other buildings. Opponents can even be crushed by falling debris.
For those tired of basic one-on-one battles (although the single player mode can have the player up against three bots), there's the "adventure" mode, which combines battles with other elements, such as Army attacks and boss battles. The hand-to-hand fighting system is fairly standard, but it's fun to string a few hits together on your opponent. Use of the city or structures around your player is also a key tactic - either for defense or offense.
The game isn't simple, either, and strategy does help. I found even the "easy" setting wasn't that simple, but the game offered a level of difficulty that wasn't "controller throwing", but made the wins all the more rewarding. Lastly, while the game's graphics are stunning and the size and intensity of the battles remarkable, the game still keeps that 50's B-movie feel with the main menu, which is set-up like a drive-in movie theater. The options menu is also set-up like a snack bar. The game's opening cinematic (before the menus) is also a perfect way to set the mood for the game.
I didn't know what to expect from "War of the Monsters", but it turned out to be a great deal of fun.
Gameplay:
Gameplay: The basic controls of "War of the Monsters" are easy to pick up and learn, but even so, it does take some time to perfect the different options that players go into battle with. The computer players don't give you any time to work out the best attack moves, so you'll often find yourself trying the quickest possible combination to knock the opponent away. A couple of hours of gameplay, though, and most players will start to learn more about the attack combos available and how to use the surrounding environment to the best possible advantage. There are some minor camera issues at times, but these are relatively minor.
Graphics:
Graphics: "War of the Monsters" is one of the most beautiful PS2 games I've seen in a while. Each individual monster is wonderfully rendered, with superb detail and smooth animations (such as the giant leaps). The environment is full of terrific details, such as ant-sized people running about underfoot of your monster, or subways/cars heading around the city. The environments certainly aren't sparse, as there's often tons of buildings, interesting objects or rubble to pick up and more. The animation of buildings getting smashed or other elements being destroyed is also visually remarkable. The game's vibrant color palette is perfectly presented, with rich, well-saturated colors. The game's many cut-scenes are also superbly rendered, making for a fun intro to many of the battles.
Audio:
Sound: "War of the Monsters" is only in Dolby Surround, but the game's soundtrack is nothing short of tremendous when played back in Pro Logic II (or especially DTS NEO-6, which fills the room with the sounds of battle). Surrounds kick in aggressively with the sounds of destruction all around the player, while all of the sound effects are presented with surprising force and clarity. Great score, great monster sounds, great everything. While unfortunately not in 5.1, the game's soundtrack still does a fantastic job putting the player in the middle of the chaos.
Conclusion:
Rating Issues: "War of the Monsters" is rated "T" (Teen), for animated sci-fi violence and destruction.
Final Thoughts: "War of the Monsters" is an example of a fairly simple, straight-forward concept jazzed up enough to make for a very entertaining time. Great battles, top-notch graphics and sound, fantastic interactivity and solid, rewarding difficulty. Recommended.
"War of the Monsters" almost feels like one of the 50's sci-fi B-movies reimagined by Michael Bay ("Armageddon"). Bright, flashy and loaded with remarkable visuals, the game is surprisingly fun and large-scale. The game offers a few different options: single-player games include adventure, free-for-all and endurance. Two players can also go head-to-head.
The game really isn't all that complicated, but it scores with its fine details. The game offers the choice of ten different characters (giant apes, insects, robots, etc - similar enough to famous characters to be recognized, but not break any copyright laws) and thirteen different environments (a couple of characters and environments can be unlocked later, but most are available right away). Each creature has its own special attacks and special weapons. There's really no plot to the game, it's simply an all-out assault - attack the other monster and take it out before it takes you out.
What makes the game stand out is the impressive amount of interactivity. With the creatures stomping around an urban environment, pretty much everything around the characters can be used in the battle - cars, hunks of rubble, beams, anything. Buildings fall and turn to rubble if smashed or, your monster can climb up the nearby skyscrapers and leap onto other buildings. Opponents can even be crushed by falling debris.
For those tired of basic one-on-one battles (although the single player mode can have the player up against three bots), there's the "adventure" mode, which combines battles with other elements, such as Army attacks and boss battles. The hand-to-hand fighting system is fairly standard, but it's fun to string a few hits together on your opponent. Use of the city or structures around your player is also a key tactic - either for defense or offense.
The game isn't simple, either, and strategy does help. I found even the "easy" setting wasn't that simple, but the game offered a level of difficulty that wasn't "controller throwing", but made the wins all the more rewarding. Lastly, while the game's graphics are stunning and the size and intensity of the battles remarkable, the game still keeps that 50's B-movie feel with the main menu, which is set-up like a drive-in movie theater. The options menu is also set-up like a snack bar. The game's opening cinematic (before the menus) is also a perfect way to set the mood for the game.
I didn't know what to expect from "War of the Monsters", but it turned out to be a great deal of fun.
Gameplay:
Gameplay: The basic controls of "War of the Monsters" are easy to pick up and learn, but even so, it does take some time to perfect the different options that players go into battle with. The computer players don't give you any time to work out the best attack moves, so you'll often find yourself trying the quickest possible combination to knock the opponent away. A couple of hours of gameplay, though, and most players will start to learn more about the attack combos available and how to use the surrounding environment to the best possible advantage. There are some minor camera issues at times, but these are relatively minor.
Graphics:
Graphics: "War of the Monsters" is one of the most beautiful PS2 games I've seen in a while. Each individual monster is wonderfully rendered, with superb detail and smooth animations (such as the giant leaps). The environment is full of terrific details, such as ant-sized people running about underfoot of your monster, or subways/cars heading around the city. The environments certainly aren't sparse, as there's often tons of buildings, interesting objects or rubble to pick up and more. The animation of buildings getting smashed or other elements being destroyed is also visually remarkable. The game's vibrant color palette is perfectly presented, with rich, well-saturated colors. The game's many cut-scenes are also superbly rendered, making for a fun intro to many of the battles.
Audio:
Sound: "War of the Monsters" is only in Dolby Surround, but the game's soundtrack is nothing short of tremendous when played back in Pro Logic II (or especially DTS NEO-6, which fills the room with the sounds of battle). Surrounds kick in aggressively with the sounds of destruction all around the player, while all of the sound effects are presented with surprising force and clarity. Great score, great monster sounds, great everything. While unfortunately not in 5.1, the game's soundtrack still does a fantastic job putting the player in the middle of the chaos.
Conclusion:
Rating Issues: "War of the Monsters" is rated "T" (Teen), for animated sci-fi violence and destruction.
Final Thoughts: "War of the Monsters" is an example of a fairly simple, straight-forward concept jazzed up enough to make for a very entertaining time. Great battles, top-notch graphics and sound, fantastic interactivity and solid, rewarding difficulty. Recommended.