Godzilla

The Japanese icon, Godzilla, has had a colourful career. 1954 saw the release of the first film, set against the backdrop of the nuclear destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the end of World War 2, and the following nuclear weapons tests in the USA. Gojira, as he was called when the first flick launched in the west, was at the time heavily symbolic of the threat posed by nuclear weapons - a bomb in lizard form that flattened entire towns.

Over the years however, he has transformed into an hero of sorts who saves the land of the rising sun - and later the whole planet - from alien invaders. Despite this towering anti-hero and force of nature going CGI as he hit Hollywood for its vision of the character, to real fans the real deal will always be brought to life by "suitmotion", as an actor wears a chunky costume, trudges through miniature cityscapes, and is complemented by digital effects.

This is of course difficult in a game, because in this medium the lizard needs to be computer animated. Nevertheless, the makers of the latest PS4 incarnation have taken the official license reasonably seriously. The odour of rubber is almost perceptible when the player is faced with the comical monsters and robotic beings who appear here one after the other. The game ooozes B-movie feel right from the start, and fans of Japanese gems like Earth Defense Force will rejoice that once again digital Tokyo can be smashed apart.

The genesis of the films, according to the tutorial, begins in the ‘60s and is authentically presented in black and white - complete with film grain and scratches. The controller surprisingly - although not entirely inappropriately - utilises a scheme more akin to those you'd find in a game featuring tanks and the like, where your avatar is rotated with the L1 and R1 buttons. To clear the way Godzilla can use a triple blow from a combo, initiate a powerful spin attack with its tail, or focus his nuclear breath into something akin to a laser beam. This power must be recharged for a few seconds and can even be used even as an unblockable attack, which brings helicopters and fighter jets out of the sky. Most convenient of all, however, is the dash-attack, because it's the only way to make the sluggish lizard move forward with any purpose.

The game's pace is very slow, but that has its benefits; otherwise the main game mode - God of Destruction - would be finished and over within minutes. Unfortunately the individual levels are limited as we unleash destruction on very small ring-fenced areas, taking down G-Energy Generators. There are small bonus objectives along the way, things like destroying ten tanks or four observation posts. The actual destruction of the stages and their respective contents makes this a little more fun, even if your tactics are limited to aiming for the shortest possible route through so as to not explode in frustration because of the sluggish controls.

Often another monster will appear and be sent into the hunting grounds, albeit with repetitive moves that do little in increasing level of variety in the game. These boss encounters demonstrate just how ponderous and one-dimensional the game actually is. There's no way to block or dodge, so there's no tactical variation when fighting your enemies. It's always easiest to spam attacks and hope that your opponent isn't able to build up their own combo. You only have to keep an eye on your temperature, so when charged that next heat beam can be fired without delay.

Once the boss is out of the way the rest of the area can be razed, because complete destruction is also on the list of requirements if you're to eventually reach the "true" ending of the game. Route branching allows you to choose your route through levels, though the last stations are locked until you've fully completed all of the earlier levels.

This forces multiple play-throughs; fortunate in a way because a single pass takes - even if completed with all side-quests - around an hour. You can also level up Godzilla with the help of body parts left by the enemy monsters following their respective deaths. In addition, you can unlock the monsters you defeat and use them in other modes. However these modes include the exact same gameplay, the only difference being that you smash into town as an evil monster, or the locals are defending it with Godzilla. There's also a competitive online mode where up to three human players can scrap it out. Unfortunately this is only online; local multiplayer hasn't been included.

Frustratingly, the game's potential can be seen in the monster directory. Here all the creatures are described in detail, and even include snapshots from the film classics in which they feature, details fleshed out with interesting info regarding the respective productions. Even the Diorama mode is a fun idea: unlocked monsters can be positioned and photographed in small model landscapes.

While it has clearly been put together with fans in mind, this Godzilla game fails to capture the essence of the classic character in a meaningful way. In the past there have been some fun monster-themed games, titles such as the arcade classic Rampage, King of the Monsters on Neo-Geo, or even the solid Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee for Gamecube and the original Xbox. These games might not have always aged that gracefully, but at least they are fondly remembered, something not likely to happen with this latest incarnation of Godzilla.