MadWorld

PlatinumGames' debut is more awe than shock. Here's why this is an essential Wii title.

	Version Wii	Developer PlatinumGames	Publisher Sega	Genre Action

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By Ian Dransfield

MadWorld - makes you think of that song that came out the other year for Donnie Darko - which was used on the advert for Gears of War - which stars John DiMaggio as the main character - who also has a starring role in MadWorld.

It's a MadWorld we live in (sorry).

It's also a game that makes you think of how obnoxious the world of gaming is, and wonder how on earth developers can get away with such wanton violence.

I mean: is it fun to stab someone through the neck with a signpost before throwing them into the path of a moving train? Is it fun to beat someone to death with their own severed-tornado-making arm? Is it 'a giggle' to play darts with a giant board, a spiked bat and an endless supply of goons?

Well, yes, actually. Yes it is. It really, really is.

Just when you thought the Wii had nothing really interesting to offer and the Daily Mail had been quiet for too long, along comes PlatinumGames.

The stylised visuals of this near-future romp are almost as striking as the ridiculously over-the-top violence that comes along with them. Stark, contrasting black and white makes up the majority of the game with a few splashes of yellow and whole rivers of red to back it up.

But of course, this isn't a game about the visuals - even if they are something to be noted.

No, this is a game that knows exactly what it is - a game. It mocks itself, it laughs at genre conventions while simultaneously embracing them and it just has a lot of fun doing everything. While it may be an incredibly violent and definitely adult title, it certainly isn't straight-faced or anything approaching mature.

This is a third-person action game where players simply run (or sometimes drive) around beating people up, hitting them with things, ramming them into/onto/through things or attacking them with a chainsaw hand.

While it isn't the best game ever made, it's really, really good fun and should be more than welcome in any (18+) household.

MadWorld smells of God Hand, with a sprinkling of the wonderful genre of "Evil Future Gameshow of Doom" of which we don't see enough of these days, while playing a little like Manhunt with a dash of The Club (another member of the aforementioned 'EFGoD' genre) and a pinch of No More Heroes thrown in for good measure.

Placed neatly on top of this wicked concoction is a Wii-based control scheme. Now: hold those groans. I know as well as you all do that the majority of Wii controls are dog poop, getting in the way or serving as a gimmick more than they actually enhance the experience.

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