Review by EliteMan

"Surpassed by very few fighting variety titles."

Monster movie fans are overjoyed and gamers are astonished, War of the Monsters delivers it all. The incredible smashing, crunching, demolishing style it's brought hasn't been seen since Rampage. This game is everything Rampage never was, and as far as I'm concerned, never will be now. With every building able to be destroyed and almost anything weapon, many hours of gameplay are soon to be fed.

Though more than a handful of monsters are packed into this game, maybe a few more could have been included. The Loch Ness monster, Abominable Snowman, and Lagoon monster would have been happily welcome. The creator's would change their names like they changed their King Cong into ''Congar'' or Godzilla into ''Togera'', but the new names is a minor setback. The maps to play on contain the area's unique buildings and effects, such as Tsunopolis contains a tidal wave that hurdles monsters to low to ground into the city. Some places are too small or dull to have much play, but I think all would agree that more is always wanted. Available secret characters, character costumes, and levels are a bit pricey for some of their value. Sure, the secret characters and some things are worth it, but most items to unlock cost the same, giving you second thoughts whether or not you should save for the big fish.

Graphics and Sound
I don't see any better graphics available today than what they put into this game. Its animation and damage details are very realistic and sew a seam of a movie together; the fire and explosions are absolutely jaw dropping. The music is kinda cheesy, but keeps the movie feeling alive. Crowd screams and cries add to the pleasing movie-like experience. Monster roars and attack sounds are clear and fresh as if from a monster recorded earlier.

With so many things to do in a map and so many weapons to use, the hardest thing is doing anything at all. Controls are very well coordinated, except for combos which can sometimes be delayed or distorted if entered too quickly. Some damage that you can take from enemies can be remarkably cheap, but all part of the difficulty. Some weapons have special effects, for example a radio tower can impale and immobilize your opponent's movement temporarily. Half of the levels contain secret effects that are triggered by interaction in some way. These level effects, from an earthquake to a volcanic eruption, can greatly damage the monsters affected. I believe the specials in this game should do higher damage and be harder to get because it can get irritating when all your human opponent does is search for a powerup giving them a special. The ability to scale and climb every standing containment also gives this game a wide variety of how to attack. Most combos are challenging for the average player to learn, but the simpler ones to memorize are just as effective when used repetitively.

Though it needs some improvement, War of the Monsters still makes as big of an impact as any game out there. It deserves much more attention than it has, even though it's practically a totally new breed of 3-dimensional fighting. Perhaps too difficult for the beginner, or too easy for the expert, this game always sparks the player's inspiration to continue playing even if you keep winning or losing.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10 | Originally Posted: 07/07/03, Updated 07/07/03


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