MADWORLD an inventive third-person action game that has a unique black & white style depicting an incredibly sharp backdrop that straddles graphic novels and 3D worlds. As players battle opponents, they must master the use of various weapons and items found within their environment, such as chainsaws and street signs, while entertaining sports commentary adds to the third-person gameplay. With its irreverent humor and over-the-top violence, MADWORLD will deliver a unique core gaming experience.Genre: Action
Publisher: SEGA
Developer: Platinum Games
Release Date: Q1 2009
On Wednesday night, SEGA gathered the press in San Francisco to announce its multi-title agreement with Platinum Games (former Capcom/Clover developers). While the fourth title remains a secret (by Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami), MadWorld (Wii), Bayonetta (PS3/X360), and Infinite Line (NDS) were announced. The most interesting title of the bunch, Mad World, will raise eyebrows for several reasons:
- It's in black and white.
- The only other color is red, for the massive amounts of blood.
- It has over-the-top brutal violence, but with a comical look to it.
- It's directed by former Capcom/Clover's Atsushi Inaba, credited on the original Devil May Cry, God Hand, Okami and Viewtiful Joe.
It was all very reminiscent of Frank Miller's "Sin City."
While details about the story and background have not yet been revealed, you play as Jack, who seems angry with just about everybody and has a knack for violence. Beating up people is second nature, and the environment is very interactive to aid you in pulling off gory kills. Why just beat people to a pulp when you can throw a couple of enemies into a dumpster, wait for them to come crawling out, and then shut the lid to slice them in half? You can also slap someone around until he's dazed and confused, pick him up and slam him against a wall that happens to have HUGE spikes sticking out of it. You can even repeat the process a few more times, just to make sure that he's really and truly dead. One of the crowd favorites was when Jack used a sign post and jammed it through an enemy's eye socket so hard that it stuck out from the back of his head. Blood was gushing everywhere.
Jack has an array of kicks and punches, and there seem to be a variety of weapons at his disposal, such as a bat. Most interestingly, his arm transforms into a chainsaw, which he can use to slice enemies in half, once more sending blood spraying all around.
While the new Mortal Kombat game may lack finishing moves, Mad World seems to pick up the slack. We saw the developer activate one of the finishing moves during the brief demo by punching an enemy through the chest, ripping out his heart, and then squeezing it until it burst in his hand. This was accompanied by a comic book-esque "SPLAAAAT!" displayed across the screen. Adding to the comical feeling is the entertaining sports commentary in the background, constantly narrating the on-screen events.
One other aspect of the game that was revealed are the minigames, dubbed "Blood Match Challenges," where you can beat up people (again). The one shown was called Man Darts, which mixes baseball and darts. While a timer in the top right-hand corner of the screen counts down, you swing a bat at charging enemies. The goal is to send as many opponents as possible flying toward a huge dart board on the opposite side of the "arena," and you score points accordingly. All told, Jack is belting enemies like it's the Home Run Derby at the All-Star Game, with the bat getting more bloody as the body count increases.
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