GigaBash | PS4 Review

Through "GigaBash" PassionRepublic Games delivers unto us a true passion project. A passionate power trip fantasy centered around, and inspired by 80's Kaiju cinema. Allowing players to live out Kaiju battle fantasies of epic proportions in a competitive arena style of combat. Complete with destructible buildings, and environments set in key locales. Offering up things that can be used as weapons, and alternative ways to dish out bigger damage as the behemoths go all out to be the king of the monsters. 

The game, through a comic book style story mode, also weaves a timeless tale of four specific titans, and a supporting cast of other titanic beasts that round out the roster to ten. Everything from a devilish looking volcano deity, to an alien lobster, a cult operated snail, a Gundam wannabe, an Ultraman clone, and more. Showcasing their origin story, and their fight against government agencies looking to secure the power they wield. All in all it's your basic Kaiju vs the world military complex story setup with a modern flair.

GigaBash's gargantuan gigabytes of game comes swinging full force at the player in a variety of different modes. This includes a lightly animated story mode with comic book style art panels, and hands-on battles featuring four of the game's titans. Each chapter exclusive to a titan, and their perspective of the connected plot. Outside of the story is where the heart of battle lies though, and in it you'll find three ways to play, and three game types per each one. For those who love couch co-op there's that. For those who want to take their skills online you can do that too, and those hard pressed to find competition through those two ways can fight the CPU as well. As with any arena brawler you'll find four player free-for-all, tag team based 2v2, and some side options in the form of gimmick based mini-games.

Combat, in general, is simple yet technical enough to apply strategy. Within semi-top down locations on themed maps titans can wreak havoc through basic combo attacks, special attacks, and variations of each depending on things like simultaneous blocking, dashing, and ground or air positioning. Blocking, and dashing being the more defensive options. Titans can also throw one another as well as pick up and throw buildings or environmental set pieces. Effects vary with the throwable items, and sometimes feature gimmicks of their own dependent upon the map you are playing on. Beyond that titans can grow into their S-Class Giga forms by collecting Giga orbs that are placed on the map, or through destroyed structures. In most modes of play it is a two life per player ordeal, but when a player's titan dies their second life they can choose to inflict status effects upon remaining players making it tougher for them to reach that winning spot. 

Of course rewards come with victories won, and that includes both badges and character levels. Each match whether it be through story, or the competitive modes rewards the player and their titan with these things as well as skill points which causes the titan to rank or level up. This leveling up unlocks gallery, and music items which can then be viewed, and browsed from the main menu, menus. Feature inclusive menus that include 44 songs from the game's soundtrack, art of the titan and location sort, as well as new characters and maps to select from when playing against others. Giving completionists something to fight for as they continue playing through the game.

Visually, and audibly GigaBash lives up to its $35 price tag. It is a quality game with a quality presentation. Not quite Triple A, but more along the lines of an AA release. While the story holds the bulk of that presentation with the added animations, and comic book art it is the actual combat that comes into view most often. Combat in the ringed locations are large enough in scale to give players room to dodge, and throw their punches while taking advantage of the cannon fodder that surrounds them. Environmental destruction is visually impressive for the cartoon style art approach the developers took. It's detailed, and articulate with good attention to detail. Both in the map design, and character design. The soundtrack is another story though. It's a mixed bag of older style music. Techno, and synth accounted for. Nothing too standoutish, but noticeable nonetheless.

The Verdict ...

GigaBash was always going to be a tough sale. I saw it being more favorable for the developer, and everyone else as a free-to-play experience. This would have kept the online populated, and viable. Something that isn't even an option at the time of this review due to a lack of anyone playing the game. Thankfully they did include couch play options, and CPU battles though. That, and the story mode helped give the game some value beyond the online selling point. As far as game design goes the game is really well made. You can tell it was indeed a passion project. It definitely lives up to a recommendation considering what they achieved, but in saying that I still realize this is a hard sale. It's gonna be up to how much the player loves kaiju battles, and whether or not they have friends, and family to play with. That's where the game really shines.