If you’re on the market for a fun, kaiju-themed brawler, look no further than GigaBash.
Set in a world where giant kaiju aren’t just seen in movies and on TV, GigaBash lets you take control of some of the creatures and cause mayhem. It’s a fighting game inspired by the likes of Power Stone and King of the Monsters, and similarly it doesn’t take itself too seriously. The fact that you can take pleasure in destroying the world around you as you battle kaiju is just the icing on the cake.
In terms of combat options, there’s nothing surprising to be found here. You have standard and special attacks, both of which can be charged to hit harder. Enemies and objects can also be picked up and thrown. And jump and dash attacks are available, as well as a couple of attacks performed while blocking to counter opponents. Most exciting are GigaBash‘s ultimate attacks, and your ability to transform into an even bigger, meaner kaiju when a gauge is full. They’re game-changers, after all.
In story mode you’ll take control of four of the GigaBash‘s monsters, with each having their own mini-campaign consisting of a handful of missions. You’ll generally be fighting enemies one-on-one, but sometimes missions will task you with something different, like destroying a building. There are optional objectives to fulfil as well if you feel like it, and you might return to story mode thanks to multiple difficulties and the fact that your performance is rated after each mission. It’s at least a good place to learn the ropes of the game.
It’s GigaBash‘s couch play mode that’s perhaps going to be it’s biggest draw. Here, up to four players can battle it out in a variety of landscapes. Free-for-all and 2v2 team matches are available, as well as a variety of minigames. Though while free-for-all and team matches can be set up with CPU competitors filling up slots, it’s unfortunately not an option for the included minigames; you’ll actually need friends and additional controllers for those.
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For those who don’t often have friends around to their house, online multiplayer is also an option, with both public and private matches on offer. Whether playing online or offline, outside of story mode there are 10 playable monsters overall, and 17 stages to do battle on. Monsters range from your typical typical Godzilla-like beast to a cute rotund Yeti. There’s even a Transformers-like mech and what looks like a giant Power Ranger. Many monsters and stages are initially locked, but making them available for use is a rather painless affair.
Rounding out the package is an abundance of extras. You can read up on the lore of the various monsters, for example, as well at look at images in a gallery and listen to the game’s soundtrack. It’s a welcome addition, but ultimately it’s the amusingly chaotic nature of the gameplay that will win you over. It’s enjoyable playing alone, but even more so when playing against others.
We’ve tried both the PS4 and PS5 versions of GigaBash for review, and both look and perform admirably. The PS5 version has noticeably improved visuals and faster loading times, but it’s disappointing no use has been made of the unique features of the DualSense controller. Still, you won’t be disappointed playing on either format, and there are even multiple screen filters available, allowing you to make the game look like a classic kaiju movie and more.
There’s only really one aspect of GigaBash that stops us from wholeheartedly recommending it: its price. At £44.99 on console, it’s considerably more expensive that it is on PC. And as fun as it is, it doesn’t give the impression of a full-price game. Perhaps if its story mode was more developed and had voice acting for its comic-book styled scenes, it wouldn’t be too bad. Or maybe if there were more monsters on offer. But as it is, some players may find GigaBash a little overpriced if they jump in.
GigaBash doesn’t try to do anything particularly new, but it doesn’t really matter. It’s a game that’s easy to pick up, resulting in an accessible brawler that’s not only pleasing on the eyes, but also a riot to play. Mastering each monster on offer is a joy that’s only rivalled by picking other players up and throwing them across the screen, or gathering enough energy so you can grow to epic proportions for a short while. Needless to say, if the idea of battling friends and family while levelling cities appeals to you, GigaBash is worth a look. Well, as long as you can stomach its price.
GigaBash Review – GameSpew’s Score
