Even with a laundry list of Godzilla games, there is only one quintessential giant monster video game, and that's Rampage. Midway's classic is admittedly fondly remembered because at its time, it was the only city smasher out there. That doesn't eliminate the need for a remake, and Total Destruction is a fine way to bring the series back.
Developed by Pipeworks Software, the same team that gave us the superb Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee and disappointing Godzilla: Save the Earth, this is the right development squad to handle an updated Rampage. Unlike the three previous remakes in the 32-bit era, Destruction finally plants the series in 3-D, at least partially. In order to keep this in the firm game play mechanics of the series, the slight movement is heavily restricted.
Each stage, set of course in famous cities around the world, has a small plane of 3-D movement to play with. This allows for a little bit of depth, but certainly not what we've come to expect. You can't wrap around a building and begin smashing the backside. Smashing is done from the sides or the front, keeping the crushing on 2-D plane like it always has.
All the 3-D movement does is cause problems. Figuring out where a helicopter is in relation to your monster is impossible. Given how much damage they can dish out, it's a critical and punishing flaw. Jumping is awkward and never accurate. Hitting multiple buildings at once, a franchise staple, is hard and unnecessarily complicated. Even though backgrounds are littered with fully rendered buildings, you can't walk back to them. You're completely restricted to the block the stage is placed on. Also, while levels claim to be Chicago or Paris, good luck looking for landmarks to take out.
To be fair, most of the restrictions have a purpose. For the sake of simplicity, keeping the monsters confined to a single city block is in all actuality a smart design move. Multi-player would be nearly impossible to do with free movement while keeping this a Rampage title. Opening the stages to full exploration would also require a deeper set of controls to spin the monsters around buildings.
Article comments
1 - Dynamo of Eternia
I picked this game up. I am a Rampage fan.
It is pretty fun so far.
I think your review is pretty much right on the money. Some of the 3D stuff (like trying to attack a helicopter) is almost impossible and just frustrating as hell. Some of these new objectives seem pointless.
But still, the game is fun. It's mostly just monsters smashing buildings as ususal.
I've only unlocked a few of the other monsters, so I have a ways to go before reaching all 30.
I wonder if newer monsters that were added in Rampage 2: Universal Tour (The straight-to-game-console sequel to the World Tour game which was in arcades, consoles, and is an extra on this new version). I don't remember their names, but I do recall liking. One of them was a giant lobster. I remember my friends and I liking him particularly because he looked as though he was a cartoon designed around one of my friends. It would be cool if those monsters were in this game, too, though somehow I doubt it.
But, getting back on track, the game is fun and if you are a Rampage fan, then the $20 is well worth it.