http://computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=191489

 

As we stand and watch the debut screening of the first Madworld trailer, we're not sure whether to wince or giggle.

In the event, we do both in equal measure. When you're watching a bloke getting a road sign impaled in his skull and he then staggers about with it sticking out like some grotesque piercing before he falls in a river, what's not to laugh at?

Heheheheh. Erk...

Wii has never seen anything quite like Madworld. Only Scarface comes close for tongue-in-cheek, over-the-top violence, but not even Tony Montana gave people a rose bushing - this being repeatedly slamming someone into a wall of giant spikes.

 

Sure, Manhunt 2 and The Godfather are the antithesis of the Wii's family-friendly billing but their inherent brutality isn't played off against a dark-as-the-devil sense of humour like it is here.

Blood on your hands

If we had our lazy Comparo-Tron switched on, we'd label Madworld 'Sin City meets God Hand'.

The nod to Frank Miller's dystopian urban tales is an easy spot in terms of the artistic direction the game has taken.

Indeed, it looks the absolute business. Obviously, the characters and settings are all in comic book black and white, and it's equally obvious that pints of claret are spattered around the screen at every sharp-edge-meets-fleshy-human juncture.

Not shown in the first screens or trailer are the additional splashes of colour that come from the comic book call-outs - no prizes for guessing that they're mostly exclamations of pain, surprise and anger.

Saw points

As to the God Hand reference, you'd be forgiven for thinking that we're chatting about dodgy Diego Maradona goals rather than Clover Studio's PS2-only beat 'em up.

It was far from a critical or commercial success - repetitive gameplay, shoddy graphics and an ear-piercing soundtrack saw to that.

However, its signature over-the-top scrappery and special moves plus a dark, tongue-in-cheek humour are both carried over to Madworld. And you could also lamp someone with a road sign in God Hand.

In addition to the trailer, we were also treated to a demo of Madworld's gameplay. It appears to be very much the roaming beat 'em up, with different move sets available depending on the context.

When you've got the chainsaw equipped, for example, swishing the remote will swish the whirring blade on screen, and likewise for other melee weapons.

Your anti-hero Jack's hands are also lethal weapons. You can grab enemies with one button press before doing unspeakable things with a combo of other buttons and swishes.

Unspeakable things such as tearing people in half, or ripping out their heart and squishing it in front of them.

Oh Mama. Alternatively, you can slam them into bits of the environment - the 'rose bush' was the only example we saw, but there are sure to be plenty of other delightful ways to maim and murderise.

We were also privy to a 'Blood Bath' minigame called Man Darts. Here, a giant dartboard appeared and the developer proceeded to whack men at the board with a large bat by swinging the remote.

It's against the clock and you score points just as you would in real darts. Perhaps we'll see it this year at the Lakeside? Or not. We'd wager there'll be plenty more of these Blood Bath diversions.

As to the plot, nothing was revealed, but we're not sure it'll matter what the story is. Looks a bit Mad Max-ish to us, in a lone-hero-battling-gangs fashion.

Then again it could be more like The Running Man/Manhunt, where you're pitched into the situation by nefarious persons and have to fight your way out.

Whatever, there are sure to be boss fights along the way, and if it's similar to God Hand then you'll either unlock new moves as you progress or be given the option to buy them with in-game currency.

Buyers beware

As Madworld's not slated for release until a non-specified date in 2009, all this will be revealed in time.

But we're concerned that the majority of Wii owners won't want to listen. It's a brave move from Sega, signing up this game, and Wii certainly needs more quality titles in the action genre (not necessarily this bloody, but certainly more action-orientated), but it ain't exactly the sort of thing that Mum and Dad will be playing with little Johnny (or Jack) in the living room.

Concerns about commercial viability aside, this has shot to the upper echelons of our most-wanted list. Bloody good stuff.

 

 

Looks like it might be cool to me. A bit like Sin City.

Posting again to say that I edit the OP post. Sorry for the incovenience for anyone hardly reading the article SORRY

i'm definantly keeping my eyes on this one. this is an alreayd must buy for me

I don't know about thing game. It seems to focus too much on the violence. It better not be you going around killing random people for no reason. I will wait until I hear more.

I'd read all of it, sorry if it isnt on the title but when you read the whole article Madworld was more violent than Manhunt 2.

Excerpt from the article:

When you've got the chainsaw equipped, for example, swishing the remote will swish the whirring blade on screen, and likewise for other melee weapons.

Your anti-hero Jack's hands are also lethal weapons. You can grab enemies with one button press before doing unspeakable things with a combo of other buttons and swishes.

Unspeakable things such as tearing people in half, or ripping out their heart and squishing it in front of them.

Oh Mama. Alternatively, you can slam them into bits of the environment - the 'rose bush' was the only example we saw, but there are sure to be plenty of other delightful ways to maim and murderise.

We were also privy to a 'Blood Bath' minigame called Man Darts. Here, a giant dartboard appeared and the developer proceeded to whack men at the board with a large bat by swinging the remote.

sc94597 said: I don't know about thing game. It seems to focus too much on the violence. It better not be you going around killing random people for no reason. I will wait until I hear more.

I answer you this time. YES, this game focus on too much violence and if you've seen the video theyre from the city so this is more of a sandbox violent game. I think this is the answer for core sandbox players that wants more on pedestrrians rather than beat or shoot them to death.

 

 

Soo... cool concept:

1. Story
2. Gameplay please

I think the one that he played was a demo without story and gameplay structure elements yet. Only a demo on how the controls work and how violent the game is and a show piece how the graphics was.