Murder most horrid
“Light-hearted brutality,” now there’s an oxymoron if ever we’ve heard one. That was the phrase used by SEGA to describe MADWORLD, its new blood-drenched ultra violent action game that takes a stylish approach to the mass slaughtering antics of the chainsaw-wielding TV show competitor, Jack, by setting the violence against a black and white graphic novel-style Sin City-inspired background and then adding a heavy dose of red blood to provide a striking contrast to the hand-drawn graphics.SEGA was spot-on in its summary. "Light-hearted brutality" does accurately describe the MADWORLD experience. This third person arcade-paced slaughter-fest is definitely brutal. Points are earned for kills and enemies can be decapitated, impaled, crushed and battered to death in a variety of painful and horrific ways, yet the hilarious commentary from Greg Proops and John DiMaggi that runs alongside the killing lightens up the mood and somehow makes it utterly acceptable and a totally guilt-less experience to cut a competitor in half with a chainsaw, throw a drum full of gasoline their way, or toss them onto a busy rail-track.
The story of MADWORLD is centred in and around the beautifully drawn arena of Varrigan City, where you are the star of a violent game show called Death Watch, in which the city’s inhabitants are forced to fight for their lives against a variety of enemies while competing for the huge prize of 100 million dollars. To remain alive, and in order to solve the mystery behind the brutal game, you must master the use of weapons and items found within the environment and compete in ultra violent mini-games designed to push you over the edge. MADWORLD is all about killing. With the outrageous commentary from the two men back in the studio, who do a good job at spurring you on and encouraging you to experiment with the object-littered open-world locations that await you , the only thing holding you back is your own creativity.
Continued overleaf...