Making use of the Unreal Engine 3, Artificial Studios and SouthPeak Interactive brings us Monster Madness: Battle for Suburbia, a four-player melee action/shooting game that's very different from what you would normally expect for a game built on the Unreal Engine. Developed in just 10 months, the developer has shown us just how much content can be put into a smaller game which doesn't cost millions of dollars.
Monster Madness uses a top-down view with cinematic sequences that have an old, musty feel to them. They used a matinee system instead of motion capture, but it works for this type of game. Up to four players can jump into the fray at any time, with the view retracting in four-player mode to allow all the action to be seen on-screen. The character designs have a very comic-book feel to them.
When you're in an indoor environment, the rooms are displayed without roofs, giving the impression of running around like little mice in a maze – albeit mice that swing a variety of weapons. There are 15 different types of weapons, along with the option to upgrade each weapon up to 3 times. Both additional ammunition and upgrades are available at a specific location. While you're upgrading, you're able to ask for help from Larry, who will give you the run down for each part. The user interface is well presented and it seemed very easy to use.
We didn't get a chance to see any, but there are also a variety of vehicles included and usable, including tanks and go-karts. The outdoor environment is very detailed and almost looks like an RPG, except for the lack of non-player interaction and (of course) the clubbing of zombies. Each of the four playable characters has different statistics, so character choice and development does make a difference. The four character options available are a nerdy kid, goth girl, skater boy and the stereotypical airhead. The characters could have been less clichйd, but considering the theme, you can't ask for much else.
The graphics are very sharp and look great for the Xbox 360. There are competitive modes to play and it is possible to play online via Xbox Live. It takes about 15 hours to finish, and there is no repeated content and a large variety of enemies so you shouldn't find yourself in the same situation again and again.
Monster Madness shows us that Unreal Engine 3 can be used for something other than a first-person shooter. With four players playing co-op, this could be a chaotic but fun and fast-paced game to play with some friends. Scheduled for an April release, fans of teen horror comics should be very pleased.
I am a Canadian living in California with my husband and my precious baby Bailey (95lbs of labrador fun). I work full time and go to school, so finding the time to play video games is tough. I still manage to sneak some time in, whether it's playing on my GBA while I wait in line or sitting in the back seat of my car so I can use our dvd player to play the Gamecube on long trips. I've always been fairly decent at playing games to give my younger brother some competition. I started at the early age of 6 when I inherited an Atari 2600. I played any computer game I could get my hands on during those Commodore 64 days. Now I'll play anything from RPGs to first person shooters, racing games or basically anything that's fun and allows me to play with at least 3 other people.
