So much things can be said about the game that creates bias - both good and bad. This is a review of those opinions.
It is the controls that are going to be the deciding factor in how much enjoyment you'll get out of this game. This is not a pick-up-and-play game. It takes a good hour or more to fully understand the controls, and to really get a feel for them. Once mastered, the controls are very responsive, and the gameplay feels very natural. "Smooth" comes to mind as well when talking about the controls.
Once the controls are comprehended, the fun really starts to ramp up. Figuring out which moves are most effective, watching all the monsters, with their individual nuances and animations, interacting with each other and the environment is highly entertaining. The game is one huge (enjoyable) learning experience of a very unique take on the Godzilla universe.
The Good:
The entire fighting system is in a word, fresh. It is liberating to be able to perform moves at almost given moment. There is so much you can do in the game; finding out what you can't do is at times almost as fun. There is a great feeling of exploration when you get your hands on the next monster. Getting to see what they're capable of, and just how different each monster is, is rewarding.
The gameplay is well-thought out. Just about everything is the way it is for a reason. Most monsters cannot KO an opponent with their beam. This is a good thing. The developers knew that good gameplay takes precedence over movie-accuracy. The gameplay has become more movie-accurate in other respects - there is no more rolling around on the ground, and cowering behind buildings is no longer an effective way of avoiding beams.
The factions are an interesting addition to the Godzilla formula. The idea itself is amusing. In practice it generally succeeds. The factions force you to make decisions in the game, which would otherwise be superfluous. When an ally shows up or turns on you, it feels like a cohesive world, and that your actions really do dictate how other monsters, and humans view you. A little more in-game clarification to how the system works would have been helpful though.
The controls work. It takes a bit of effort to figure them out, but that's part of any game. This is not a traditional fighting game, it helps knowing that going in. Patience and persistence is rewarded in this game. The controls are especially useful during melee matches with 3 or 4 players. Previous games became very chaotic and the controls showed their limitations when because of the camera angle, it became impossible to figure out which way was "forwards" or "away". That problem is non-existent in this new iteration. Again, patience and persistence is rewarded in this game.
The monsters look awesome. While stylized, these are the most accurate video game representations of their movie counterparts to date. Pipeworks has this even down to Science to these creatures, and should be commended for it. Everyone has the same reaction when they see King Ghidorah or Biollante, "Whoa", or any other striking monster.
The graphics would be nothing without animation, and this game is all about well-animated, lively monsters (with the exception of some slightly stiff looking thrown monsters). Every monster has little quirks, or gestures that oozes personality. Gone are the spaz-out animations of the previous games. Godzilla's idle and walking stances are even improved to be more movie-like. Mothra's wings billow in the wind while rushing, and Fire Rodan soars around with nary a wing flap. These details do not go unnoticed and go a long way to making the game feel authentic. And as per the previous games, the throw animations are appropriately over-the-top.
The music is feels cinematic and epic. There are themes for each of the individual monsters and that's no small task. To say the least, it fits the mood of the game.
The options customization is a marked upgrade from Save the Earth. This was most welcome.
As for the roster, there are 26 monsters. Twenty. Six. Considering that the original number given was 16, and the previous game had 18, it's hard to complain. I don't care how you spin it, that's a lot of monsters. That's a ton for any fighting game. No actual Clones are in the game, and for specification, MGII's animations are more fluid then the more robotical MG, and MKG has a electronic shield and drowsing tasers than KG's regular parry and hurricane wind, respectively.
The Bad:
There are glitches in this game, some less obvious than others. The obvious ones however (Kiryu's special, SpaceGodzilla's special, Mechagodzilla 1's inability to use power surges) mar an otherwise decent presentation. All games have bugs to be fair, but these are problems that should have been spotted and fixed before the game went gold. To hardcore gamers, these malfunctions give a very sloppy and unpolished image.
The story is a mix. Plain and simple, the cut-scenes, and voice-overs are somewhat poorly executed. There is nearly incentive to watch them a second time, or watch them at all. The scenes don't tie almost anything together and the story isn't truely worth listening to. The graphic novel art is wholly self-made, but unremarkable. Skipping through them becomes part of the game. If you want to see graphic novel style cut scenes done well, play the Twisted Metal series. The story should have focused on the monsters. This could be accomplished by including individual art for each monster to build-up suspense for the next battle. With a loading screen that details not just the location, but which monsters fighting which. Either do them well, or don't do them at all. But, this IS a fighting game...
The story mode is almost successful. Choosing when and where to go is alright, but the descriptions of each encounter are oftentimes vague and text-heavy (which is generally not a good thing if you want to keep the story flowing, and it's action-oriented). The boss encounters are also a bore. In particular, the crystal tower one which reminded me of some of the challenges from the last game. The simple fact that you return to cities you've just destroyed the day before ruins the illusion of progression. Not to mention you'll also often fight the same monster you just defeated a few days ago.
The controls are worsened further because there is no move list. This game is at its very core, a fighting game. Fighting games require you to learn moves to succeed. This should be integrated fully into the either the game itself, or the manual. It does neither. There is a training mode, but it's more of a half-hearted tutorial. It teaches you the rudimentary mechanics, but does nothing to teach you how to actually play the game. It even confoundedly has invisible walls. At least you get to explore the animations freely.
I unlocked every monster and city in the game. This takes a long time. It took me more than 27 hours. That's too long. Sure you earn points for playing any mode (even the Training mode), but the unlocking system is arbitrarily extended by unnecessarily expensive monsters. You get 2000 points for winning a 1 on 1 Versus match on hard. Why not 4000 points? 100,000 points for SpaceGodzilla is worth about 3-5 story mode completions, then another 100 grand to unlock Godzilla 1954. To unlock those two alone takes about 4 hours plus. I understand this encourages multiple play-throughs of the branching storyline and discovering other monsters, but 27 hours is a lot to ask of anyone.
The idea of original monsters is cool. Every fan wants to make their own monsters to fit into the expansive and legendary Godzilla/Toho universe. The problem is Krystalak and Obsidius do no fit in that universe. Designing a monster, much less a Godzilla monster is something that must be taken with utmost care and responsibility. While I'm sure Pipeworks understood this, any fan can see that neither of those monsters would have ever appeared in a Godzilla film. These two odd-balls would fit into a "Rampage" game (which coincidentally is exactly what Pipeworks worked on before Unleashed, Metaphorically Speaking). Here however, they simply don't look out of place.
The sound is still not all it could be. While better than the last game, there are still several inaccurate roars, and overall repetition of sound effects. Any Godzilla fan can point out what's wrong with some of the roars, or which could use more variety. There is a fan on the forums, who has done a better job of sound design on the monsters in just seconds long clips, than Pipeworks has done in the entire game. Hire him. He knows what he's doing...
The 9 environments, while varied simply aren't enough. Furthermore, the building destruction is improved, but the uniformity of how the buildings collapse still leaves something to be desired.
The game will always be looked at by some as, "It would have been so much better with online play." But gladly that's possibly just it- despite the minor polish.
Conclusion:
I am so glad this game turned out as well as it did. When it was announced on the Wii, I was ecstatic. When it was also announced to be an entirely new game, I'll admit I was a bit worried. There was a lot at stake with this game.
Thankfully, the game is quite good. It requires patience, and it helps to go in without preconceived notions of past games before playing it. Despite some bugs and gameplay glitches, it's still better than it could be. So you hardcore gamers out there take care, as about more than 27 hours of unlocking monsters, cities, and a just a few of the many gallery pics, is the above average time of an RPG. And of course, it's still fun doing it.
I sincerely hope this game does well and garners a sequel, so that it can be truly the ultimate Godzilla game (with more polish and online play). And since this is new, there's always room for improvement. The bottom line is: Godzilla Unleashed is fun, unique, and more than worth your money. Go buy it for yourself and buy another for a friend - Especially if he's a Godzilla Fan.
--Obsidius-