Having completed what viable titles there are available on the Wii, I was left wondering whether or not simply to push the console back out of the limelight into the lonely shadows of my closet. I had no desire to sit through another waggle-fest of minigames nor another rehashed Nintendo venture. Luckily, MadWorld was announced, and I rejoiced. Though at the time I wasn’t certain whether or not it would be worth purchasing, it breathed a bit of new life into the little white console. Promising gore by the bucket, deliciously violent executions, and a twisted storyline, MadWorld had me hooked by its second press release. Now, having completed the game, I can safely say that while it has reignited my passion for the Wii’s potential, it’s not without its faults. Overlooking them, though, this is one bone-crunching good time.

Story
Varrigan City has been infiltrated by some particularly sadistic terrorists known simply to the public as the Organizers. This band of malevolent thugs aren’t the least bit interested in lifting Varrigan residents’ cash, valuables, or even their dignity. No, they seek something far more twisted - they want to play a game. Their game - “Death Watch” - pits innocent civilians against a host of foes provided graciously by the Organizers. Challengers, known as Killseekers, must eliminate the competition in as many gruesome ways as they can possibly devise. The winner of Death Watch receives the hefty sum of $100,000,000 as well as the right to keep their life.

Enter Jack Cayman (just Jack, as he prefers), who’s just broken through a quarantine on Jefferson Island. He’s a no-nonsense loose cannon who’s somehow managed to receive a sponsor, on the third day the DeathWatch games have taken place. Though the plot may seem relatively straightforward at first, it’s foolish to believe that the entire premise revolves around this sadistic game. As gamers progress, they’ll be blindsided by a bevy of twists and turns - almost making up for the fact that this is a Wii-only release…almost. As each challenge is completed and the boss of each location is downed, you’ll find yourself playing for the sheer joy of seeing what’s around the corner, and that’s what makes the narrative particularly compelling.

Gameplay
Who am I kidding? You’re not going to be picking up MadWorld for its plot. You’ll be giving it a try to see if it really does feature all of the dismemberment, torture, and inhumane deaths you may have heard mentioned. MadWorld delivers; of that you can be sure. The game is divided into a number of locations on the Varrigan City map that you can travel to upon making sufficient progress. Each stage provides a zenith of points that you must reach in order to reach the next stage. Certain enemies are worth more than others, and the more cruelty involved with each kill, the better. Jack arrives at each area unarmed, save for the chainsaw riveted to his artificial arm. Hordes of enemies spawn endlessly, and the only thing you must worry with is how is the easiest and most gory way of ending their lives.

Each stage is outfitted with so many life-ending appliances that there are plenty of options to choose from. Staples of most locations include the Rosebush (a row of spikes mounted to a wall), a human garbage receptacle, rolling, spiked presses, and even meathooks. It’s up to you how you’ll dispose of the enemies, whether it’s by decapitation via Jack’s chainsaw, a toss into the Rosebush, a tire over the torso then thrown onto a meathook,or a host of other options. My absolute favorite out of each level may be forcing a signpost through a nameless goon’s forehead, imprisioning him with a tire, then slamming him repeatedly into the Rosebush.

To perform such maneuvers you’ll be relying on both the Wii remote and nunchuk. Breathe easily - there is very little waggle to concern yourself with. Jack’s primary attacks are performed by a quick swing of the nunchuk or remote, as well as finishes and power struggles. The motion controls have been fine-tuned and are accurate down to a science, which is more than I can say for 90% of other Wii titles. By holding down B on the Wii remote and slashing the air horizontally or vertically you’ll perform a slash with the chainsaw. Without holding B, Jack will deliver a devastating uppercut. While at first I was apprehensive that such reliance on the motion controls would hinder my experience, I was pleasantly surprised at what I discovered. Controls are tight and responsive, even when the game calls for you to flail your arms like a madman in order to escape from harm’s way.

Though Jack spends most of his time slicing through enough enemies to rack up points and open up the boss fight of each area, around the midpoint of each level, a Bloodbath Challenge is presented. These challenges provide great respite from the point harvesting, and can be some of the gorier parts of the entire adventure. Hosted by the Black Baron (who plays an integral part later on in the game), Jack will be faced with a score to reach while being timed - a special event to rack up points faster than simply playing through the level regularly. Among these challenges are “Man Darts,” where a bottle of soda is jammed down an enemy’s throat who is then sent flying into a target, “Man Golf,” where an enemy’s skull becomes a golf ball (you can figure out the rest), and my personal favorite, “Death Press,” where the object is to gather as many enemies as possible to meet their crushing end under a press (or hand) of some sort.

There are a number of different ways to end the lives’ of your competitors, and half the fun is in finding out what exactly Jack can do. However, after the first few hours of gaming, you’ll quickly find that the novelty will wear off. No amount of stylized blood could make you want to continue after you’ve failed to defeat a boss and completed the preceding level ten additional times.

The main campaign is comprised of brawling mechanics and Bloodbath Challenges, save for some rapidly-ending motorcycle sequences. You’re allotted 30 minutes to complete each level, and then a boss fight, but despite the imposed time limit, the campaign can be as short as 6-8 hours, especially for seasoned veterans. Despite the staccato gameplay, the game is pure, unadulterated fun, as long as you play it in short bursts. Otherwise, it’s a safe bet you’ll grow weary even though Jack’s executions are always a treat to behold.

Visuals
MadWorld is presented in sharp, monochromatic brilliance, coming to life when vibrant red blood is splattered all over the screen. Character models as well as environments are clearly defined, even when some are meant only to be silhouettes. Though the game typically runs smoothly with few graphical hiccups, in some areas quite a bit of pronounced slowdown runs rampant. Motorcycle sequences and stages where there were plenty of enemies onscreen at the same time proved too much for the Wii to handle, apparently, and as a result caused a few seconds of lag. Nothing as horrible as we’ve seen in Odin Sphere, mind you, but the flaws are most certainly there. Still, MadWorld shines as one of the most gorgeous and stylized Wii titles currently available.

Audio
Featuring a voice cast comprised of the likes of Steve Blum and Greg Proops to name a couple, this is a hilarious game. Steve, as Jack, provides just the right amount of snarl to complement the wacky tone of the DeathWatch announcers beautifully. Tracks of the hip-hop and rap persuasion are largely dominant, bringing to mind the soundtrack of Afro Samurai. However, you’ll be so busy rolling on the floor listening to the DeathWatch commentary that you won’t notice the music too much. Vulgar (and juvenile) remarks made throughout each stage were the highlight of each level. You never know what they’re going to say next, and the beauty of it all is that the same voice clips are rarely re-used, save for a handful of boss encounters. Overall, a nice package, but not for those of you who have weak constitutions - the F-bomb and a few other colorful words are tossed around quite frequently.

Multiplayer
Like most Wii titles and games that shouldn’t have multiplayer but are tossed in anyway, MadWorld features a multiplayer mode. Joy! While devoid of any sort of co-op mode, which would have been a welcome addition, it allows two players to compete in the Bloodbath Challenges together. These aren’t nearly as fun when you’re not trying to rack up points, as there are no real stakes for winning or losing the challenges. As usual, another haphazard, tacked-on multiplayer mode. Getting a little sick of these.

Lifespan
MadWorld is one of those titles that should earn a spot in your gaming library simply because it oozes style. When you’ve completed the campaign, chances are you’ll want to breeze right through it again, especially with the promise of unlockables (such as dual-chainsaws) and other perks. Since it’s short and sweet, this is the game to break out on days where all you feel like doing is running a few random goons through the mill. If it happens to be your cup of tea, you’ll be enjoying it for months to come.

Recommendation
If you’ve had it with the droves of non-”core” games offered up for the Wii, then MadWorld is quite possibly your savior. It oozes cool out of every pixel, from the deliciously graphic and over-the-top executions to its twisting storyline and compelling voice acting performances. If you enjoyed No More Heroes, it’s a safe bet you’ll find that MadWorld is up your alley as well. However, I would suggest giving it a rent before a final purchase, to test the waters - and how much your stomach can take, for those of you who can’t stand a little blood.

MadWorld
System: Wii
Developer: Platinum Games
Publisher: Sega
Find: Amazon - Gamefly - Goozex
All reviews are based on final retail code unless otherwise noted.

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