MadWorld

MadWorld - (Wii)
Developer: Sega
Format: Wii
Genre: Action


What's black and white and red all over?



Never let it be said that Sega doesn't know a thing or two about gamers. After the initial euphoria of being able to play games through motion sensitive gameplay, hardcore gamers quickly became disillusioned with the dominance of kid friendly Wii games that offered as much depth as a Sahara puddle.

Sega has stayed ahead of the curve by releasing a series of Wii titles aimed squarely at the more mature end of the market. First there was House of the Dead Overkill - a zombie shooter that was so 'mature' it now has the world record for the number of F-Words in game. Now it's the turn of MadWorld and we can almost hear the Daily Mail typewriters from here.

This stylised beat-em'up delivers a clever mix of unique visual presentation blended inside an adult themed gameworld. In MadWorld players participate in a game of life and death, where only the strong will survive. You play as Jack, who's caught up in the terror of Death Watch, the murderous game created by the terrorists who call themselves 'The Organizers'. To remain alive - and solve the mystery behind Death Watch - 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.

The visuals are nearly all black and white - except for the very frequent splashes of red - representing all the blood that gets spilled - and believe us, plenty of it does. Players use the Wii Remote and Nunchuck to dispatch the other 'contestants' in a never ending variety of ways - and fortunately, for most of the time at least, the physical action is represented accurately on screen.

The game revels in the bizarre and macabre. Don't just pummel someone to death when you can repeatedly ram a spike through their head before impaling them on railings! As we say, we can hear the Daily Mail typewriters clattering from here. But the truth is its fun and diverting, and that's what matters.

Our only real criticism in this engaging and inventive title is the camera. It really does hamper the action and can sometimes, especially in later levels get in the way so much you simply can't tell where you're heading. There's also an after-thought of a multiplayer element that involves head to head mini games rather than any co-op fun. But these minor issues aside - let us not take any further credit from Sega's highly original slice of mature gaming action for an audience that may not get the same level of fun from another bout of Wii Fit or We Cheer.