--OkeyDokey--

User Score
7.8

Presentation - 8.5
Gameplay - 8.0
Value - 6.5

...but MadWorld left me feeling underwhelmed.

It all seems a bit half-assed. The stylish visuals are some of the best on the console, but it doesn't have the production values to match. The menus look like something out of a cheap flash game and the story is delivered through still images accompanied by voice overs, which is dissapointing. Thankfully, the plot and voice acting (apart from annoying narrators repeating the same lines over and over and the hit and miss humour) are solid.

The gestures based finishers are some of the best uses of the Wii remote yet, but the game runs out of ideas quickly. Once the visceral thrill of ripping an enemy in half or stabbing one through the eye with a street sign wears off, the shallowness of the combat becomes more apparent. It doesn't help that the camera is one of the worst in recent memory, made even worse by the broken lock on system. It's also frustrating having to restart the entire level if you lose all your lives. It won't happen often, but it's worth mentioning.
The motorcycle sections are low points. They really aren't fun at all. Some inventive boss battles and a great orignal soundtrack are the standouts.

The game is short (about 5 hours on the default difficulty) and there's little incentive to go through it all again. You can play some of the minigames in multiplayer, though. Appreciated.

It may seems like I'm doing nothing but complaining, but I had higher expectations from the geniuses who brought us Okami and Viewtiful Joe. It's by no means a bad game, though. Worth a rent, but I wouldn't recommend buying. I look forward to what this studio has in store for future.

~OkeyD