Madworld

Armed with a chainsaw and with your back against the wall, only violence and carnage will equal success in this intense hack-and-slash action game! Set in a dystopian city where you must compete in a deadly reality show to earn your freedom, Madworld is a stylish adventure with a ridiculous amount of blood and gore. As you work your way through the crowded streets of Varrigan City and chop down enemies, you'll earn points and start to uncover a surprising conspiracy. Perfect for players who love to mash buttons and get messy, Madworld is a unique action experience with plenty of grit and grime.

Main Game Features

• Bloody hack-and-slash action
• Compete in a deadly reality show
• Unique black and white visual style

Story

Madworld takes place in a dystopian metropolis called Varrigan City, where a deadly virus has been unleashed on the population. In order to obtain the life-saving medicine to reverse the virus, citizens must compete in a reality game show called Deathwatch, where contestants battle to the death in hazardous arenas. You play as contestant Jack Cayman, a vicious killer with a chainsaw for an arm who enters the Deathwatch competition with ulterior motives. Over the course of the game, you'll rip and tear through Varrigan City defeating anyone who stands in the way of you and your final objective.

The story of Madworld is both campy and serious, providing fun action with a solid narrative to back it up. During the game, your actions are seen by thousands of Deathwatch viewers, with commentary provided by two hilarious announcers. Despite the over-the-top gore and violence, the game is surprising, exciting, and darkly comedic at times. Much like the campy grindhouse movies that the game is inspired by, Madworld is a fun story that's completely designed for adults.

Gameplay

Seeing as how Madworld takes place in the middle of a deadly game show, the combat reflects that silly attitude with consistently excessive violence. You proceed through the linear levels one by one, but players can return to previous levels to increase their score. As you make your way through the open-ended levels and kill enemies, you'll be awarded points that unlock new challenges, boss fights, and extra areas to explore. There are often hilariously cartoonish mini-games to complete, such as smacking enemies into a giant dartboard, throwing foes into environmental hazards, and more. The rest of the combat is very hack-and-slash focused, similar to games like God of War II and Devil May Cry.

There are also sections of the game that see Jack riding a huge motorcycle, fighting enemies as he races through the city streets. These vehicle sections are brief and infrequent, but they help keep the pace of the game fresh and entertaining. One of the biggest draws to Madworld is its unique visual style, where the entire game is displayed in black and white, except for the blood. Thanks to this artistic choice, battles feel much more violent and barbaric, leading to satisfying kills. Overall, the combat in Madworld is somewhat simple, but the execution makes it fun for hours of play.

Conclusion

Madworld is an action game unlike any other, with unrestricted displays of violence and fast-paced combat. There's a satisfying mixture of vehicle sections, mini-games, and boss fights, so you'll never grow bored when exploring Varrigan City.

Pros

• Combat is bloody and fun
• Interesting story concept
• Enjoyable boss fights

Cons

• High difficulty will challenge new players
• Motion controls lead to mistakes
• Frustrating camera angles