Rampage: Total Destruction

Can you imagine a scenario where you grow taller than skyscrapers, stand tall in the middle of a metropolis and begin trashing the city? To us, it sounds like the kind of dream you have after raiding the bag of grated cheese in the fridge at 3 am. However, it may surprise you to find out that Midway managed to build a very successful arcade series in the eighties by allowing players to live out this rather mindless yet cathartic concept. We find out in our review of Rampage: Total Destruction.

This game is rather unique in its concept and gameplay. However, if we were to compare this game to other popular releases, we would say that Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters, War of the Monsters, Blast Corps and Red Faction: Guerrilla. This game is all about causing the most destruction as possible. However, is this game cathartic carnage personified or does this game only serve to damage the reputation of this arcade classic.

Damning Destruction

The danger of reviving a successful game of a past era is that it won’t be received in the same way as before. Gaming had moved on quite a lot when this game dropped in 2006 and sadly, the tired format of this series doesn’t hold up under the scrutiny of the modern gamer. The game simply does nothing to evolve from the rather primitive gameplay of past titles in the series. We will admit that the visuals are of a higher quality than the more recent Playstation One releases. However, thanks to the limitations of the Wii, they are hardly worth celebrating.

Then as for the gameplay, it’s actually rather shocking that this game decided to retain the 2D side scrolling formula rather than opening things up and allowing players to terrorize the public in a more open setting. Instead, you will complete simple tasks and challenges on a 2D plain, playing as a selection of characters which are only different in aesthetic as each has the same moveset, playstyle and the cookie cutter character approach is unforgivable, especially for a game that offers so little to begin with.

The storyline, the overall gameplay, the progression and the AI are all laughable in truth. However, the saving grace of this game is the multiplayer functionality. At its core, this game is still a reasonably competent arcade game and the ability to enjoy this with a friend really shines a light on this. The ability to compete to create the most chaos in the city offers a small pocket of joy in this otherwise barren and lifeless affair. So, if you want to tackle this game, do bring a pal along for the ride.

The Verdict

The take away from this whole experience should be that some things are better left in the past. There is a reason why horror films of yesteryear now invoke more laughs than screams and that sentiment translates to remasters and remakes of old games. The format of this game is Neolithic, the gameplay is dull, the visuals are rough around the edges and just about the only positive aspect of this game is that you can bring a friend along for the ride kicking and screaming.

Pros:

• Visuals are marginally better than the older titles
• There is multiplayer functionality

Cons:

• A tired formula not fit for consumption today
• Doesn’t elevate gameplay from older titles