Madworld is an imaginative third-person action game exclusively for Wii and was produced by Atsushi Inaba. MadWorld has a unique black and white style depicting an incredibly sharp backdrop that straddles graphic novels and 3D worlds. As players battle opponents, they must master the use of various weapons and items found within their environment, such as chainsaws and street signs, while entertaining sports commentary adds to the third-person gameplay. With its irreverent humor and over-the-top violence, MadWorld will deliver a unique core gaming experience currently missing on the Wii system.
From a third-person perspective, the player controls Jack, a mechanic with a chainsaw on his arm, as he competes in a violent television show. Control is handled through the Wii Remote and Nunchuk attachment, with the Remote controlling his weapon and the Nunchuk moving Jack. Most attacks are performed using the “B” button and accelerometer. Furthermore, MadWorld will not make use of the Wii Remote’s infrared sensor, as its developers found it unnecessary to pinpoint movements on the screen in order to attack. Players perform brutal melee attacks on enemies using objects found throughout the environment, such as impaling an enemy’s head with a caution sign.
Jack is just an everyday citizen, who gets dropped headfirst into the terror of Death Watch, a brutal game created by a bunch of vindictive terrorists, known only as ‘The Organisation’. On the streets of Varrigan City, there is no choice – attack first, think later. Jack’s number one priority is to stay alive, but in order for this to become a long-term option, he must battle his way to the nerve-centre of The Organisation and uncover the real motive behind this modern-day gladiator’s arena. Along the way he’ll face the pressure of gruesomely hilarious mini-games that will push him to his limits and confront monstrous bosses, for whom mercy isn’t an option.
Always over-the-top and outrageously funny, MadWorld features eye-popping graphics that suck you into the maelstrom of madness and leave you begging for more. Think of a slick monochromatic graphic novel, transport it to an interactive 3D world, add a riot of sound and a huge weapons collection, and you’re just about there. No object is without its bone-splintering possibilities: street signs, dumpsters, tyres – your survival will depend on being inventive and ruthless in equal measure.
Making innovative use of Wii’s motion-sensing capabilities, MadWorld employs the versatility of both the Wii Remote and the Nunchuk to deliver ferocious finishing moves in a whole variety of macabre ways. Although Jack is very much on a one-man mission, you can also share the experience with your friends, by getting together for some special party games. There’s no cuddly toy for the winner here though.
The game will feature extreme, over-the-top violence, but designer Shigenori Nishikawa intends it to be seen in a comical light despite the dark tone of the game. For example, in a minigame called “Man Darts”, players must hit enemies onto a giant dartboard with a baseball bat to score points. However, because of the intended level of violence PlatinumGames is unsure of whether or not the game will ultimately be released in Japan, stating “In certain markets there are a lot of limitations on the amount of violence you can show, so we definitely have the Western market much more in mind”.
MadWorld will feature ultra-stylized graphics that use a limited color palette of high contrast black and white with red blood, partially inspired by Frank Miller’s Sin City graphic novels. It will also have a multi-player mode, where two people, one controlling Jack and the other controlling Kojack. Certain minigames will be playable in this mode, such as “Man Darts”. In MadWorld, Varrigan City has become a target for a group of terrorists known as “The Organizers”. The Organizers have taken over the city and transformed it into the setting for a game show called Death Watch, where the city’s citizens are being forced to fight for their lives against mysterious enemies, for a prize of 100 million dollars.
