Kaiju games are something that is hard to get right, and there have been many attempts over the years. From the Godzilla games on the NES to games made in the modern generation, Kaiju games have been more miss than hit, but occasionally one game does come along and gets things right. Dawn of the Monsters is a new brawler from 13AM games and WayForward technologies that manages to find the right balance in a Kaiju experience that gamers have been looking for.
The game sees a future in which giant Kaiju called Nephilim has destroyed multiple areas, and a new organization known as DAWN has been formed to fight them. To fight Nephilim, you need Nephilim and so DAWN has managed to gain the services of two Nephilim called Megadon and Ganira, alongside two mech users known as Aegis Prime and Tempest Galahad, the former of the two being based on Ultraman and Jet Jaguar. This is a brawler with a story that has you slowly uncover what the truth is regarding the Nephilim, and it takes things in an interesting direction.
Dawn of the Monsters starts off with the heroes fighting against Nephilim in the destroyed Toronto, and right away we can see the polish the game has. Each attack has weight and a sense of oomph behind it (credit to Indie Gamer Chick for popularizing that term for brawlers), and you can really feel the impact of every move you make. You really feel like a giant Kaiju smashing things up here and each character feels unique, with some being faster but weaker, some stronger but slower, and some having a more diverse moveset.
This is not a simple brawler either, as the game continuously introduces new combat elements as you go on, such as a parry mechanic, a charge attack and a cataclysmic attack that requires a meter. There are also executions that can be done on enemies that will allow you to recover some health. Doing this move requires one bar from the rage meter, however, and the rage meter is needed to do some of the special moves, so this becomes a trade-off in terms of what is best to do.
One of the other noteworthy aspects of Dawn of the Monsters is the customization options that allow you to add mutations and other augments to the monsters and mechs in order to improve their stats for combat. This is actually worked into the story, with characters introducing you to the workshop section, before slowly introducing more story and other sections of the hub base. The hub base lets you see conversations between characters and learn more about the ongoing situation, making it clear that this is a game that wants you to experience and be immersed in its story.
It is not all perfect, however, as the game’s environments can be a bit repetitive, especially early on. The stages will all seem the same for a while, and when you do encounter new stages, they will also become repetitive. The other main issue is that sometimes the game seizes up, albeit this is rare and only happened one time when played for this review, although others have reported the issue as well.
Still, this is not enough to hold back Dawn of the Monsters, and whether played in single-player mode or multiplayer mode, this is the Kaiju game we have all wanted but did not get till now. Yes, the Godzilla fighting games during the PS2, and OG Xbox era were nice, but this just feels more right. The feel of a Kaiju is here, and the world is fully realized in terms of story and design, making things feel far more complete.
The excellent artwork that takes cues from the style of Mike Mignola is a great touch as well and fits the game perfectly. The music is not as perfect of a fit but does work as well as it can. The voice acting here is on point though and makes the game far more immersive.
Dawn of the Monsters is easy to recommend, and Kaiju fans and brawler fans alike will find much to enjoy here. Even with the repetitive areas, brawling is fun, and this is an easy game to get into. The well-thought-out combat and inviting story just make things feel like it is meant to be, and that is all we can ask for.
Disclaimer: A review key was provided.
Images were taken from Nintendo.com