GigaBash was a pleasant surprise when it came out in August. While it lacked any licensed monsters, this kaiju fighting game was easy to pick up and a lot of fun when playing with friends. However, it was sadly dead on arrival as even on launch week, full four-player matches were nearly impossible to find. Luckily, the new Godzilla DLC and the sizable update that has been paired with it have given new life to one of the year’s most underappreciated party games.
While the new update brings in some great additions and quality-of-life changes, the big draw that has brought people in is clearly the premium DLC. This is evident by nearly every player online choosing one of the Godzilla characters to play as, but thankfully since there are four of them it never gets too repetitive. Beyond the titular monster, there’s also the cyborg Gigan, Mechagodzilla, and the hulking Destoroyah to choose from. They’re all iconic monsters in their own right and a real bolster to the roster. Although Rawa, GigaBash‘s giant generic bipedal reptile, feels even more like a discount Godzilla when it can be so directly compared to the real thing.
Each of the four beasts is a joy to use and they are smart additions since they play so differently from one another. Since he’s a mecha rather than an organic organism, Mechagodzilla has a stiffness to his movement and stomps around slowly, for example. His lasers and projectile attacks allow him to deal out heavy damage from afar, making it important to close the distance on him and take advantage of his methodical movement if you’re on the opposing side. In fact, Gigan is basically Mechagodzilla’s worst nightmare as Gigan is able to quickly close in, can teleport, and has plenty of ways to do damage up-close.
Each DLC character also has a fantastic ultimate attack, as it seems developer Passion Republic Games put even more care into making these cinematic moves explosive and memorable. Destoroyah is the strongest of the bunch, as he’s able to split apart and damage every character on-screen at the same time. Although Godzilla’s iconic energy beam also looks amazing in the game and seeing it total buildings is a real joy.
While the licensed characters are the most eye-catching part of GigaBash now, the game’s patch has also played a sizeable role in its much-needed rejuvenation. The most notable content addition is a new arcade mode that adds in some single-player replayability with three difficulties. Although there aren’t satisfying or silly endings to see at the end, it does add more meat to the experience, especially for solo players who want to wind down.
There’s also a passable horde-survival mode that’s been added that can be played in co-op. It has players smashing through weaker waves of enemies until they get overwhelmed. It’s good in theory, but it doesn’t get interesting until there are multiple enemy kaiju. This makes the opening waves a bit of a bore and means it isn’t that replayable, but it’s still an additional mode to check out and serves its purpose even if it doesn’t truly excel.
Meanwhile, the addition of cross-platform play has meant that its online modes have seen the biggest improvement. It is a pivotal feature for such a niche release as it was nearly impossible to find anyone beforehand, let alone a full match. Now it’s much easier to play with friends and strangers alike and actually enjoy the game at its best.
GigaBash‘s Godzilla DLC really is the perfect fit. Not only does it make sense to have the ultimate kaiju in the latest game that is all about monsters rampaging through cities and duking it out, but Godzilla’s name-brand recognition and popularity have given the fighting game a second chance at life. It’s the rare collaboration that feels natural and benefits every party involved.