Destroy Cities, Slap Giant Monsters While Wearing Spandex? Let's GigaBash!

Love kaiju? Me too! Wait – what’s a kaiju? Kaiju are a type of mega-monster that first graced Japan’s silver screen in Godzilla (if we’re not acknowledging King Kong). Though GigaBash isn’t a fully licensed battler endorsed by Toho, it may as well be. Just change a few names here and there, and boom! An excellent kaiju-themed brawler.

If you’re too important to read this GigaBash review, here are a few points to consider:

• Online and local play for up to four players. Solo players can use bots if they prefer.
• Story mode only features four paths, and is relatively brief (but unlocks new characters).
• After story completion, there are plenty of extras. Earn player and character XP to unlock character skins, locations, art, BGM and lore.
• Optional video filters from the menu (in the style of classic kaiju movies) are actually very good and recommended. They’re cosmetic only, darlings.
• Movesets can be a little limiting, but there’s a Gym mode to practice moves. Prove me wrong and create some combos.

We all know now what the word of the week is, right? Kaiju. GigaBash is a no-nonsense brawler, as it should be, offering up a handful of menu selections which can be summarised as a campaign, multiplayer (local or online) and goodies.

Just a disclaimer here, I didn’t play any online battles. I tried a few times, but like Elden Ring, no one heard my cries. Also, a review code was supplied before the release date, so it was only fellow reviewers, and we’re ‘busy’ a lot.

Story Mode/Campaign

Let’s jump to the story mode as that’s the quickest one to cover. Initially, there’ll be only one kaiju to choose from, and you’ll run through a handful of chapters until their narrative path is complete. Upon completion, a new character is available from the selection screen in multiplayer, but also a new story for a further three. You don’t get to play all the characters, just three monsters and a hero robot that resembles Gundam.

Typically these stages will be about beating another kaiju or giant hero, with numerous challenges and bonuses such as throwing an item in their face, or beating one while they are in S-class mode. S-class mode sounds pretty badass, and it is.

In attacking opponents, destroying buildings or collecting purple orbs or standing on charge areas, you’ll build up a gauge which triggers a gigantic version of you (after pressing L1 and R1). You’ll do more damage, but for a limited time – even more, if you destroy a special move orb. Once depleted, three large orbs release into the arena for your opponents to collect and try to do the same S-class damage to you.

Alas, there’s no S-class gauge in GigaBash’s story mode, with the exception of some events, so you have to mix up play with standard attacks, charged attacks, and picking up a building and lobbing it at them.

There are four difficulty modes in the campaign, and it packs a decent challenge (and unlocks loads of extras such as BGM, artwork and the occasional piece of lore), but once you’ve done them all, the real focus is GigaBash’s multiplayer options.

GigaBash Parties = Total Destruction

There are three modes: free-for-all, two vs two and mayhem (which features minigames), for up to four players locally or online. Flicking between L1 and R1 will choose a skin, then you can choose one of many dynamic arenas to fight in – some featuring cool weather effects that affect gameplay. Extra skins are unlocked through XP, as well as extra info for your kaiju dossier, should you be interested.

Though I’m a huge fan of Japanese cinema, I’ve never been one for kaiju flicks. With that in mind, Passion Republic Games have done an excellent job with their character write-ups and the storylines (beautifully illustrated like comic book panels), you may also be compelled to level up every character.

Presentation-wise, GigaBash is great, aside from a few camera niggles if you head too far off-screen. The character models are brilliant, and though the movesets are oh-so-slightly similar, the design is unique. Gorogong was a particular highlight as they looked like they were straight from a Toho movie from the 60s, Gigaman, my favourite character, looks like Ultraman, and the beginner-friendly Woolley was very much like Kirby with his sucking power. Family-friendly site, folks.

GigaBash is a great family game, too, if you don’t mind exposing your kids to comic violence. In the short time of playing the game, we binged this to unlock new skins, but more importantly, to cause absolute mayhem.

As typical of the genre, destruction is a focal point. In some ways, GigaBash shares some similarities with Rampage, but more so of Powerstone – notably the power-up and dash for the stones to become overpowered, or lobbing whatever comes to hand. Even if that’s a tanker, building, or simply another player, this game is a lot of fun.

There were a few technical issues, albeit minor. At the time of playing/writing this up, the sound FX would stop playing through the campaign mode, and yes, I checked the menu settings. A restart or two solved this, but it was no great loss as some of the sounds can be a little too generic. The music had a lot more character, but it gets repetitive quite quickly. Again, minors.

Once the story is over, GigaBash concentrates on being a multiplayer game (which it excels at), but fellow gamers who don’t like playing online or don’t have anyone to join in can add bots to their games, and the AI is consistent. I must stress, that playing with others is where it’s at, so get out more, get some sun, and consider picking up GigaBash for the PS5 (other platforms are available – PS4, PC: Steam and Epic Games Store).