"Anarchy" In The E3
2009's MadWorld was my favorite game of 2009 (and what first made me buy a Wii in the first place), so when word got out that Jack and the rest of the best characters from that title were to return to the console world in Anarchy Reigns my heart began to pound ecstatically. At E3 I was able to go hands-on with the online brawler, the end results of which left a bittersweet taste in my mouth.
Anarchy Reigns has so far announced eight characters to play as in the main game, including MadWorld characters Jack, Blacker Baron, Big Bull and Leo. In the game players will battle it out with or against one another, with the most death kills deciding the winner. For the demo four of us had to go head-on against one another in a Deathmatch multiplayer setup. Unfortunately having three out of the four players choosing Blacker Baron made the battle a tad confusing.
While the game was still in its beta phase I couldn't help but notice the hinderance of the camera system in Anarchy Reigns. I had a lot of issue regarding the centering of my character, and by the time I had the angle set up properly I had already been beaten to death. What also made it tough was the fact that all the Blacker Barons looked too similar, and while there was the option to change the color of his suit it didn't help much that everyone chose the purple suit. In laymen's terms: Platinum Games needs to find a way around the color-coding aspect of the characters in order to avoid players having exact clone characters, which in turn will lead towards less confusion on the battlefield.
Combat, on the other hand, was simple to grasp once the confusion ceased. Meleeing against your opponents was a blast, as Blacker Baron super-punched, suplexed and pulled out the Super Sexy Fists of Fire on any opponent that came within a hairline's distance from them. The blood and shattered bones rained all over the concrete ground, as the players were getting annihilated left and right on the screen. While the graphics looked bright and gorgeous I couldn't help but miss the Sin City look that made MadWorld such an awe to watch. Still one can't deny a great-looking game when it's staring right in front of you.
It was clear that there are still a few things that need to be worked on before Anarchy Reigns is released next year, although the solutions to them seem to be a short distance from grasping. The game, due for PS3 and Xbox 360, will feature various multiplayer modes such as Battle Royale, Death Match, Survival Mode, as well as a single player campaign that will have Jack and Leo battling to the top of the fight kingdom. One can only hope that Anarchy Reigns will continue on with Platinum Games's near-solid track record, and that it will bring another fun and memorable gaming experience in the long run.
