Monster Madness: Grave Danger Review for PlayStation 3

System: PS3	Review Rating Legend
Dev: Psyonix	1.0 - 1.9 = Avoid	4.0 - 4.4 = Great
Pub: SouthPeak	2.0 - 2.4 = Poor	4.5 - 4.9 = Must Buy
Release: Aug. 5, 2008	2.5 - 2.9 = Average	5.0 = The Best
Players: 1-4 (16 online)	3.0 - 3.4 = Fair
ESRB Rating: Teen	3.5 - 3.9 = Good

In addition to online and campaign play, there is a mini-game section that has been expanded to include 25 challenges. Most games have players obliterating monsters in a time limit, but others mix things up by having you sail a raft down a raging river or dispose of bombs before they explode. I had a lot more fun with the mini-game mode than I thought I would, as many of the challenges are very addictive and quite difficult. This is especially so because players are graded for their performances after each round, and besting your own scores proved to be quite a treat.

Monster Madness: Grave Danger screenshot

The presentation in Grave Danger has seen no visual upgrade over that of the 360, and the voice acting is still quite campy. The graphics in Grave Danger are very rudimentary; they truly look like last generation fare. This was definitely disappointing, as visuals in many arcade titles far exceed those proffered by this much more expensive offering. Although the sounds, music, and voice acting get the job done, they are particularly intriguing. Nonetheless, the comic-style cutscenes are really quite nice. I truly enjoyed the look and feel they provided and wished the game took better advantage of their polish and the style they lend the title. Alas, other in-engine cutscenes are rather poor.

Monster Madness: Grave Danger for the PS3 is an improvement over Battle for Suburbia for the 360. Unfortunately, there's not enough to make it that much better, and the overall tired concept and stale gameplay is simply not much fun. There are enough hidden goodies, online modes, and mini-games to help the replay value, but I think most gamers will find this title to be an unsophisticated and disappointing experience. Players would do far better by saving the $40 and turning it into three or four downloadable titles via the PSN.

By Jonathan Marx
CCC Editor / News Director

RATING OUT OF 5

RATING DESCRIPTION

2.5

Graphics
The visuals are utterly disappointing. They feel like something slapped together from last generation.

3.9

Control
The revamped controls do a nice job of getting you through the action, but they are implemented far better in other similar titles.

3.3

Music / Sound FX / Voice Acting
The sounds and voice over work do enough to convey the title's feeling, but they are nothing special.

2.2

Play Value
Gameplay is tired and stale. The enhanced mini-games and improved online multiplayer are not enough to save it.

2.9

Overall Rating - Average
Not an average. See Rating legend above for a final score breakdown.

Game Features:

Four-player local and online co-op or 16-player capture the flag mode.

Use the environment: Dynamic objects, destroyable architecture, and devious physical traps can all be manipulated to your advantage.

Intense, top-down shooter combat with a wide array of over 40 unique monsters.

Drivable vehicles for 1-4 players, including Go-Kart, Hovercraft, Mechwalker, UFO, and more! They can be acquired for bonus use during regular missions, and certain missions focus exclusively on vehicular combat.

Five unique environments with six gigantic levels each: Suburban Nightmare, High School Hell, The Shopping Mall, Cemetary Scary, and the Dark Castle.

Screen Resolution: Up to 720p (Standard HDTV, Widescreen).