Windows

Monster Madness: Battle for Suburbia

Despite all this, there is something about Battle for Suburbia that will keep you coming back for more, even if you are not too sure why. It has a delightful old school feel about it that is reminiscent of The Chaos Engine or the aforementioned LucasArts gem, Zombies Ate My Neighbours, but if you're interested in gameplay over middling next-gen visuals, you'd be better off browsing eBay than dipping your toe in the very American world of Monster Madness.

It's sad that there are no great Gauntlet-style hack-and-slash multiplayer games anymore. Despite its flaws, this is the best that an old workhorse of a genre has to offer so, if you must play it, play it with friends. Don't expect too much though.

And this awkward gameplay makes the repetitive nature of the game even more annoying. I mean, I'm all for killing the legions of the undead, but at least you could change it up a little. Because even with all the different monsters and weapons, the game was putting me to sleep.

All told, Monster Madness: Battle for Suburbia feels like a wasted opportunity. The premise is cool, and the combat seems like it has potential. However, the controls and lousy co-op camera muck the whole thing up so that nearly all the fun is sucked out of it, regardless of how many people play. Plus, as mildly amusing as the online multiplayer can be, it's absolutely criminal that this game doesn't include some form of online campaign mode. Though considering how unwieldy and awkward everything else in the game is, maybe that wouldn't have helped all that much.

You’d think that you couldn’t miss when you take a solid, hip formula and add even more spice in the way of furry monsters, vampires, boats and hovercrafts. Not in this case, unfortunately. It wasn’t executed with much focus, and more attention seemed to be given to look and style rather than gameplay and a plot. Why the heck are the evil creatures upset with the ‘Burbs, anyway? Why does the camera have a mind of its own, and why do I have to suffer for it? These questions and more will keep you on the edge of your gaming seat!