Reviewed On: PC
Review code provided by the publisher.
Remasters have been so wishy-washy lately that it's hard to know what to expect from them anymore. But Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee comes from what I consider the Golden Era of gaming, or "the good ol' days." Seeing a game like this come back around as a remaster had me feeling a little conflicted. On one hand, I love seeing these classics get another chance to shine, but on the other, we've seen plenty of remasters that miss what made the originals special. So, with some skeptical optimism, I dove right in.
The first thing I noticed when jumping into Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee Remastered was how well it captures that classic Xbox-era feeling while giving it a more modern presentation. A lot of the time, that original charm gets lost somewhere during the remastering process, but thankfully, that isn't the case here. The game still feels like something you would have picked up two decades ago, just with a little extra polish. The updated UI is easy to navigate, progression is much clearer, and everything feels a little more approachable without taking away from the original experience.
As for the gameplay, there's something incredibly satisfying about taking control of a giant monster and beating the absolute snot out of another giant monster. It's simple, chaotic fun, and that's exactly what I want from a game like this. Whether you're throwing punches, tossing your opponent around, or causing destruction along the way, there's a certain charm to the ridiculousness of it all. You don't need some complicated fighting system to have a good time when you're playing as Godzilla.
That being said, the controls can feel a little off at times. Some movements and attacks aren't quite as responsive as you might expect from a modern fighting game, but I think a lot of that comes down to getting used to old-school gaming again. This is still a game from a different era, and while that comes with a few frustrations, I wouldn't necessarily want everything about it modernized. Part of the appeal is that it still plays like the game people remember.
The Adventure mode is a fun way to jump in and experience what the game has to offer, but I think Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee Remastered is at its absolute best when you're sitting on the couch with a buddy or a loved one. This is the kind of game where the fun comes from the competition, the ridiculous moments, and talking smack to the person sitting next to you. There's something about local multiplayer games from this era that just hits differently, and this is a perfect example of that.
Verdict
Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee Remastered is a great reminder of why so many of us fell in love with games from this era in the first place. It doesn't need to reinvent the wheel or completely modernize its gameplay to be worth revisiting. Instead, it takes what made the original fun and gives players a more polished way to experience it.
Sure, the controls can feel a little dated, and there's only so much you can do with a game like this before its age starts to show, but the fun is still very much there. If you grew up playing the original, this is a fantastic excuse to revisit it. And if you're jumping in for the first time, grab a friend, pick your favorite monster, and start throwing hands.
