Kaiju Sized Adpocalypse
Become mighty kaiju and set off in a destructive level-based adventure. Destroy buildings and all who stand in your way, or just walk through it all. Does Playtime Gaming’s Monster Smash City- Kaiju vs Siren Head stand tall like its kaiju or crash like the buildings in it?
Ad, Destroy, Repeat
Monster Smash City- Kaiju vs Siren Head at face value seems like a good idea. Pick a monster and set out on a mission to destroy a town or fight another monster. But once you see the screenshots or the actual name you realize that this game is bare bones. The main gameplay involves you picking a mission and destroying a target in a small city setting and that’s it. The enemies trying to stop you are a breeze and the buildings fall in two hits. This makes the game a monotonous cakewalk since you’re doing the same thing for each mission. The only other game mode which involves actual monster fighting is not available, which makes even the game’s name feel disingenuous.
Beyond this the most irritating feature of this game is the advertisements. Ads appear anytime you do something in game whether its scrolling through menus to picking characters and missions. If you pause during a mission you’ll also get an ad. This made my experience drag even more and it made it hard to pick up the title to play more missions. Due to the level of ads, whether it be in game banners or videos, its clear this game looks to force players to pay $30 to remove them. Ad Removal costs are overpriced compared to smaller indie titles offering the same removal for a few dollars.
The Kaiju themselves are a mixed bag. The majority look borrowed from other games and asset stores while one has its head tucked inside its body. Although this is funny to see it does show this game is missing a basic level of polish that should be there. In game the monsters are acceptable but some of their attacks take a tad bit too long to use. Depending on the kaiju you chose the basic attack is all you’ll need for destroying buildings. Kaiju are unlocked with currency earned through gameplay. Although currency is fairly given to the player the game still tries to force people to pay a large price to unlock them all
Monetization
Monster Smash City- Kaiju vs. Siren Head made to make money from its players. Monetization covers most features of the game. The game’s levels and kaiju sell at large prices to the player. Pop
up ads are constantly pushed on players during a playthrough trying to monetize. Despite its issues, the concept of a kaiju destruction or fighter game could be a lot of fun. However, this game falls like the buildings you destroy.
Is It Hardcore?
No
Monster Smash City- Kaiju vs Siren head is a game that is bare bones and full of issues, whether it be in its art or reliance on ads and heavy microtransactions. I think the kaiju concept can be done well but clearly this game doesn’t do it justice.
