GigaBash explained

GigaBash is a brawler game developed and published by Malaysian independent studio Passion Republic Games. It was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 on August 5, 2022. It was also released for Nintendo Switch, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S on August 4, 2023.

Gameplay

GigaBash is a brawler^[2] in which the player assumes control of a kaiju and must battle each other in stages filled with destructible environments.^[3] These monsters can perform light and a heavy attack, and unleash a unique special move. They can also dodge, perform an air dash, and hurl buildings and objects at their opponents. As the player deals damage to opponents, they will gain Giga-energy, enough of which will transform a kaiju into an "S-class" monster, which is significantly stronger and larger. During a match, a Giga-ball may emerge, which would allow any kaiju that acquires it to unleash an ultimate attack that deals devastating damage to other opponents.^[4]

The game features both local and online multiplayer. In battle mode, players can engage in free-for-all battle, or split into two teams and combat each other. While the game supports up to four players, solo players can also compete against characters controlled by artificial intelligence. The game also has four single-player campaigns which follow the stories of Gorogong, Pipijuras, Thundatross, and Woolley.^[5] Furthermore, the game features "Mayhem mode", a party mode in which players can complete various minigames together.^[6]

Characters

The game launched with ten original monsters, with four of them having story "chapters" that are focused on Gorogong's origins and ascent to power as supreme ruler of Tarabak Island, Pipijuras breaking free from human control to fulfill its mission to teleport Earth to its race, the rise of Thundatross and its young pilot, Yuuki Otoma, and Woolley's playful journey across the world, meeting others of his kind in the process. As of December 2024, the roster now also features six DLC characters from the Godzilla franchise, five DLC characters from the Ultraman franchise (with the fifth fighter being assisted in battle by a sixth character), and two original DLC fighters based on characters from the Super Sentai/Power Rangers franchise.

Original Characters

Base Roster

• Gorogong: A horned ape-like monster once contained in the volcano of Luana Island. Eventually took over Tarabak Island after defeating Skorak, Rohanna, and Rawa, uniting all of their respective cults under him in the process. Based on several monsters from the Ultraman franchise, with the arms of his final appearance resembling those of EX Red King's, while one skin with shaggy fur and chained wrists references King Kong.^[7]
• Pipijuras: An alien invader previously contained in Area 51, given cybernetic upgrades to serve as an anti-kaiju weapon. It eventually broke out, intent on fulfilling its mission to teleport Earth to its race. Based on several Ultraman aliens, including Metron, Temperor, and Baltan,^[8] with the latter eventually ending up as a guest fighter in the game. Has a non-playable mecha variant with a drill for its right hand and treads in the place of its legs.
• Thundatross: A giant Mazinger Z-like mecha powered by Giga Energy and equipped with an enormous sword, developed by OtomaTEC and piloted by a young boy, teenage prodigy Yuuki Otoma. Eventually ended up facing "Unit 02", a newer, evil version of Thundatross created and piloted by OtomaTEC defector Dr. Reiner, who abducted Yuuki's father to power his mecha.
• Woolley: A member of a species of Totoro-like Yeti known for their hyper-elastic bellies. Docile and friendly, he and others of his kind consider most forms of attack as invitations to play.
• Skorak, the "Overlord": A predatory slug that wears Rawa's previous skull like a snail shell after having poisoned and devoured the dragon from inside, earning him titles like "Great Devourer", "Tyrant Slayer", and "Nightmare of Tarabak Island". Uses acidic poison, energy-draining attacks, and Rawa's original skull in battle.
• Gigaman: A giant, slightly out-of-shape (but still very potent) Ultraman-esque veteran superhero who has recently emerged from abrupt retirement, serving as a mentor for the pilot of Thundatross. His true nature and identity remain unknown, and he is currently the only original character that can engage in beam clashes.
• Rohanna, the "Ancient Monarch of Tarabak": A nature goddess resembling a giant rose. Summons floral entities for some of her moves, including a massive "Royal Guard" for her ultimate attack.
• Rawa, the "Extinction Dragon": A Phaya Naga-like monster that once dominated Tarabak Island, poisoned and eaten from within by Skorak (who wears his original skull as a shell), then revived from a piece of his horn as an undead entity in a weakened (albeit still powerful) state. His body type, king-like status, some of his attacks, and one of his taunts reference Godzilla, who eventually appeared as one of the first guest characters in the game.
• Zyva: A race of telekinetic, shapeshifting crystalline sentinels that fiercely guard the Hollow Earth from all who enter it regardless of their intentions. This puts them at odds with those who want to absorb the planet's supplies of Giga Energy, like Thundatross Unit-02 (piloted by Dr. Reiner) and the space manticore Balzarr.
• Kongkrete: A living building that shows up wherever Giga Energy is most concentrated, having been spotted several times watching Gigaman's battles from a distance. Transforms into a flying skyscraper for its ultimate attack.

Mighty DLC Pack

• Balzarr, the "Demon Star": A space manticore that arrived in a meteorite to consume Giga Energy present on Earth, inspired by the Power Rangers villain Goldar. The first quadrupedal fighter in the game, it has a lion-like body armored in golden plates, a scorpion-like tail that can vertically split in half, agility greater than Gigaman, and the "Predator Stance", which involves the monster impaling its tail into the ground or walls so it could perch on it and lunge from all sorts of angles.
• R.O.J.A.K. (Robot of Justice Against Kaiju): Inspired by the Megazords seen throughout the Power Rangers/Super Sentai franchise, this mecha's name is based on a Malaysian dish composed of ingredients that are, at first glance, not expected to combine well; R.O.J.A.K.'s members were originally from different titan-fighting "Mighty Warrior" teams hailing from Japan, China, Malaysia, the fictional Kahu'a Republic, and the USA, forced to work together (despite their vastly different themes and conflicting personalities) in the form of a mismatched combination mecha after Balzarr wiped out all the world's Mighty Warriors upon its arrival, leaving them as the only survivors. Upon using all of its body parts to successfully hit the enemy, R.O.J.A.K. activates "Synergy", allowing it to move and attack at greater speed.

Godzilla

4 Kaiju DLC Pack

• Godzilla (Heisei), the "King of the Monsters": A formidable dinosaur from Lagos Island mutated by nuclear energy, one of the most famous kaiju known. Despite appearing in his Godzilla vs. Destoroyah incarnation (being capable of transforming into his burning form in his S-class state), some of his moves reference his more peculiar actions in the Showa era, namely, his atomic breath flight in Godzilla vs. Hedorah, his tail slide dropkick in Godzilla vs. Megalon, and his dance from Invasion of Astro-Monster, the last of which is referenced by one of Rawa's taunts.
• Gigan (Showa): A highly-advanced cyborg sent by M Space Hunter Nebula Aliens for the purpose of planetary invasion, considered to be one of Godzilla's most brutal adversaries, being the first to draw blood from him onscreen. Fittingly, he is the only monster in the game that can inflict the "Bleed" status with his various armaments. Because of the shotgun-like, scattered effect of his "Gigarium Cluster" laser, however, he is also the first guest character that cannot engage in beam clashes, followed by Hedorah.
• Mechagodzilla (MFS-3 Kiryu): A mecha built with the bones of the original Godzilla, equipped with a "Weapon Control System" mechanic, two constantly-regenerating energy bars consumed by its basic and special attacks. In its S-class state, Kiryu's eyes turn red (indicating that it is possessed by the spirit of the original Godzilla), and, for its ultimate attack, it fires its entire arsenal, including the freezing "Absolute Zero" cannon hidden in its chest.
• Destoroyah

A colony of microscopic crustaceans combined in the form of a single demonic creature with functional wings, an energized horn, and "Micro-Oxygen" chemical attacks. Is capable of draining enemy energy and health with a tail strike that cannot be blocked, and can split into aggregates for its ultimate attack in order to assault all nearby opponents.

2 Nemesis DLC Pack

• King Ghidorah (Heisei), "Monster Zero": Godzilla's archenemy, a malevolent golden three-headed dragon mutated from three small genetically engineered creatures known as Dorats (but referenced in-game by his more common origin as a destructive alien lifeform). His fighting style involves aerial swooping and stomping attacks, lightning-like "Gravity Beams", supersonic shockwaves from his massive wings, and pulses of electrical energy that can briefly stun and paralyze nearby opponents.
• Hedorah (Showa), the "Smog Monster": A massive heap of toxic sludge composed of extremely corrosive, pollution-eating extraterrestrial mineral microorganisms. To overwhelm foes, it relies on quick flight, smothering assaults, ooze bombardment, and crimson "Hedrium Rays" fired from one of its eyes, though none of these can lock with the beam attacks of other monsters, thus making Hedorah the second guest character that cannot engage in beam clashes after Gigan. Several of its attacks spread acidic sludge and sulfuric mist which corrode enemies on contact, slowing and damaging them overtime.

Ultraman

4 Characters DLC Pack

• Ultraman

The original Ultraman, he fights using a combination of quick melee strikes and charged Spacium energy attacks.

• Alien Baltan, the "Space Ninja": A race of advanced arthropod-like extraterrestrial invaders, one of Ultraman's most persistent enemies. Relies on teleportation and "Multi Shadow Cloning" for some of his moves and his ultimate attack.
• Ultraman Tiga

A reformed "Dark Giant", he is the first Ultra shown to be capable of changing his form. At any time, he is able to switch between Multi, Power, and Sky Type forms in order to balance his stats, focus on strength, or prioritize speed in battle. Also transforms into his "Glitter" form for his ultimate attack.

• Camearra

Leader of the Dark Giants and former lover of Ultraman Tiga. Primarily attacks with a pair of energized ice whips that she can turn into blades known as "Izswords", is able to summon swarms of Shibito-Zoigers (small dragon-like kaiju), and, for her ultimate attack, can transform into her eldritch Demonthor form.

DLC

• Ultraman & Emi: The heroic alter-ego of baseball superstar Ken Sato, he fights with martial arts and energy attacks like other Ultras, and is able to pull enemies towards him with his version of the Ultra Slash, which returns like a boomerang. However, he is also accompanied by his adopted daughter Emi (the offspring of the draconian kaiju Gigantron), who is able to assist with her own beam and echolocation waves, the latter of which marks targets for Ultraman's projectiles to track.

Development

GigaBash is the debut title for Malaysian independent game development studio Passion Republic Games. The monsters in the game were inspired by classic tokusatsu characters including Godzilla, the Dino Megazord, and Ultraman. Video games, such as games based on the WWE license, King of the Monsters, Rampage, Gundam Versus, War of the Monsters and Power Stone also influenced the team. Party games, such as Overcooked and Rocket League were also major sources of inspiration. The team also included a story mode, which serves as an "extension" to the core battle mode. This mode will explore the background of four different monsters and their origin.^[9] The game's control scheme was designed to be accessible and simple, though the player's attack will be modified by other contextual factors, such as if the player is blocking, dashing or grabbing. Each playable character in the game went through multiple phases of design and development. Thundatross, the game's first publicly revealed character, was described as an "all-rounded" monster that resembles other classic kaiju.^[10] The first teaser trailer for the game premiered on September 12, 2019.^[11] The game was released on August 5, 2022, for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Windows.^[12]

During the 2022 Tokyo Game Show, it was announced that Godzilla would join the roster as a guest character.^[13] A teaser for Godzilla's appearance in the game was released on November 2,^[14] along with three mystery fighters,^[15] all of which were foreshadowed in trailers released on November 16, 23, and 30. The DLC was released on December 6,^[16] with the three other fighters revealed to be Gigan, Kiryu, and Destoroyah. In a Japanese Indie World Showcase on April 19, 2023, the game's Nintendo Switch port was announced for August 4, 2023, and was made available for pre-order that same day.

On October 12, Ultraman was announced to join the roster as a guest character, with trailers teasing three other characters released in October 19, October 26, and November 2. The DLC, containing Alien Baltan, Ultraman Tiga, and Camearra, was released on November 8. However, due to regional restrictions and licensing agreements, the DLC is unavailable in Japan and China.^[17]

A second batch of Godzilla DLC fighters, titled the Nemesis pack, was announced on April 25, 2024.^[18] Similar to the first two DLCs, trailers were released on May 2 and 9, to foreshadow its guest fighters. The DLC was released on May 16, 2024, adding King Ghidorah and Hedorah to the roster.

On August 27, 2024, two original DLC characters inspired by the Super Sentai/Power Rangers franchise, titled the Mighty Pack, was announced for a September 5th release. This consists of the invading space manticore Balzarr and the combining mecha R.O.J.A.K..^[19]

On October 20, 2024, during New York Comic-Con 2024, an collaboration DLC was announced. Unlike previous DLCs, it introduces only a single character to the roster, the film's titular character (though he is also assisted in battle by the juvenile kaiju Emi).^[20] Released on November 28, it is available in Japan unlike the first Ultraman DLC pack, but still not in China due to regional restrictions and licensing agreements.^[21]

Reception

GigaBash received "mixed or average" reviews upon release, according to review aggregator Metacritic. Mitchell Saltzman of IGN gave the a game an 7/10 rating, praising the game's simple controls, character movesets and gimmick-filled stages; he concluded that these characteristics made more suited for casual local play than solo or even online play, modes he deemed "at least present and serviceable".^[22]

Notes and References

1. Web site: Over 80 Unreal Engine-powered games featured during 2022 summer gaming events. . Unreal Engine. August 15, 2022. August 15, 2023.
2. Web site: GigaBash is a cute and chaotic kaiju brawler that makes me miss arcades. Wes. Fenlon. PC Gamer. Future plc. June 14, 2021. March 10, 2022.
3. Web site: GigaBash's Latest Character Reveal Is a Sentient Office Block. Matt. Purslow. IGN. December 16, 2021. March 10, 2022.
4. Web site: GigaBash Gamescom 2021 trailer. Sal. Romano. Gematsu. August 26, 2021. March 10, 2022.
5. Web site: GigaBash 'Story Mode' trailer. Sal. Romano. Gematsu. September 29, 2021. March 10, 2022.
6. Web site: Malaysian Kaiju Brawler GigaBash Primed to Be 2022's Best Party Game. Dale. Bashir. IGN Southeast Asia. March 1, 2022. March 10, 2022.
7. GigaBash - Behind The Scenes . 2021-02-16 . Passion Republic Games . 2024-12-03 . YouTube.
8. Jump Behind The Scenes and meet #Pipijuras as he pesters his foes from afar with powerful projectile attacks. Love to see more content like this? Sign... By GigaBashFacebook . en . 2024-04-29 . www.facebook.com.
9. Web site: GigaBash brings multiplayer, monsters, and mayhem to PS5 and PS4 this year. Gerald. Yong. PlayStation Blog. March 9, 2022. March 10, 2022.
10. Web site: GigaBash Is About Kaiju Battles and the Glee of Bringing Total Destruction. Patrick. Lee. The Escapist. September 24, 2019. March 10, 2022.
11. Web site: Become King of the Monsters in city-trashing brawler GigaBash. Chris. Moyse. Destructoid. September 12, 2019. March 10, 2022.
12. Web site: Doke . Shunal . GigaBash is Coming to PC, PS5, and PS4 on August 5 . GamingBolt . 11 June 2022 . 11 June 2022.
13. Web site: GigaBash Godzilla Collaboration Teases the King of the Monsters . 15 September 2022 .
14. Web site: Godzilla Confirmed as Guest Character in Fighting Game . 2022-11-04 . . en.
15. Web site: Godzilla Announced for GigaBash Alongside 3 Mystery Fighters . 3 November 2022 .
16. Web site: GigaBash - Godzilla 4 Kaiju Pack on Steam . 2024-05-17 . store.steampowered.com . en.
17. Web site: GigaBash - Ultraman 4 Characters Pack on Steam . 2024-12-04 . store.steampowered.com . en.
18. https://twitter.com/GigaBashGame/status/1783526387086999858
19. Web site: Gigabash Pays Tribute to Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers with new DLC | Kakuchopurei .
20. Web site: GigaBash Announces New Collab With Netflix’s Ultraman Rising | Kakuchopurei .
21. Web site: GigaBash Ultraman: Rising DLC on Steam . 2024-12-04 . store.steampowered.com . en.
22. Web site: Saltzman. Mitchell. August 4, 2022. GigaBash Review. August 5, 2022. IGN.