For some reason, 2022 ended up being a big year for video games featuring kaiju, the giant monsters primarily known for their destructive habits. Not only that, but somehow, they all ended up with positive reception, even if they are more niche than many other releases.
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Those who are unaware might expect these games to all be fighting games that happen to feature kaiju, similar to the many kaiju games of the past, but surprisingly they cover a broader range of genres. However, despite their relative quality, some are still better than others.
6Kaichu
Putting a new spin on things, Kaichu is akaiju dating simulator. You play as the titular monster, trying to find love by dating other kaiju around the world. Kaiju go on dates by heading to famous landmarks and destroying them while learning about each other, with successful answers leading to more destruction and dates.
Two newscasters narrate the action since these kaiju don’t speak, resulting in some humorous translations. Kaichu is also a very short game without doing multiple playthroughs, resulting in some tedious repetition, but it still has replay value due to different storylines. Despite being a niche game in an already niche genre, Kaichu still manages to be a monstrously charming game.
5Kaiju Wars
Kaiju Wars is a turn-based strategy game that includes accurate homages toother kaiju media, particularly the older stuff, with the menu having clips from several public domain giant monster movies playing on screens in the background. As a military commander defending humanity from kaiju, you must use all the military equipment and scientific breakthroughs at your disposal to defeat them.
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Kaiju Wars isn’t limited to only a single-player campaign either, as there are also weekly challenges and a map editor where players can create and share missions. The strategy genre may have gained some popularity recently, but Kaiju Wars is best recommended for more experienced fans of strategy games due to its style and complexity.
4Terror of Hemasaurus
Heavily inspired by Rampage, Terror Of Hemasaurus has you stomping around various locations as a giant monster so that people take the devastating effects of climate change more seriously. Between destroying buildings, throwing vehicles, fighting the military, and eating humans to restore health, all the giant monster chaos is there, with plenty of cynical humor mixed in.
Terror of Hemasaurus also has co-op for up to four players, so you don’t have to destroy cities alone. One of Terror of Hemasaurus' biggest strengths and its most fatal flaw is its simplicity, as there isn’t as much gameplay variety as some would desire. Despite this, Terror Of Hemasaurus is still enjoyable for any fan of retro-style games.
3Ultra Kaiju Monster Rancher
Not only did a brand-newMonster Ranchergame launch in 2022, but it’s also a crossover title with the Ultra series. Launched exclusively on Nintendo Switch,Ultra Kaiju Monster Rancherhas you raise kaiju as you would monsters in previous games, and familiar characters even come to give you a hand.
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Ultra Kaiju Monster Rancher features returning mechanics as well as some new ones, including territory battles, where kaiju have to defend their training territory, cookies that give kaiju various traits, and the anger meter, which causes kaiju to go on a rampage once filled, causing Ultraman to come to stop it. It’s a game best recommended for Monster Rancher or Ultraman fans, but it can serve as a decent entry point for either series.
2Dawn Of The Monsters
A beat-‘em-up with a comic book-like art style, Dawn of the Monsters serves as an homage to not only kaiju films and related media but also to a variety of other pop culture media. It has you play as one of four characters who serve as members of D.A.W.N., an organization seeking to eliminate the threat of destructive giant creatures known as Nephilim.
Dawn of the Monsters’ gameplay is challenging to master due to enemy variety and increasing difficulty, and it can get frustrating when playing alone. Luckily, the game has local two-player co-op, and each character can be enhanced with upgrades and augments to fit each player’s gameplay style better. Dawn of the Monsters may seem like a run-of-the-mill beat-‘em-up, but its unexpected depth helps elevate it above some of its contemporaries.
1Gigabash
A kaiju fighting game similar to several beloved titles of the past,GigaBashfeatures original giant monsters called Titans, fighting each other and destroying the surrounding environment along the way. Titans can also become S-class once their meter has been filled, temporarily becoming larger and more powerful.
In addition to the single-player campaign and arcade modes, Gigabash has a few co-op and competitive multiplayer modes for players who want more variety. Somehow, Gigabash gotguest charactersfrom different eras of theGodzillafranchise as DLC, adding their unique abilities to the game. It may not have the complexity some prefer, Gigabash has the broadest appeal of the kaiju games of 2022 due to its easy-to-learn gameplay and mode variety.
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