MadWorld introduces us to Jack; a mysterious contestant in the DeathWatch games hosted on Varrigan Island. Varrigan Island has been taken hostage by an unknown terrorist group and had access to it sealed off. The terrorists have released a virus that will kill all the citizens of the island and the only way to get the antidote is to compete in the DeathWatch games. Chaos now ensues and Jack gets involved for his own reasons.

With a story like that, the scenario is set for a game that is obviously going to unleash in every way possible. MadWorld doesn’t disappoint. The majority of the game is taken up with a series of different battles that play out in three main sections; laying waste to a huge amount of repetitive flunkies to get enough points to unlock the bloodbath challenge and then the boss battle.

Fights generally consist of streaming combos together by finding elaborate ways to gut your enemies. Simply slicing a punk in half with your chainsaw arm isn’t enough in MadWorld. Trap him in a tire, stick a sign through his head, hang him on a rosebush, chuck him in a dumpster and cut him in half or activate one of the game’s many finishing blows. The game is over-the-top with sick ways to eviscerate foes and it makes all of them brilliantly satisfying to pull off.

Bloodbath Challenges add a gimmick into the mix which can involve anything to hurling enemies into jet engines, using them in a game of human darts or impaling them on giant targets positioned strategically on a giant woman’s naughty bits. Despite the general gameplay similarity between challenges, they are always immensely enjoyable and the introduction by the stereotypical Black Baron is always a riot.

Boss Battles provide the game’s biggest variety. Despite the combat staying the same, strategy and patience have to be taken into consideration as each boss fight has a unique weak spot for you to abuse. Lets not forget to mention how each boss fight contains some superb characters, each with their own visual flair and dangerous gimmick.

Despite the superlative gameplay which is both sadistic and satisfying, MadWorld lacks an atmosphere of its’ own. Without its’ aesthetic, MadWorld is just another by-the-books brawler that takes a huge amount of its’ inspiration from games like God of War and Prince of Persia. The game’s shock factor and the fact that it’s been released on the family-friendly Wii is all the game has going for it. It certainly makes the game stand out in an overpopulated mini-game crowd, but it’s irritating how the game flaunts characteristics that other games have already done.

Because of the game’s focus on its’ ability to shock, almost no room is left for the game’s story which plods along in the background tying up the loose ends between battles. This is a shame because the story has a fantastic twist which is not fully exploited because the characters’ egos are a big drawing point than the writing of the plot.

Music doesn’t particularly help either as it tries to give the game’s violence some street cred by simply the filling the entire soundtrack with gangster rap. This is particularly out of character for SEGA who are becoming renowned for their atmospheric and detailed soundtracks that always manage to heighten a particularly mundane gameplay experience.

However, the sound department doesn’t disappoint with every weapon sounding absurdly dangerous and the enemy’s screams of agony and mercy both disturbing and hilarious. Not a lot of games can boast something like that. We haven’t even mentioned the commentary from Greg Proops and John DiMaggio who sprinkle the demented gameplay with side-splitting quips that give the profanity in House of the Dead Overkill a run for its’ money.