Developer: Old School Games
Publisher: Atlus
ESRB Rating: Mature
Are you looking for a shooter, but don’t have much to spend? Well, God Mode could be the title you’re looking for. Old School Games developed this title with the intention of offering a game at a low price with graphics and gameplay comparable to its AAA counterparts. Does God Mode deliver an experience worthy of legend, or is this title beyond saving with a cheat code? Everyone gather up in the handbasket: its time for the review.
Welcome to Hades, That’s Hell In A Toga
The first thing you’ll hear in God Mode is a narrator’s voice welcoming you to Hades. The premise of the game follows a mortal that is a descendant of the gods who must fight his way out of hell to take his place amongst his ancestors. This is coming from the game’s official description, as the game doesn’t really explain this during gameplay. One thing that may turn some away is the fact that God Mode is an online co-op game without a single-player campaign. Players can play by themselves, but the most fun is had when playing alongside three other people.
Each player is given a set amount of lives and must survive waves of oncoming enemies (such as skeletons, cyclops, and harpies) by shooting them down with their weapons. Players start off with a shotgun and an SMG, and they can use gold to upgrade their weapons or buy new ones as their player advances in levels. Gold can also be used to purchase new skins to change the look of their character, or new a power to use when they fill their rage meter. Enemies also drop the occasional pick-up for health, armor, ammo and gold.
Harpies…I Hate Harpies!
What makes God Mode different from general horde modes found in other games is the way it’s presented. Players must ward off the onslaught of enemies in rounds called “Tests of Faith”. Each test offers different advantages or disadvantages to the players, ranging from something like decreased power-up refills to infinite ammo for the round. Players can also deliberately put themselves at a disadvantage in exchange for more XP for their player by using “Oaths”. Increasing the difficulty also has the same effect, rewarding the players for making the game harder on themselves in the long run.
Focusing on the graphics, Old School Games took the time to develop great looking stages and characters; however, some characters are the same ones with different color palettes and abilities. Throughout the separate stages in the game, the art direction has been set to make each stage feel different from each other. Although with only five stages and multiple enemies given different color palettes and abilities, things could get repetitive. Still, while warding off wave after wave of undead, the only thing on the player’s mind is survival.
One Life Left? I’m Going To Need The Konami Code…
Given the fact that the main objective is to survive, players should have no trouble just picking this title up and playing. Controls are simple, but the player must look through the options menu to learn them. Once the action is started, God Mode works well during gameplay, thanks in large part to its simple controls. Players just aim, shoot, and try to survive each round to take their place alongside the gods. It’s mindless fun for those that just want to shoot enemies down in a hail of gunfire.
One advantage the developers could have taken was to add more music to add to the frantic pace and feel of God Mode. The narrator (who sounds like a Tim Curry impersonator) sarcastically makes remarks each time the player dies, or casually mentions the round. Each monster’s yell, scream, or roar adds as a reminder not to get too close, or they’ll get overwhelmed. Just the addition of extra music in the background could have made a little go a long way.
Say Hello To My Little Friend!
Most of the problems with God Mode are minor in the big picture. The over the shoulder camera does put a little hindrance on vision, which is needed to avoid being trapped between a wall and the countless enemies. Also, when bombarded by enemies, movement is limited and clumsy. Keep in mind, God Mode is a multiplayer horde mode game only, so those looking for more will be disappointed.
All things considered, God Mode is a fine game for those looking for a quality shooter at a low price. Though the game has limited features, Old School Games took the time to develop the graphics and make the game enjoyable to those that love shooters. God Mode is a game where players can come together and just shoot down hordes of enemies in order to survive. It’s simple, it looks good, and it’s just fun. For those looking for a shooting game for the price of DLC, God Mode is right up your alley.
Final Verdict: God Mode gets 8 shot down skeletons out of 10
Rating: 
This review is based on a retail copy of the Playstation 3 version of God Mode by Old School Games distributed by Atlus