Does the ultra-stylized, blood-soaked beat-’em-up live up to the hype?

Negligent parents and ambulance-chasing lawyers, your next target has arrived and it’s a doozy. MadWorld, published by SEGA and developed by Platinum Games (formerly Clover Studios, best known for Okami and Viewtiful Joe) is so over-the-top violent and vulgar that by comparison the Grand Theft Auto series may as well be Mr. Rogers. In no other game, for example, can you grab hold of a leather-clad enemy and impale him anus first on a rusty spike, which penetrates his body and rips through his mouth in a bloody fountain on the other side. Uh-huh — there’s going to be some phone calls. But beneath the oceans of cinematically dismembered limbs, chainsaw-severed torsos and uncensored F-bombs, there waits a legitimately entertaining game supported by a compelling storyline, a breathtakingly bold style and some fun, engaging play mechanics to boot. MadWorld may ultimately not be for everyone — its black and white presentation and unabashedly offensive content practically ensure that — but those who do get it will absolutely love it. And for the record, I completely get it. Read more