Godzilla (2014 video game)

Godzilla (also Godzilla: The Game, ゴジラ Godzilla, Gojira Godzilla, and Godzilla VS for the PS4 in Japan) is a 2014 video game developed by Natsume and published by Bandai Namco Games for the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 based on the Japanese monster/Kaiju Godzilla franchise by Toho. It was first released on December 18, 2014 in Japan only for the PlayStation 3. It was released on July 14, 2015 in North America and on July 17, 2015 in Europe. The Western PlayStation 4 version is based on the upgraded Japanese release called Godzilla VS, released on July 14, 2015, containing more content such as additional monsters.

While positively received in Japan, the game is particularly divisive among Western critics and audiences.


 * Alternate History: The events of 1954 allowed Japan (and the rest of the world) to exploit Godzilla's life-essence (called "G-Energy") as an energy source, leading to significant advances.
 * Creator Provincialism: Like many works in the franchise, the game by and large is set around Japan.
 * Gaia's Vengeance: The female G-Force operator speculates that this may be Godzilla's motivation behind the present attacks.
 * Godzilla Threshold: Given that Godzilla himself is involved, everything up to and including artificial Kaiju like Mechagodzilla is eventually thrown against you.
 * Japanese Political System: The seating Prime Minister varies depending on how difficult each subsequent stage is.
 * Karma Meter: Depending on your actions, Godzilla (or any of the playable characters) can be played as a "hero," "anti-hero" or an indiscriminately destructive villain. This in turn corresponds to the "Disaster Level," which determines not only how fierce the human opposition would be but also whether said opposition would stay out of your way.
 * Kaiju Defense Force: The nominally Multinational Team G-Force is largely comprised of JSDF forces. Justified in-verse given how G-Force is a collaboration between the United Nations and Japanese authorities.
 * Mission Control: The female G-Force operator for the humans.
 * Mythology Gag: The game makes several homages and nods to the franchise in general.
 * Puny Earthlings: Conventional military attacks don't really do much against Kaiju. But piss off humanity too much and said attacks start intensifying in bulk, eventually leading to mecha being deployed.
 * Redshirt Army: G-Force, whose conventional forces are generally fodder for Godzilla and other Kaiju. Subverted however with the mecha and more exotic weapons that G-Force deploys.
 * Retraux Flashback: The tutorial is essentially a recreation of the 1954 Godzilla attack on Tokyo.
 * Ultimate Showdown of Ultimate Destiny: The real final boss.