Throw a skyscraper inGodzilla Melee Remastered

A skyscraper is something you can throw in Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee Remastered. Atari and original developer Pipeworks are bringing back the 2002 arena fighter, with 12 giant monsters and scenery that joins the fight. Punches, energy blasts and special Rage Mode attacks share the bill with weaponised buildings. It's a wonderfully appropriate use for a city that was never likely to survive the afternoon.

The remaster is scheduled for 3 November on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch 2. The current UK PlayStation Store still lists it as announced, while Steam marks it coming soon. A Steam demo is scheduled for 15 October, according to Toho's official Godzilla site. That leaves a chance to sample the fighting before launch, although this preview draws on published material and another outlet's demo account.

Heavy feet, flying buildings

Nintendo World Report's Willem Hilhorst played one-on-one Versus on Switch 2 and found a slower, more tactical fight than he expected. Charging atomic breath or another ranged attack took time. He could grab opponents as well as buildings and other pieces of the environment, then throw them across the map. Those details give the combat a useful identity: enormous bodies with attacks you have to commit to, surrounded by things you can pick up.

Hilhorst also describes breaking through boulders and throwing his opponent into a lake of magma. His attempts to stay close lost to well-timed dodges. That's an inviting account for someone who likes a physical, slightly ridiculous fight with a friend. It remains one reporter's experience of one mode in a preview build; it doesn't establish the balance of the whole roster or how online matches will behave.

The official listing names eight locations, with day and night variations, spanning real-world cities, Monster Island and the alien Mothership. Each monster has its own moveset. The attraction is easy to picture without knowing every film incarnation: choose an enormous creature, learn its attacks and look around for something large enough to throw. Fans get recognisable monsters; newcomers get an arena whose contents are part of the entertainment.

Unlock the monster you want

The revised unlock system lets you choose the order in which you acquire monsters, locations and gallery items. The official Steam listing also confirms additional single-player campaigns for each kaiju. Hilhorst reports receiving points after matches to spend on characters, stages and artwork. Choosing your next unlock gives a favourite monster a practical pull, although the published material consulted here doesn't establish how long collecting everything will take.

For PS5 buyers, the current UK store listing draws a useful boundary around the multiplayer: one to four players locally, up to two online, with PlayStation Plus required for online play. Atari advertises Versus and Melee alongside local co-op and the new online multiplayer. Those are several ways to bring company, but the four-player local count shouldn't be mistaken for four-player online support on PS5.

Godzilla is most appealing here as a shared arena brawler, with solo campaigns for when nobody else is around. You don't need a personal history with the original to appreciate the invitation. The combination of familiar creatures and throwable scenery is enough to explain the appeal. If you've already picked a favourite monster, the selectable unlock order gives you somewhere specific to begin: the next creature you want to bring into the arena.