While many people may not realize it, Godzilla games have actually been in circulation since, wait for it, 1983! That’s right, Japanese publisher Toho put out games based on the Godzilla franchise all the way back in the early 80’s, and they were eventually released to global consumers as well. Over the past four decades, there have been an absolutely unbelievable number of Godzilla games, but it can be said that we are long overdue a Godzilla game for the mainstream consoles and PC. The 2017 title Kyoei Toshi, or City Shrouded in Shadow, was released in 2017 only in Japan, and there is yet to be any confirmation regarding a global release for it.
While Kyoei Toshi was marketed as a Godzilla game, it was not the only franchise that the game drew from: the game included characters from many other popular Japanese anime, manga, and TV shows such as the Ultra Series, Gamera, Patlabor, and Neon Genesis Evangelion. Many have speculated if the presence of these niche Japanese characters is the reason behind the game not releasing for global markets, and it might just be the case.
Alternatively, there was some talk about how Bandai Namco was unable to obtain the permissions needed from the producers of all the characters in the game. It could also just be that if this game were to release worldwide, Bandai Namco could not have gained much from it in terms of commercial success, since a lot of the profits would have gone to the other producers of the characters. Whatever happened, all we know for sure is that the game seemed to have been set for a release in European and North American markets, but was suddenly and quietly de-listed from the stores, without any proper explanation ever being offered.
The last available title on PlayStation 4 was simply titled Godzilla, and was a lackluster addition to the list of Godzilla games. Game reviewer Jim Sterling stated it “has the look and feel of a small budget game” rather than a “major ‘AAA’ release” while Jordon Devore reviewing for Destructoid called it “a letdown” given the premise.
Considering the global success of every Godzilla movie, it is hard to imagine Bandai Namco passing up on the opportunity to develop a big-budget Godzilla game aimed specifically at the global market. As far as we know, Bandai Namco still owns the rights to producing a Godzilla game but is yet to announce anything to cater to the new generation consoles. Guess we’ll just have to wait until then! Make sure to check out our articles on other upcoming games like Battlefield 2042, Dragon Ball Z, and Evil Dead: The Game.
