GigaBash is a brawler game developed and published by Malaysian independent studio Passion Republic Games. It was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 on August 5, 2022. It was also released for Nintendo Switch, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S on August 4, 2023. The video game centers on battles themed around the kaiju genre, and features crossover collaborations with characters from the franchises of Godzilla, Ultraman, and Gamera.
Gameplay Controls and Mechanics GigaBash is a brawler in which players assumes control of "titans" (giant kaiju, mechas, and aliens of various forms) to battle each other in stages filled with destructible environments, some of which involve hazards or otherwise disruptive (or helpful) elements like lava, flash floods with debris, spiked walls, avalanches, pitfalls, freezing water, non-playable enemy units, sandstorms, harmful intermittent energy pulses, massive collapsible buildings, explosive tanks, rideable missiles, or temporary boosts that can aid any of the combatants.
Each monster has a basic (light) and special (heavy) attack, which can be repeated, prolonged, or charged by tapping or holding down the associated button. Each titan is also capable of grabbing (with the grabbed object or enemy being thrown if the grab button is pressed again). All basic attacks (and some special attacks) change when done in the air or with a grab, while grabbing an enemy in the air results in a unique move that gains more points than even a triple combo. Combatants grabbing each other at the same time must mash the attack button in order to successfully grab their opponent, with a stalemate resulting in both combatants simply pushing each other away harmlessly. Certain combatants with beam attacks can also engage in a "beam clash", which involves mashing the special attack button to push the collision point between two beams towards the enemy before an explosion occurs and damages those closest to the collision point.
The monsters also have the ability to block (which can be disrupted by enough attacks, grabs, grab-based attacks, and explosions) and dash (backward when stationary, influenced by the direction the player is going in if mobile). Blocking can be done at the same time as a basic move (usually resulting in a parry, counter, deflective barrier, or omnidirectional attack) or a special move (which triggers an anti-air attack like an uppercut or an upward shot), and the dash can be combined with the basic attack for a forward dash attack, or can be done in the air for a quick, non-dashing dodge. Some of the characters have special gimmicks unique to them. Certain attacks, objects, and environmental hazards can also inflict status effects (most - but not all - of which bypass blocking) like burning (does damage over time), poisoning (slows and damages over time), restraining, freezing, dizziness, impalement, and electrocution (paralysis, with the last of the five sometimes erratically disrupting movement for a few seconds afterward), bleeding (does damage every time the inflicted character moves), and confusion (reverses controls).
The game revolves around Giga-energy, which may be found as orbs in certain places within some stages. However, Giga-energy is usually gained every time a kaiju damages their opponent (with some special moves gaining more by sacrificing health, knocking the enemy's Giga-energy out of them, or outright absorbing the enemy's Giga-energy). Once full of Giga-energy (as indicated by a pink meter), kaiju can transform into their significantly stronger and larger "S-class" state. This form is temporary, with the Giga-energy meter slowly depleting over time, but, although Giga-energy found in the environment cannot refill the meter while the monster is in its S-class state, the kaiju can fill their meter back up by doing combos or absorbing the enemy's Giga-energy with certain attacks. When a match goes on for long enough, a destructible bubble-like "Giga-ball" will start floating around the stage, which would allow any kaiju that shatters it to unleash an ultimate attack that deals devastating damage to other opponents. Titans can also steal the ultimate move ability from the enemy that currently has it by attacking them enough times before they can unleash it.
Modes The game comes with four story modes where the player controls one of the four playable monsters. On March 26, 2026, a fifth story mode was added via DLC. The first story mode, "The Legend of Luana Island", is about the volcanic ape Gorogong of Luana Island (a place named after the princess who sacrificed herself to seal him in the island's volcano). Awakened and driven berserk following the thievery of his crystalline artifact (implied to be the spirit of Princess Luana herself), he eventually took over Tarabak Island (the game's equivalent of Skull Island) after defeating the monsters Skorak, Rohanna, and Rawa, uniting all of their respective cults under him in the process. The second story, "Project P.P.J.U.R.A.S", is about the alien invader Pipijuras. Codenamed "P.P.J.U.R.A.S." by the Global Titan Defense Initiative (GTDI), it was previously contained in Area 51 and given cybernetic upgrades to serve as an anti-kaiju weapon. After its mind control implant was destroyed in a battle with Gorogong, it fought Earth's forces to retrieve the parts of its stolen teleporter, which it then implanted in the Earth's core after defeating its guardian, Zyva, destructively teleporting the entire planet to its race. The third story is about "Woolley's Misadventures". Due to a distraction, the story's main character sets out from his home, Siberia's Yeti Sanctuary, and goes on a journey across the world, meeting enemies (who he interpreted as others wanting to play with him) and others of his kind in the process, resulting in his family greatly expanding by the end of his adventure. The fourth story, "The Knight in Lighting Armor", is about Thundatross, an electrical mecha developed by OtomaTEC and piloted by a young boy, teenage prodigy Yuuki Otoma. Following the abduction of his father Kazuo at the hands of OtomaTEC defector Dr. Reiner, Yuuki, with the aid of his mentor Gigaman, ended up facing "Unit 02", a newer version of Thundatross created and piloted by Dr. Reiner (who aims to absorb the power of Earth's Giga Core, which will lead to the destruction of all titans and the Earth as a whole), with Yuuki's father strapped in to bypass the security features that prevent the mecha's technology from being used by anyone not related to the Otomas. After saving Dr. Otoma and the fate of Earth (with Dr. Reiner stuck in his destroyed mech and abandoned deep in the Earth's core), Thundatross is accepted as a hero of humanity. The fifth story, "A Legend Reborn", is about Gigaman, an Ultraman-like figure formed by the bond between the human Sho and the ancient cosmic being known as gaya Gaya. After 32 years of defending Japan, the veteran hero retired after his failure to save Tokyo from Rawa's self-destruction in 2012. Resolving to return to heroism in 2020, Gigaman, alongside new heroes, the mechas Thundatross and R.O.J.A.K. (Robot of Justice Against Kaiju), fought to put a stop to the mass kaiju rampage known as Ascension in 2021, an event caused by the newly revived Rawa, capitalized on by the space manticore Balzarr. When Rawa and Balzarr combined in their original form, Zargorah, Gigaman and Sho, strengthening their bond to bring forth "Gaya Gigaman", sacrificed themselves to bring down their primordial nemesis, thus saving the world.
The game also has an arcade mode, where the player runs through a gauntlet of the game's nine original titan (excluding the player's monster) at launch, as well as both local and online multiplayer. In Onslaught mode, one or two players can fight through 50 waves of enemies (Classic), or 30 waves of enemies with powerful abilities (Mutants). In battle mode, players can engage in free-for-all battle, or split into 2 - 3 teams and combat each other. While the game supports up to four players, solo players can also compete against characters controlled by artificial intelligence. Furthermore, the game features "Mayhem mode", a party mode in which players can complete various minigames together.
The game's ten original monsters can be leveled up to 20 the more they are played. Leveling up unlocks a monster's skins and lore documents. The game's DLC characters have all their alternate skins and lore unlocked.
Characters The game launched with ten original monsters. As of , the roster now also features DLC fighters, among them, six kaiju from the Godzilla franchise, seven characters from the Ultraman franchise (with the fifth fighter being assisted in battle by a juvenile kaiju), two kaiju from Gamera Rebirth, and five original characters. bringing the roster up to a total of 30 monsters.
Original Characters Base Roster Gorogong, the "Mad Beast": A magma-infused, horned gorilla-like monster from Luana Island, based on King Kong as well as the Ultraman kaiju Bemular and Garamon. Pipijuras, "Specimen 51": A three-eyed alien invader. Based on several Ultraman aliens, including Metron, Temperor, and Baltan, with the last of the three eventually ending up as a guest fighter in the game. Thundatross, the "Knight in Lightning Armor": A giant mecha based on DyGenGuar, piloted by teenage prodigy Yuuki Otoma, son of Dr. Kazuo Otoma and his late wife Megumi Otoma, powered by Giga Energy and equipped with an enormous electric sword that can summon lightning from above. Woolley: A member of a global species of Yeti known for their agility, sucking ability, hyper-elastic bellies, and playful nature, appearing to be a cross between Totoro and Kirby. Although referred to as male in-game, Ng Aik Sern, the game's founder, implies that Woolley may also be considered female. Skorak, the "Great Devourer": A predatory, toxic slug that uses Rawa's previous skull as an explosive snail shell after having poisoned and devoured the dragon from inside due to cult defectors, earning him titles like "Tyrant Slayer", and "Nightmare of Tarabak Island". Skorak's home, Tarabak, is named after the Taraban snail kaiju from Ultraman Tiga, while the monster's name is based on "skull" and its Malay equivalent, "tengkorak". Gigaman, the "Symbol of Hope": A giant, slightly out-of-shape (but still very potent) Ultraman-esque veteran superhero, formed by the bond between a man named Sho and an ancient Garuda-like entity named Gaya. Having recently emerged from abrupt retirement, he serves as a mentor for the pilot of Thundatross (as he is implied to have worked with Yuuki's father in the past). Rohanna, the "Ancient Monarch of Tarabak": A giant nature goddess based on the Sang Kelembai, tigers, and the bunga raya flower, intended to represent of Malaysia as a whole. Her name, based on "Roh" (Malay for "Spirit") and "hana" (Japanese for flower), coincidentally matches the name of one of the game's project managers (since Rohana, spelled with a single "n", is a common name in Malaysia). Rawa, the "Extinction Dragon": A powerful saurian monster based on both the Phaya Naga and Godzilla, wielding ethereal flames that outright disintegrates molecules without a trace of heat. Once a serpentine ruler reigning supreme over Tarabak Island, he was revived as an undead entity in a weakened (but still powerful) state by his cult following his death due to Skorak. Zyva (fully known as "Ghamidzyva"): A race of telekinetic, shapeshifting, faceless crystalline sentinels that fiercely guard the Hollow Earth from all who enter it regardless of their intentions, sometimes entering the surface world to immediately deal with any attempts against the Earth's core, or even attack other creatures simply for being too close to a Hollow Earth entrance.