SouthPeak tries again with Monster Madness: Grave Danger

Despite its obvious throwback to office fave Zombies Ate My Neighbors, Artificial Studios' Monster Madness:Battle for Suburbia was among our biggest disappointments of 2007, snatching defeat from the jaws of victory with sordid gameplay mired in controls that were barely serviceable. Whether this was due to having jumped engines mid-stride, or something as simple as falling asleep at the development wheel, the game's release was quickly – and thankfully – forgotten.

It seems, however, that some lessons are hard learned, as publisher SouthPeak today reminded us that the top-down multiplayer shooter is heading to the PlayStation 3 in the second quarter, this time brandishing a new name, Monster Madness: Grave Danger, as well as "a number of new and improved features." There is that thing that mom (or was it Great White?) used tell us about being once bitten twice shy, though the pub's promise that based on player feedback "every Zombie, Werewolf and Vampire has been recalled to square one" is, at least on the surface, encouraging.

Among the changes are "completely reconstructed" camera angles, tighter controls, and updated graphics, as well as new costumes and multiplayer modes. The game will also include online co-op throughout the story mode, something that was sorely missing the first time around. Also noteworthy is that Grave Danger is being handled by a different developer, Psyonix Studios, though we can't help but think that the devs must feel like they arrived late to the party under strict instructions to clean up a mess they didn't even make.