In the original 1954 movie, Godzilla represented the destruction and fear of nuclear weapons and energy in Japanese society in the wake of the Second World War and American occupation. It was not just the Japanese who feared this new technology, though they certainly new its power more than most. In the United States, Them!, a movie from the same year, was a story of giant ants that were created nuclear fallout from bomb testing in Nevada. It ends with a speech from Dr. Medford, played by Santa from Miracle on 34th Street, about the unknown dangers nuclear energy.

In the movie Godzilla was monster of limitless power who was awoken by bomb tests in the Pacific. His path of destruction through Tokyo and connection to the bomb ring of those final days of the Second World War. His abrupt appearance in the Pacific is an example of unknown consequences of atomic energy.

The Godzilla in 2014 represents a great danger of our time. The King of the Monsters is referred to as being able to "bring balance". The giant insects Godzilla faces are awoken by strip mining in the middle of a tropical forest. A large portion of the early film takes place in a destroyed nuclear power plant, obvious nod to the Fukushima Nuclear disaster. There is an overall theme of environmental degradation and the consequence of that with Godzilla being forced to "bring the balance" just as a hurricane or flood restores balance or ties at least. Godzilla leaves a path of destruction in his wake, but it is to defeat those who would unbalance the order of things. The most striking example of this theme is at the end of the film. Refugees of the destruction of San Francisco gather in a arena. Broken families are searching for each other with the help of FEMA workers. Beds and blankets are scattered throughout. The comparison between this and Hurricane Katrina are automatic.

Monster movies, as well as horror, have a insight the fears and worries of the day. Invasion of the Bodysnatchers was about communism, Them! was about nuclear energy and the most pressing issue of our day, climate change is dressed by having a 400 ft monster destroy San Francisco. (Of course)

Often I avoid the open game. Minecraft, Rust even some sandbox games like GTA or Sleeping Dogs can bore me. By letting me do everything you tell me to do nothing. And I'm a lazy sack. Space Engineers seems to avoid this problem and I'm not sure how.

Space Engineers is like any other crafting game really. Collecting resources and creating tools and the like. But unlike Minecraft there substantial less combat. There is no enemy combatants or aliens or zombies. Nothing. Zero. Just The occasional meteorite that might destroy everything you've built. The only thing that resembles a enemy are unmanned ships with automated weapons. Its fun to try and highjack them, entering a space ballet where gravity leads.

You could also combat you fellow Space Engineer, cutting and pounding each other with jackhammers and cutting tools. If you want to put effort into it you can collect nickel, magnesium and other material to craft a gun. But its crazy. There is no reason to do that. All those materials would be better spent on those previously mentioned automated turrets, as to target those even more previously mentioned asteroids. This is a game where combat not only minimal but actively prevents progress of creation and goal achievement.

All of this is complemented by some of the funniest, if not confusing, zero gravity physics and controls I have ever experienced. Jetpacks allow for flexible and varied movement. Where things get crazy is where gravity generators come to play. These generators are used in ships and platforms to keep equipment and players to floating around. The strength of the gravity can be changed and weakened. Multiple can be used at once. In the game I played with friends, we brought 5 ships to our home platform to strip them for parts. As I entered the ship I was pulled to the ceiling than suddenly to the wall than back down the floor. All the generators field of influence was stretching beyond the walls of the ship and effecting each others home ships. This idea zero gravity is throughout the game. Building in open space is a pain. Mining is difficult as minerals are flying all over the place. This difficulty with something that would be simple in other crafting games adds to the idea that cooperation is need to achieve anything in this game. You try to do it alone, you fill fail.

It goes back to the idea that I'm a lazy sack. I need to work with friends and other players to do anything. The game makes be cooperate and build and work. You should check it out.

Currently there are some technical difficulties in the game. Frame rate issues are abound on my PC, a computer that should run it with ease. Lag was a issue with the sessions I played with my friends. I wait in anticipation for when this game is released as a full game, hopefully with even more added features.