Party Game where someone forgot to order the drinks and entertainment.
Introduction
One of the main reasons I bought this game was the price. I thought colorful artwork on the cover stood out over all the other titles on the shelf. Not knowing anything about the game except the screen shots on the back covers, my first impression was that the game was Xbox 360 answer to the Mario Party series. So after playing the entire game here is my review.
Game Play. 6/10
The setting for the game is sometime in the future where contestants (players) battle each other for prizes. Up to four people can play the game at once. If there are not enough human players then computer controlled contestants step in. The contestants battle little mini games for control of planets. Each planet has unique set mini games. The mini games vary between button mashing or puzzle solving. There an initial set of mini games with plenty more that unlock over time. The overall game is setup so players don't run into the same mini games too often. While the game does has plenty of mini-games, I found that nearly all of the mini-games were short. Some of the really good one made you feel like that it was over way too soon and wanting to play it over again.
After each round there is a recap of score with the master of ceremony handing out little boosters for extra points. The round winner gets to choose the mini-game for the following round. In the end, there is a little ceremony for the winner of the entire match.
Graphics 6/10
While the game is set in a futuristic environment, the bright areas and flashing lights makes the setting more of a disco era. Graphics seems very dated and makes it seem like a ported version with very little work done by the programmers. Most of the game looks very pixilated and the views for most of them are horrible. The depth perception on some of the mini-games makes you wonder where you went wrong to lose the round.
Sound and Music 6/10
The sounds of matches the level of the graphics, while there are decent, it is nothing that will impress you. The one thing that will annoy you the most is the announcer. His voice will make you want to mute the periods of time he talks and does he talk. His voice reminds me of a combination of a used car salesman and a 60`s television game show host. The music is passable and can always be tuned down.
Difficulty
There are three difficulty setting available for this game. The AI is rather predictable even on the hardest settings. Their movements can be anticipated and patterns emerge. I find the harder challenge is human players giving the game much needed variation and difficulty.
360 Achievements
There are no glitched achievements for this game. The achievements are simple and can take a few hours to do. There are online achievements, even though they have to be ranked matches, not too many people play so it is easily boostable and easily done within one or two hours.
Summary
While this is a party game it semi delivers quick entertainment for a small group of friends. While the game can be found at lost places for a low price, it can be costly to even play because if there are four players, the game requires four controllers to play. If you want a quick 1000 Gamer Score then this game falls under that category and once you do get that 1000, I highly doubt you will put this game back into you Xbox. If you looking for a good party game there are plenty of other choices that you and your party will enjoy.