Party Animals Review
Perhaps not everyone is aware, but this incredibly cute game is called Party Animals. It released a free demo on Steam two years ago and garnered tremendous support from gamers due to its playful gameplay and incredibly adorable characters.
After releasing the demo, this game gained popularity with famous streamers and saw a massive number of downloads and wishlists on Steam. After two years of dedicated development by the small studio Recreate Games, it seems that Party Animals might be their first major success. It's not surprising given that, despite being a small studio, its team members come with experience from working at companies like EA and Tencent. This indie studio, based in Shanghai, actively sought player feedback to improve the game, and after all that effort, Party Animals was officially launched on September 20th.
The game introduces various improvements in gameplay, character animations, and unique character designs. It appears to be one of those entertaining titles that you shouldn't miss.
Party Animals' gameplay is divided into three modes: Last Man Standing, Team Score, and Arcade Mode.
In Last Man Standing mode, characters can engage in one-on-one battles or form teams of two on small maps, fighting each other or simply trying to survive until the end. This gameplay style is perfect for quick, high-paced moments of entertainment.
The wide variety of weapons includes guns, bows, melee weapons, and even power-enhancing items, ensuring that everyone has a chance to win. An exciting addition is that even if you die early, you don't have to sit idly and watch others play. There's a respawn timer that allows you to rejoin the action by descending onto the field as a fish to throw at your opponents, slip them up with a banana peel, or, if you wait long enough, toss a bomb directly at your nemesis. This may seem like a small change, but it adds a lot of fun to the gameplay experience.
Next up is the Team Score mode. This gameplay mode combines teamwork to overcome and defeat opponents. The most notable activities in this mode are soccer and train racing. Soccer involves the straightforward task of getting the ball into the opponent's goal, requiring effective team coordination, with players taking on roles such as defenders, goalkeepers, and outfield players.
Playing with friends enhances the fun, but the real highlight is the train race. Your mission is simple: carry coal from your train and throw it into the furnace to make your train go faster and surpass your opponents. Alternatively, you can jump onto your opponent's train and wreak havoc. This ranges from disrupting their team formation to pulling the train's brakes to slow it down. This mode demands a well-organized division of tasks, as focusing too much on coal delivery or attacking opponents without enough attention to defense can lead to defeat.
All of these modes offer a festive and entertaining experience, but they may not be particularly exciting or novel if you're looking for depth. Most of the maps introduced in the Team Score mode reward you for understanding how to control the quirky characters of Party Animals. This means the game won't provide much relief for new or less-skilled players when they can't contribute much to more experienced players.
Finally, there's the Arcade Mode, which is entertaining but overshadowed by other modes due to its limited map selection. It's quite similar to Last Stand; both modes share similar design principles and mechanics, while avoiding the custom challenges and objectives found in Team Score mode. The only real difference is that Arcade puts you in two teams of four players, with a shared pool of 10 lives for the entire team. The substantial similarity is a bit disappointing, but Arcade Mode features my favorite map in Party Animals: Final Destination. Here, you're fighting for control of an underground subway station platform. Throwing your opponents onto the tracks before the train arrives is genuinely exciting and creates some tense moments.
If I were to point out a weakness in the gameplay, it would likely be the lack of customization options for playlists, such as adjusting objective options or selecting preferred maps. Particularly in Team Score mode, you can't modify the maximum winning score or match duration, leading to potentially drawn-out and boring matches if players don't cooperate or understand the game mechanics. This is a common issue when playing online with strangers rather than with close friends.
Nevertheless, it must be said that Party Animals boasts adorable graphics that are easy for gamers to enjoy. The characters in the game are diverse and each has its unique cuteness. Character selection only affects appearance, with no gameplay advantages or disadvantages. These characters also have themed skins that can be earned through in-game progression or purchased via microtransactions. The skins are well-crafted, so if you like them, feel free to spend money at any time. However, even the default skins are quite charming.
In terms of sound, the game falls in the acceptable category. The music is mostly cheerful but not particularly memorable, while the sound effects for collisions and combat are adequate but don't create much excitement. Perhaps the emphasis was placed on the eye-catching graphics.
Party Animals, as a smooth multiplayer game with a variety of distinct maps and adorable characters, offers a fun and chaotic party experience that's friendly and joyous. One of its standout features is the whimsical and cute visual design, combined with an intriguing physics system. This creates creative and humorous battles as different animals strive to face each other in diverse environments. Unexpected and comical situations often arise when these lovable creatures encounter surprises, creating unpredictable and game-changing moments in the gameplay.
If you are genuinely okay with the quirky and humorous control system of this game and are determined to get acquainted with its gameplay, you'll undoubtedly find moments of satisfaction and even entertainment joy.
VERDICT
However, despite the fun, the game still has room for improvement in the future, such as deeper customization options in game modes and Quality of Life enhancements. Therefore, Party Animals doesn't seem to be polished to perfection at the moment, but if you're not overly demanding and enjoy entertainment, as well as being okay with the developers needing more time to refine it, Party Animals in the future might be a complete party.