Pinball FX 2
Review
It is all in the title
by Chris Priestman
reviewed on X360
A Tilt Too Far (cntd)
Maybe it is a personal preference, but simply flicking a trigger to hit a ball around a machine just to see the same gimmicks over and over again seems a little dull. The game did wake me up when it launched 2 or more balls for me to juggle with, but this just made me think that more challenging aspects like this could have really improved the game.
One aspect which may keep more competitive players going is the Superscore which adds up a total of all your high scores across the tables you have played on. All the scores can be measured against friends and are added to leaderboards if that is your addiction. Beating high scores seemed to be the only thing bringing you back to play the game but I felt that different game modes could have improved upon this.
Share Your Balls…
Fortunately there is one element to the game that I have not seen before that definitely helps to spice up the game a little, especially if you have friends playing the game too. The game comes with a local and online multiplayer that caters to everyone’s multiplayer pinball needs, whatever they may be. With both splitscreen and pass the controller options, everyone gets a chance to pinball.
Unfortunately, you can only play local splitscreen on a couple of the tables, as they are not all made compatible. You can play over the Internet on any table but I found this less enjoyable as there is no banter and it is nearly identical to the single player mode. The game could have been made much better if there were some different modes, particularly in the multiplayer aspect as simply playing pinball does get a little tiresome and something fresh would have kept me playing for longer.
As far as gameplay length goes, you have to pay to play. The game hub itself is a free download, but to be able to play pinball you will have to buy tables. There are two packs called the Core and Classic packs. The Core consists of four new tables designed for the sequel, whilst the Classic consists of four tables from the first game that have been freshened up for the sequel. On a positive note, if you have previously purchased the original game the Classic pack comes free with the sequel. Otherwise, each pack will set you back 800 points. Furthermore, if you want more tables to play on you can buy them individually for 200 points. Quite a hefty price if you ask me, considering each table is simply a reiteration with only a handful of visual gimmicks for variety instead of any new gameplay elements.
Just Pinball
Pinball FX 2 is a pinball game, straight up. If you love pinball games, then you will love this, if you don’t you won’t. It is perhaps one of the more realistic pinball games, but it really lacks diversity. The game needs something to make it stand out and get other players who would not normally play pinball to give it a go. Its only attempt is the multiplayer but this is only worth while for a non-enthusiast if they have a friend to play on the same console, but then you might as well play something else that lasts longer. You will know if you will like this game or not simply by your reaction to the following question: do you like pinball games?
5.2
fun score
Pros
Accurate physics engine and improved graphics make for an unbeatable pinball simulator, online capabilities will delight pinball enthusiasts.
Cons
Too expensive, most of the tables lose interest quite quickly, limited appeal.
