Party Animals
Review
Fluffy, Fuzzy Fury
by Camrin Santchi
reviewed on PC
Throwing Paws
Party games are full of variety, but often they can be boiled down to either cooperative where gamers work together to complete a like goal, or versus where they are pitted against one another. The latter is where Party Animals comes in, a new game that is sure to light a competitive spirit in players.
There is a brief tutorial opening Party Animals, but beyond that there isn't a single player mode - emphasizing that the focus of the game is multiplayer, where gamers can group up with friends or matchmake with other random players to compete in several different types of competitions, most of which involve a team of at least two working together. There are several different game modes, from hockey to surviving on a collapsing bridge, but the gameplay functions are all going to be the same throughout. Dashing, grabbing, punching, kicking, headbutting, and jumping are the core elements, beyond players learning how to make their characters stumble in the proper direction, as the fuzzy creatures you play as seem to do far more stumbling and tripping than proper walking or running.
Pay to Bling, Free to Wreak Chaos
Party Animals has multiple daily and weekly challenges that amount to doing certain things within the multiplayer, such as using a certain item or winning a certain number of matches. These reward EXP which allow for more costumes, but also in-game currency that can also be used to purchase these costumes. Out-of-game currency can also be used, but this is for cosmetic items only and as such avoids any potential 'pay to win' concerns gamers might have with this style of gameplay. Do note that there is a 'random draw' mechanic as well for certain cosmetic options, so use caution as this may constitute gambling according to some discussions on the matter.
Beyond the item and clothing shop, there are some fun mechanics to be found within Party Animals that set it apart from other games in this genre - one of the most notable being that even once knocked out of the game players can attempt to influence the outcome. As time passes, they earn 'coins', which can be spent to fling items onto the stage, from fish to bombs that go off after a certain amount of time. This means the tides of a match can be changed at seemingly random, depending on the whims of the already KO'd who want to either help their remaining teammate or halt a particular rival from succeeding. This is only available in 'ring out' modes where the characters are unable to return to the main stage - ice hockey for example does not allow players to be removed from the field to ensure as much havoc as possible can be wrought.
Punch Drunk
One small gripe in Party Animals is the apparent inconsistency with 'knockout time'. Players that have taken enough of a beating in a short enough time have their animal fall unconscious for a minor period of time before they get back up, giving other players a prime chance to make a move on either eliminating you or scoring a point, depending on the game mode. However, this timer can feel all sorts of inconsistent, with some knockouts over in just a second or two, while some take far longer. This is meant to indicate how many times your animal has been knocked out before, but sometimes even the first KO on a round can feel like it takes far too long to come and go. It isn't enough to ruin the feeling of the game by any means, but it can feel somewhat frustrating at times.
In all, Party Animals is a pretty fun game, with multiple maps that each have different gimmicks and can be incredibly entertaining. That being said the controls feel clumsy and take a bit of getting used to. In addition, unless you have a group of friends to play with, Party Animals may get old fairly quickly. To be fair, that is rather par for the course for a game whose focus is multiplayer, so it isn't anything outright against Party Animals. If you're a fan of multiplayer shenanigans or adorable creatures, then this is a game to keep an eye on!
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7.9
fun score
Pros
Fun multiplayer havoc, Creative game modes
Cons
Clumsy controls, Seemingly random knockout times, Not much to it
