izigame.me

Party Animals is one of my most played games in my library and I continue to enjoy it on every revisit. But the more I play it, the more I see that it's difficult to recommend to newcomers. On the surface you can imagine that it's a casual party game with cute animals punching each other; however, this is deeply contrasted by the extremely competitive nature of the in-game community. Players who have previous experience with similar physics-based games, such as Gang Beasts or Human Fall Flat, should have a knack for Party Animals and it'd be an easy recommendation. But players with no prior experience should carefully consider if this game is right for them. The following sections of this review will elaborate on my complicated love and hate story with Party Animals.



The Good:
The fighting controls are more complex than Gang Beasts' and random weapons spawn on the arena to spice up each round. There are several modes to play such as Last Stand (2v2v2v2 or 4v4), Team Score (4v4), and Cabin (for casual off-brand Uno games). The combat is very rewarding once you get a proper handle on it. Exp earned unlocks unique rewards up to level 100, and the achievements also unlock costumes and currency. Players who invest enough time into Party Animals can get around the gacha and game currency limits by gaining experience past level 100 to earn daily mystery boxes containing cookies, Nemo bucks, or lottery coins. I never had a hard time buying the costumes I like in the game's shop because I've earned and saved plenty of currency.

The majority of my hours was spent in solo play but I had more fun whenever I was in a party with friends. Team work is at the heart of each game mode and it's very fun to embrace it with like-minded players. My favorite map of all time is Fluffy Redemption. The respawns are unlimited and there's room for mistakes. I like to switch my roles whenever needed, I could be placing coals into the firebox for a few minutes, attack the opposite team's train to slow them down, and then go back to my train to defend it.

I love the animal and environment physics! Animals can be tossed out of the arena with the right momentum and movement. Each Last Stand map has a hazard that gets deadlier as time passes. Castleween is notable for its random environment destruction. I also enjoy how it's possible to knock out animals with random stuff such as lamps, fishes, and hats. There's no shortage of crazy stuff that can happen in Party Animals. The replayability is practically infinite.



The Bad:
The initial two hours played on Party Animals may not be enough time to determine if the game is right for some players. In my case, I had a blast during my first 100 hours even while I was solo queuing for matches. But I'm sure newcomers will be frustrated once they encounter the tryhards and toxics in the community.

The matchmaking in Party Animals is split into 2 categories: Quick Match and Custom Games. Custom Games offers limited exp gained daily, and Quick Match allows you to level up indefinitely to level 100 + 3 daily mystery boxes. Custom Games are filled with AI bots and it's not obvious which ones have human players. Quick Match is a very simplified system with no variety of options. You can't select Last Stand or Team Score as the mode you'd prefer to join, and you can't opt to join a queue filled with other solo queue'd players. Instead, Quick Match will join together solo queue'd players with coordinated players in a party, and they'll have to vote on a Last Stand or Team Score map. This creates an environment that throws newcomers into a trial by fire. I've read other players' reviews on Party Animals and I can definitely see where they're coming from: the game turns into a waiting simulator after being eliminated quickly in Last Stand. I find that Team Score modes are more casual than Last Stand, and it'd be a great boon for newcomers if there was a "Quick Match - Team Score" option.

Quick Match is also the only practical way to earn rewards + exp. Winning will award a lot of exp towards a level up, and losing will award very minimal exp regardless of how well you've played. And many of the achievements require amazing feats in Quick Match. Here's an example: "666 - In Buzz Ball, single-handedly accumulate all points for your team and win (Quick Match)." These tryhard achievements contrast the intended spirit of a casual party game. All in all, players are encouraged to play competitively to extremes if they want to earn currency or unique costumes. It's no surprise that there're so many tryhards and toxics, not to the mention the AFK players who farm exp.



My Suggestions to the Devs:
Please add a variety of options to Quick Match. You can divide it into sections: Any Mode, Last Stand, Team Score. This wouldn't mess with the map voting if you filter players into their preferred modes first.
Add a solo queue and party queue option in Quick Match.
Allow players to control both hands independently. (I want to heavy punch with my left hand too!)
Allow players to climb with both hands instead of just jumping while grabbing. (Gang Beasts' climbing is better and more responsive.)



Conclusion:
There's a lot to love about Party Animals, but there's also a lot to hate about it. I keep returning to Party Animals because I love physics-based games and platformers. I think the good outweighs the bad, despite having many complaints. Newcomers, on the other hand, should beware of the Quick Matchmaking and the community's git gud attitude. Party Animals' learning curve is pretty high but will reward those who are willing to overcome it. My final rating for the game: 9/10. My rating for the in-game community: 6/10.