Party Animals Review by SilentSigns
Source Technology/Recreate Games
PC (Steam) and Xbox One / Series X|S (console-exclusive).
Release Date - 9/20/23
If there's anything in this world I love more than adorable critters, it's completely annihilating my opponents in mash-y, hand to hand combat. Indie-bodies, today we're taking a look at Party Animals: your next physics-based obsession. Party animals is an over the top, all out brawl where you will face off against other adorable animals in some of the goofiest looking combat I've ever laid eyes on. Starting things off, players will be run through a brief tutorial to learn how to grab, climb, run, punch and headbutt their way to victory.
From there, you can select your favorite cuddly creature and choose from some unlockable customization options. Once you're properly trained up and dripped out in the finest wares, it's off to combat with you!
There are three different types of levels to claw your way through: last stand, team score and arcade. Last stand is fairly self-explanatory: you will be fighting tooth and nail to the furry death either solo or on a small team. The last individual or team standing wins the round. These levels are obviously action-heavy, but the ridiculous physics engine makes for a very comical experience. Landing a hard hit like a headbutt or a lollipop to the face will temporarily knock out your opponents, making them susceptible to being picked up and thrown off of a trains, planes and automobiles. Steep drops, trap doors and freezing water in the various environments add an element of strategy to the action. You'll either need to use these features to your benefit or suffer at the hands of a better player. Or, if you're anything like me, throw yourself off a cliff or blow yourself up with an explosive.
The team score mode requires a great deal more teamwork and cooperation, as you and your assigned team will be working towards a singular goal like scoring points, launching bombs or fueling a train's engine to achieve maximum speed. The same goofy fighting mechanics come in to play here as you can interfere with your opponent's efforts and fend them off from interfering with yours. Last but not least, the arcade levels are the best of both the team score and last stand modes. Each team will start with 10 lives and the last team with a remaining life wins.
If you're knocked out of a round, you can spectate the remaining players in game and interfere by throwing items like bombs and banana peels into the playing field, so you're never truly down for the count. Dropping out of a game before its conclusion does net you a short penalty where you will not be able to enter a new game for a few minutes, which is a great way to deter sore losers from ruining someone else's good time.
At this time, there are 20 maps in total between all of the existing the modes. There is a fair bit of variety to these destinations and modes but, much like similar titles such as Fall Guys or even Rocket League in some capacity, you will probably see every level within a few play sessions. At that point, it becomes a matter of practicing your combat, improving the aim of your headbutt and developing a strategy to deal with environmental hazards.
Gameplay also earns you in-game currency, which can be used towards unlocking cosmetic options for your collection of critters. A fair majority of customizable options can be unlocked through earned currency, though some items do require real world purchases. None of these optional skins or outfits will change the overall performance of the animals in any way, so you can't buy yourself an unfair advantage, which is a good thing.
I played using a controller on my pc, which worked quite well. It was also easy enough to invite an online friend to play along, both in a custom game and a quick match. I have to admit, it is a lot more fun to play with a team of people you know over a group of total strangers. There is certainly still some fun to be had playing against a room full of randoms as the core gameplay remains silly and solid, but you'll have a better time laughing at the absurdity and shouting profanities with friends or known rivals.
Graphics in Party Animals are quite impressive with some of the cutest looking fighters I've even seen. Lots of warm tones, with burnt oranges and yellows give this title a cozy vibe, even when the gameplay is anything but. I tried out nearly every animal I could and all of them are absolutely precious. No wrong answers here. Everything is adorable, and every adorable animal will destroy you.
The soundtrack has a fun and funky sound with electronic beats and horns. I don't mean to beat a dead horse, but these songs would definitely not sound out of place in Fall Guys. It's fun, it's upbeat, it's everything you would want in a game like this. Many of the tracks within the levels follow the theme of that destination, like some bluesy harmonica in the train level and some tropical woodwinds in the jungle. The clomping of the characters' feet paired with the tragic sounds your opponents make when they are knocked unconscious add to the charm and hilarity of the whole scenario.
Party animals is a well-made game, and one that is sure to provide you with many hours of fun. It's best enjoyed with a group of friends, certainly, but as long as the game has a thriving community, I think it still be plenty of fun to take online as well. While I thoroughly enjoyed getting my tail handed to me and pounding my opponents to a fuzzy pulp, I do think that the existing three gameplay modes will get a bit old after extended play. Honestly, this is to be expected with this style of game and not something I'd hold against this title in particular. There are only so many times that you can headbutt a shark into oblivion or hit a golden otter with a frying pan before you're ready to step away for a while.
I do hope that Party Animals sells well and receives the rabid fan base it deserves so the developers are able to expand further upon this very fun concept and perhaps even add additional content. Party on, and I hope to see you all in the arena!
Pros
+ Fun and colorful visuals
+ Very easy to play
+ Well implemented online matchmaking
+ A good variety of levels and unlockable content
Cons
- A bit light on gameplay modes
- Could get old after extended play
- Not as fun without a team of friends
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