Fat Princess is one of the best multiplayer experiences on the Playstation Network, but fails but match the absurd amount of hype it was given.
Title: Fat Princess
Publisher: SCEA
Developer: Titan Studios
Genre: Multiplayer Action
Players: 1 player per system (24 online)
Rated T for Teen
Ever since it was first shown to the world, Fat Princess has been hyped everywhere as a must have game and people couldn’t wait to play the full version. Well, the full version is finally here and it delivers an addictive multiplayer experience that, unfortunately, fails to meet the absurd amount of hype it was given.
The concept of Fat Princess is hilarious and works great. First of all, two princesses can’t stop eating cake, leading their kingly fathers to believe they are cursed. They believe that in order to cure this curse their girls have to marry a prince. With the prince about to arrive, both decide that their girl has to marry the prince and in order to prevent the prince from seeing the other girl, they decide to kidnap her. Both kings end up kidnapping the opposing princess without realizing that their own daughter has been captured. When they realize what is going on, it all leads to war! As far as originality goes, this game gets an A+.
Besides the unique and quirky story, another thing that makes this game original is that it is not another generic multiplayer shooter. The game has a medieval feel with medieval classes with unique skills and defined roles. We have the warrior with sword and shield, the typical frontline fighter. We have the ranger, with bow and arrow in hand, a long-range attacker and support character. The mage can cast spells that freeze opponents and lights them on fire and the priest can heal friendly units and use “dark” magic to suck the life out of enemies. Finally, we have the worker. This little buddy can chop down trees for wood and smash rocks for iron, he can also build and repair structures and upgrade the “hat” machines. Upgraded hat machines leads to improve classes, for example, the upgraded warrior has a spear of sorts and a new special attack, the upgraded ranger gets a shotgun and the upgraded worker is capable of throwing bombs, a more effective weapon than the axe it begins with. Each class is important to the team and only with the right balance of units can one expect to win.
The game is meant for online multiplayer action. If you have ever played any capture the flag game, you know how the main mode works. The princesses act as the flags, with the unique twist that you can feed them cake to make them fatter. Why make them fatter? Because it makes whoever is carrying her slower, allowing you to prevent them from taking her away. This also means that in order to capture or rescue a princess you need a strong entourage to protect you as you are slow and unable to attack. The game also offers additional multiplayer modes including “Invasion” that works a lot like Battlefield, requiring you to capture outposts, as well as a standard Team Deathmatch variant. However, the modes that involve the princesses steal the show and are the most fun to play.
The game also features a single-player component, but it is mostly to teach you the ropes. The mode simply known as “Legend of the Fat Princess” tells the tale of the Fat Princesses and throws you into some of the game’s maps against CPU opponents in different game modes. It is meant to let you get up to speed with the classes, maps and game modes. There is also the Gladiate Arenas, in which you pick one unit and progress through a series of battles against other units. The CPU outnumbers you on every bout and has a decent mix of classes, teaching you how to defend yourself against a group of enemies and identify who you should target first based on which units you are facing and how many of them you are facing.
Before I move on to the next section of this review, let’s get one thing out of the way. This game is GREAT….when it works. Let me explain: Fat Princess requires teamwork, cooperation and strategy. However, not every player plays the right way and there is a lack of people online with headsets, which makes communication difficult. I have been in games where the majority of players are just running around like headless chickens slashing anything that moves and ignoring the core objective. These games tend to go on forever like an eternal stalemate with neither team capitalizing. Take into consideration that the game requires a decent investment of time, on average 20 minutes per map when everything is working like it is meant to. Now imagine how long it takes when only 3 or 4 people are trying to win and the others are slashing around and doing nothing. It gets tedious and frustrating, enough to turn people off from the game. The worse part is that it happens often.
But when it works like it is supposed to it is a thrill. There are so many strategies that one can employ to win the map since every map has more than one path to the enemy’s castle, each one with their own advantages and disadvantages. Of course, like in every multiplayer title, not every map is a winner, but the great majority of them are fun. You will fight everywhere from grassy fields, to lava-filled volcanoes and even a pirate ship.
The graphics are fantastic, with cute characters and colorful worlds that make the game look like a fairy tale….until you see the blood. Yes, blood will splatter when you cleave an opponent and you will even see limbs fly around when a bomb explodes. The game is not meant for kids. The character voices, cutesy and high-pitched, fit in well with the rest of the game. You will chuckle when the Princess screams “I am hungry!” or when a character yells “ow ouch ouw” as his life is being drained by a dark priest.
The 411:
Fat Princess fails to meet the absurd amount of hype it received, but it is still a great game and one of the best in the Playstation Network. I could not find any problems with the game per se; it had more to do with the way people where playing the game, which is not the developer’s fault. Yes, some maps are boring, but there are enough choices that you don’t NEED to play the boring maps. The only reason I don’t give this game a 9 is because people don’t seem to understand the proper way to play the game. For every great game I have played online I have had to endure 5 boring games because players fail to play a role and concentrate on the objectives. This is a game that demands team play and where solo players rarely succeed. Still, Fat Princess is a breath of fresh air: A good multiplayer game that is not another generic shooter, with an excellent art style, quirky charm and well-balanced units. Two thumbs up for Fat Princess.
Graphics
9.0
Cute cel-shaded visuals with a touch of blood and gore. It feels like a macabre fairy tale, more Shrek than Disney.
Gameplay
8.3
As long as people stick to their roles, the game is fun. Team play is required at all times; the units are balanced and work well.
Sound
8.0
The music is nothing to write home about, but the sound effects fit the game well, especially the cute, high-pitched voices.
Lasting Appeal
8.8
The trophies require you to play a lot in order to unlock them and the game works well enough to keep you playing a long time.
Fun Factor
8.2
Fat Princess is fun when it works. Developing a strategy and watching it unfold masterfully is a thrill. Just prepare to endure some boredom when your team is composed of solo players.
I just don't get how to play it, quite frankly. Maybe it's because I haven't played it with anyone else yet, but it just seems like a huge disappointment to me.
Posted By: Bimmy (Guest) on August 28, 2009 at 07:49 AM
