Apples to Apples (XBLA) Review

Posted by Adam Larck on 12.16.2011

Don’t let the single-player mode fool you. See what I mean inside.



Title: Apples to Apples
Publisher: THQ
Developer: ImaginEngine
Genre: Board Game
Players: 1-6
Rated: E for Everyone

What do you think of when I say Crazy?

Do you think of something literal, like an Insane Asylum, something people do, like hoarding, or even some person? That’s the joy of Apples to Apples, all these answers and more are correct.

The game has been around for a while now in board game form, but this is the first time the game has been able to purchase on a game console.

The premise of the game is easy enough. Each round, a green card is picked with a key word, followed by a few synonyms. The non-judges choose a red card that creates the best or funniest answer, then the judge chooses which card they like the best.

This means that it does come down to personal opinion. Sure, a word in the literal sense may fit the description word, but another choice may just be more humorous and fit the judge’s choice better.

Before I talk more about the multiplayer mode, though, I need to spend a bit of time on the single-player. Let me preface this with the following: don’t believe what the trial shows you about the game. The trial only shows the single-player mode, which is nothing like the rest of the game.

I was curious as to how a computer would choose the best answer each round. The answer is they don’t. Instead, you have different types of apples, such as sports, space and more, and you have to choose from one of three red cards to match what goes best with their green card.

It’s not that simple, though, because then you have to find the five-letter word in a Boggle-type field and spell it out to choose it. It’s a weird mode, and I question if it was the best way to implement a single-player. Honestly, it’s one of those you may play once to unlock all the Apple avatars, then never play again.

Multiplayer is where this game is at. There is local for friends to enjoy, as well as a six-player online. On the online multiplayer, there’s various game modes to play, such as classic, a reverse mode (choose the worst answer) or playing without Golden Apple Cards, among others.

The Golden Apple Cards are a new addition that are basically cheat cards that let you steal points, automatically get a point or force players to skip a turn, along with a few other types. You unlock more as you win more games, and any player in your room can use them.

One of the problems I noticed online is that finding a game is hit and miss. Sometimes, you’ll be able to find a full room instantly, while other times you can sit for minutes while maybe a person or two pop in.

Also, the time limit is sometimes deceiving. I sometimes found that it wouldn’t count down, then jump to a few seconds left, leaving you a short time to pick a card or a winner.

The multiplayer is also a bit customizable. You can choose how many rounds you need to win to win the game, whether Golden Apple Cards are allowed and a time limit. Also, you can chose whether players draw new cards at the start of the round, if the slowest player is excluded from judging and more.

Honestly there’s not much more to say about the game. You can unlock a few different Apple avatars to use, along with various backgrounds. If you don’t want to use an Apple avatar, you can always use your own avatar too.

The graphics are simple enough to let you enjoy the game, and the sounds not bad, although avatar sounds get grating quick if they are spammed.

Pros

Multiplayer is a blast.

Some pretty humorous results can pop up.

Each game plays out differently.

Cons

Single-player feels really tacked on.

Trying to find random matches can sometimes be problematic.

No option to write own cards in.

The 411:

Overall, Apples to Apples on XBLA is a pretty bare-bones presentation of the game, but presents it nicely. Besides the single-player, a lot of fun can be had with multiplayer. If you have some friends online looking for something to do, definitely keep this game at the top of the list.

Graphics	6.0	There’s nothing huge to report with the graphics. They’re average and get the job done.
Gameplay	8.0	Sure, the single-player may be pointless, but the multiplayer more than makes up for it.
Sound	6.0	Once again, simply average. However, I do wish they took the avatar sounds out, as I’ve seen them be spammed in a decent number of games.
Lasting Appeal	8.0	If you have friends playing this, this could be a big game for a while. Each game is new and always offers some laughs.
Fun Factor	8.0	Plenty of choices I saw gave me a chuckle, if not a laugh. You’ll enjoy your time playing this.
Overall	7.2   [ Good ]