Contents
Introduction
If you’ve been gaming in 2020, then it’s impossible for you to have missed the days when Gang Beasts was all over the internet. Featuring silly multiplayer gameplay lets you mess around with rubbery humanoid characters and ragdoll physics; it was the most fun casual gamers experienced in a long time! Now that Gang Beasts is off the radar, a new game very similar to it is making headlines – and that game is the all-new Party Animals. The game features the same gameplay we all know and love, but with a twist – the player characters are now extremely clumsy animals, fueled by the same ragdoll physics we all know and love.
While the game is not entirely released yet, we managed to get our hands on the limited-time demo! So, is it worth your time, or is it just an unnecessary clone? We are about to find out! We will break things down into categories, so let’s get started!
The Basis
Party Animals is a simple game with a simple premise: you can choose between many adorable animal characters available. After a short tutorial that tells you about the controls, you can begin joining multiplayer matches with friends or random people.
The game offers only a few modes as of now. The main mode is about beating your opponent off the ring in several different maps; some are more traditional to beat them up while others include things like fighting on top of a moving submarine and airplane. The other mode has things like holding onto a gummy bear and taking it more towards your side while the opponent will try to take it.
The Gameplay
What makes the game fun is that you are allowed to play in many different ways, which makes every match unpredictable and fun, such as grab and attack with almost anything. You can grab enemies, grab weapons, grab boxes, anything you see is interactable, and due to the game’s physics, you will often end up in hilarious situations.
Aside from the physics, the gameplay is quite simple and features only a few basic moves, and things like running or using weapons use your stamina bar, so it is important that you keep an eye on it as you play.
What helps the game be varied despite not having much content at the time is the fact you can also play the game as a team with your friends, whether it’s activating a trap while your friend lures someone over it—helping your friend throw someone off the ring or having help with snatching the gummy bears to your side. It’s all very possible and adds more replayability to the mix.
The freedom of the gameplay encourages you to do stuff like turning on your teammates until everyone else is out of the frame, so playing with the game is something you shouldn’t miss.
The gameplay does not bring anything new to the table, but it’s still pretty solid, and you will have a great time as long as you play with your friends because the unpredictability of what happens, thanks to the physics, never gets old!
Graphics and Polish
Party Animals features very simplistic graphics, but that does not mean they aren’t beautiful. The environment and models are fairly detailed, and everything is pretty to look at because the player characters are exceptionally adorable animals that even include puppies.
It’s nothing out of the box, but one can find beauty in its simplicity. It’s easy on the eyes and suits the soothing fun nature of the game perfectly. I mean, even the weapons in the game include cute things like giant lollipops.
The polish of the game is fairly decent, as we did not encounter any bugs or rough-around-the-edges elements. Everything works, and the gameplay, graphics, and animations do not feel incomplete in any way, which is a major upgrade from other games like Gang Beasts, where the graphics looked like the alpha-build of an average triple a game.
Sound
The sound of the game is mild. There’s no intense beats or aggressive music. Most of the music is very funky, which fits right in with the game’s comedic nature. The simplicity in the soundtrack is a great thing because, for a game that does not take itself seriously whatsoever, anything not as funky and lite as this would sound overdone.
The general sound effects of the game are very satisfying and well done. Every hit will feel like it mattered, while the characters themselves have funny human sounds every time they are hit or eliminated.
You won’t be remembering any of the music once you’re done playing, but it does a nice job of not feeling empty or unnecessary.
Final Verdict?
Despite having different developers, if you own Gang Beasts, the game will feel more like an expansion than a new game because the gameplay is almost entirely the same thing. However, Gang Beasts relied on fundamental graphics, which could be compared to slightly better stick-men.
Party Animals goes a step further, featuring beautifully rendered environments, objects, and characters – and somewhat more polished gameplay that will have you experience more fun than frustration. So, with everything in mind, our score for Party Animals is a solid 7.5 out of 10!
Why such a high score? Because the game is an improvement in every way compared to other games of its kind and offers a polished gameplay experience with endless possibilities that will have you come back for more every time, whether you play solo, with friends, or as a team.
It does not have a lot of content at the time, but we’re confident it will be packed with more when the final product is released. We had a blast playing the game, and I hope your experience will be as fun too!
(The List Created By Gaming Pushpins)