Pinball FX2
Score: 90% ESRB: Everyone Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios Developer: Zen Studios Media: Download/1 Players: 1 - 4 (Online) Genre: Arcade/ Classic/Retro/ Online
Graphics & Sound: Pinball FX2 is essentially Zen Pinball for the Xbox 360. If you've played that downloadable PSN title, you know why that's definitely a good thing. This is the same kind of quirky video pinball we've come to expect from Zen Studios, a developer that probably knows pinball better than anyone else. They have yet again unleashed a pinball masterpiece, but what's really interesting is the unique approach they have taken to pricing. The tables of Pinball FX2 are all kinds of fantastic. Each of them takes a special theme and goes all out with it. For example, Secrets of the Deep has you exploring an underwater world, while Pasha has a distinct Arabian Nights feel to it. Each of the tables are populated with quirky contraptions that stay completely in line with the intended thematic direction, and as a result, they feel like completely different games. That's saying a lot. The same goes for the sound design. Much of the music is techno-based, which is characteristic of pinball. However, each table's thematic direction affects the music and sound effects. On the Agents table, launching the ball triggers the sound of a silenced pistol going off. When you ball out in Xtreme, the score tallies up to the sound of EKG beeps. It's these campy little touches that really give Pinball FX2 that good old-fashioned pinball feel.
Gameplay: Pinball FX2 is fantasy pinball, to be sure. However, the mechanics behind the game are grounded in reality. This isn't a game that has you actively controlling the ball itself (like in Sonic Spinball) or doing anything that's outright impossible. Like Zen Pinball, Pinball FX2 presents you with tables that are inventively furnished just beyond our current technological capabilities. It should have people hopeful for the future of pinball, a game that has been around for a very long time. What's truly unique about Pinball FX2 is how it is marketed. The game itself is free to download, but the tables aren't. Don't worry, they come at a reasonable price. You can download trials of each of them, but you'll probably want to buy each one of them once you give them a whirl. Online functionality is Pinball FX2's forte; after all, this is an Xbox Live Arcade game. You can join Tournaments and aim for high Leaderboard spots, though some of them have too much to do with the number of tables you own -- rather than how good you are in general. It's a minor quibble, though. The pinball is the meat of the experience, and boy is it satisfying.
Difficulty: Pinball was never an easy game. Sure, some tables are easier than others, but when was the last time you bragged about pwning a pinball table? There will be times when the game flat out thrashes you. You'll lose all three balls so quickly you won't know what hit you. Other times, you'll find yourself sinking into a trance worthy of the developer's namesake. You'll be soaring up the ramps, earning the multipliers, and juggling several balls without blinking -- sometimes for minutes at a time. That's the beauty of pinball, and it will always have you coming back to it -- regardless of the nature of your relationship with the longtime arcade staple.
Game Mechanics: I'm hoping that you know the general concepts behind pinball, because there's not much to explain that doesn't involve table-specific rules. Two flippers, a steel sphere, a labyrinthine jungle of mechanical wonders, and a gentle application of one of the world's most basic physical forces. That's pinball in its base form, and it's given a fine form in Pinball F 2. Pinball FX2's greatest strength lies in how fully committed it is to community support. This game was made for people who love friendly competition. For example, the game makes it very clear when you're about to break a friend's record for a certain table. Surpassing each record is exhilarating every time, and it's this thrill that will keep you (and your friends) returning to the game. I also suspect that it will help Zen Studios sell more and more tables. Given their track record with Zen Pinball, it's safe to assume that they've already got five or six tables up their sleeves. Some gamers may cry foul at the way in which Pinball FX2 is being marketed, but I personally support it. It's an innovative approach that will probably work out in the developer's favor. In the end, downloading Pinball FX2 is a no-brainer. Buying the tables themselves requires a bit of thought... but not much.
-FenixDown, GameVortex Communications AKA Jon Carlos
Related Links: Official Website of Pinball FX2 Game Vortex's Coverage of Zen Pinball
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