Party Animals is a new physics-based PVP arcade brawler, pitting players in some nice and friendly fluffy-on-fluffy violence! Read on for our review of its gameplay, visuals, and more to see if it's worth your money.
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Party Animals Review and Score Explanation
Party Animals Review and Score Explanation
| Overall | Party Animals brings the best physics-based PVP brawler for this generation. With hilariously fun gameplay, cute characters, great environments, and excellent sound design, this game will make all parties and get-togethers better. With only niche problems with the camera and controls present in all 3rd person 3D games, Party Animals still shines with huge potential for replayability with its countless modes and maps. Even those without friends can hop in online matches and develop friendships through fists. If you’re the solo type, AI combatants are available for you to pummel as well. The game more than succeeds at being what it wants to be, which is to be fun for everyone. Party Animals is a must-have purchase for anyone looking to have some silly light hearted fun, and is best played with several of your friends. |
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| Story | Generally, for arcade party brawlers, there isn’t much need for a general story. You and your friends pick the animal character you want and proceed to beat each other up. Choose different maps and gamemodes and see who among your friends is the best party animal. This open-endedness works for the game, having the players be plopped into game modes and maps and sort out what’s going on amongst themselves. It’s entirely serviceable for the game to have a barebones premise, but perhaps some sort of general worldbuilding would have benefitted the game a bit more to tie in all the maps and gamemodes. Still, that will be more of an addition to the game, and not something that it lacks or desperately needs. They stuck to simplicity, and it works to have no context for cute animal violence. |
| Gameplay | The game handles as well as one could expect a physics based game could. It takes a bit to get used to controlling your own momentum and interacting with objects, but getting a hang of it will have you battering people left and right all day long. The combat is fun slapstick fighting that will leave you grinning all throughout. Running towards someone and performing a jumping kick, only to miss and splat against the wall motionless is the epitome of the game. Aside from the combat, there are various team-based game modes that have simple objectives to carry out in order to win a match. How can such a basic thing like having two opposing teams go at it in a football match where fists and kicks are allowed be so fun and perfect? The thrill of knocking out someone in a pileup, stealing the football, and getting to the goal is something everyone needs to experience at least once. A couple downsides would be the camera becoming awkward at times, and that the controls on the keyboard and mouse could be a bit more intuitive. |
| Visuals | The whole roster of animals are perfectly modeled and rendered. From their most recognizable features of horn, ears, feathers, and fur, they’re all so convincing you might find yourself reaching into your screen to pet them. The stylistic cartoony art direction and design of the environments are also perfect for a party game. Each map is also individually crafted to enhance the gamemode it accompanies, which only further immerses you into the atmosphere. The game’s UI is top notch, utilizing a cute and cozy theme perfect for party games. Everything is sleek, refined, polished, and functional. And cute. Did I mention it’s cute? |
| Audio | The music is all good and energetic and specifically composed for each map’s theme. A sports gamemode has a more upbeat track while the beatdowns occur, a dayside riverside brawl brings a more chill, relaxed vibe to it while the explosions occur, and a cabin in a winter storm has that pub/bar ambience of having a drink while the fistfights occur. The main selling point would be the sound design. It is absolutely perfect in every way. Subtle scuffling sounds as players collide with one another, trying to land hits and failing. Then comes the satisfying oomph of when one of your punches enhances so much of the game. Half of the reason why the game is so fun is all due to the sound design, and that has to be given major props. |
| Value for Money | For only $19.99, Party Animals is an absolute steal. With so many characters, gamemodes, and maps to choose from, there is so much replayability in competing with friends and other players. You could be collecting giant lollipops in a factory while hurling candy bits at each other on one day, and then competing in competitive sports the next. If you have a real life conflict with another person, hashing it out here through cute cuddly animal violence could help. It’s meant to be a multiplayer party game, but you can still play on your own with no issues, since AI controlled enemies are available. It might not be as fun with real people, but it’s still a good time to be had. |
Party Animals Review
Pros of Party Animals
| Things Party Animals Got Right |
|---|
 Simple Modes Add So Much Perfect Sound Design Everything Complements Each Other |
Simple Modes Add So Much
A key part in what makes Party Animals so much fun is that the developers, Recreate Games, created a unique physics engine to house all the gameplay. Having their own custom engine allows the game to feel different from other well-known physics-based titles, giving them their own unique spin on the genre. The combat mechanics rely on this engine heavily and the result is an extremely fun and chaotic experience. Then, the simple act of adding basic stipulations suddenly makes it all the more entertaining. Football games are fun, but better when fighting is allowed. Working in a candy factory isn’t boring when you can whack your opponents with giant lollipops.
Such simple premises end up having a ton of mileage to them thanks to the great base mechanics allowed by that custom engine. All kinds of hilariously unpredictable scenarios open up, and that’s probably the biggest aspect of what makes Party Animals so good.
Perfect Sound Design
When you smack someone in the face, you want to hear that satisfying pow. You get that here and more. You’ll hear the most subtle sound cues of awkward scuffling while another player tries to sneak in a punch. The sounds made from refusing to let go of each other also adds just so much enjoyable immersion. The little stubby footsteps of animals running towards their foes before getting whacked by a giant tennis racket as soon as you arrive, seeing them thud to the floor is just objectively hilarious. The most satisfying crunch has to be when you land a flying kick on an unsuspecting victim, laying them down in slow-mo and hearing them thud across the ground, unconscious.
These perfect aural depictions aren't just present between player interaction, but also in the environment. Pool balls clacking on a table smacking against each other, ice cracking as frost builds up, and books falling off shelves, it’s everywhere.
Most slapstick comedy is carried by its sound effects, and Party Animals achieves that universally-enjoyed artform through its meticulous SFX found everywhere.
Everything Complements Each Other
An often overlooked aspect for video games is how good each element of the game goes along with each other. Gameplay, graphics, UI, audio, color pallete, character design and countless other parts all add up to one intentional experience, and these things have to work in tandem to feel right, whether you realize it or not. Party Animals nails down this aspect on all fronts.The game’s whole purpose is to be fun, and so it maximizes its efforts to be as enjoyable as it can be with one another.
The fun and comfy UI accompanies the energy of the game. The stylish cartoony art direction brings a quirky vibe for cute animal combat. The various maps have detailed environments and unique music specific to them. Everything was given thought to synergize with one another, and this makes for a great game overall.
Cons of Party Animals
| Things Party Animals Can Improve |
|---|
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Awkward Camera at Times More Controller Friendly Than Keyboard+Mouse Friendly |
Awkward Camera at Times
Making sure a game’s camera works well for indoor settings is a nightmare. Party Animals, to their credit, did their best, but there are still issues to be had. Some walls and props refuse to turn invisible and consequently obstruct the sightline to the controlled character. Rotating to another angle will show other props that didn’t turn invisible. Though these are minor gripes, they still dampen the experience a bit and cause some frustration.
More Controller Friendly Than Keyboard and Mouse Friendly
The game strongly recommends using a controller to play, with keyboard and mouse as a secondary option. They do this for good reason, because the difference in intuitiveness and comfort between them is significant. The advantages and disadvantages of using a controller versus a keyboard have been present pretty much since video games were invented, and there are several still fighting the holy war to claim supremacy.
However, in Party Animals, players using controllers will always have an edge during gameplay. Sure, it’s a party game and not a competitive esport, but it still feels like they could’ve done more to bridge the gap a bit better and reduce frustration to allow it to be truly open for all players.
Party Animals Story Plot
Party Animals is an adorable fighter where you chuck cute animals into an arena and have them flail weapons around to beat their compatriots black and blue.
That’s pretty much it. But that’s fine. No context is needed for such a fun beat ‘em up.
Who Should Play Party Animals?
Party Animals is Recommended if You Enjoy:
• Gang Beasts
• Human Fall Flat
• Pummel Party
• Party Games in General
Fans of Gang Beasts will have plenty to look forward to with Party Animals. Similar in their physics based combat, it feels like its spiritual successor if anything. Human Fall Flat, though primarily a puzzle game, still shares many similarities with its co-op and physics based hijinks. Pummel Party is more of a board game, but contains that essence of various minigame combat against friends.
Any fan of the party game genre where beating up your friends is not only allowed, but encouraged, is sure to enjoy Party Animals.
Party Animals Trailer
Newest Trailer
Official Trailer
Game8 Reviews
Party Animals Product Information
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| Title | PARTY ANIMALS |
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| Release Date | September 20, 2023 |
| Developer | Recreate Games |
| Publisher | Source Technology |
| Supported Platforms | PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S |
| Genre | Casual, Fighting |
| Number of Players | 2-8 |
| ESRB Rating | Teen |
| Official Website | Party Animals Website |
- Disclosure: Game8 was provided with free copies for review purposes only, with no other compensation.
