Genre: Action, Indie, Strategy
Developer: Pinokl Games
Publisher: tinyBuild
Release Date: 25 Aug, 2015
Party Hard is a 2D top down Action game and is simply put a murder simulator with retro graphics and disco music .It is developed by Pinokl Games and is a very good effort on their part for a game in this genre.
The game starts us off with an Inspector narrating the story of a series of murders that took place throughout the country . The dialogue is kind of corny sometimes and the voice acting OK . Maybe it was intentional keeping with the tone of the game . We are then thrown in to the shoes of the murderer . As we complete more levels the story progresses.
Gameplay:
When I first saw the gameplay of Party Hard , I immediately wanted to play it . It was something about those retro themed graphics and disco music that attracted me to the game . You are a guy who attends parties just to kill all the party goers . However, its easier said than done .
The objective of each level is to kill x number of partygoers . The game has 5 playable characters that unlock over time . The player starts off with someone whose description simply is The guy who wants to get some sleep .The player has access to variety of ways to kill them . Its quite like the Hitman Series of games in some aspects. The simplest way to kill someone is just sneak up behind them,stab them and hide the body . The player can take advantage of various traps to kill their victims too . For example a stove can be tampered with so it blows up after sometime and kills everyone nearby. A vehicle can be suddenly started so that it crushes everyone in its path. Or if the player so desires they can go the subtle route and just poison the food . One advantage traps have over normally stabbing someone is that you have no chance to get caught . Its treated as an accident . However if some other partygoer sees you killing someone they immediately call the cops. There are also other ways in which partygoers can be killed . The cops may get called to the scene on a frequent basis even though they havent figured out the murderer . When the cops rush away they tend to crush any people in their path. An easy way i figured out was starting a fire all the while the cops were at the scene . They rushed away like anything and killed some onlookers. One crucial element to keep the suspicion down is to simply dance among the crowd. Its pretty similar to blending in the crowd in other stealth games. The game has some special events too over which the player has no control. Like a bear coming in and killing everyone or a drug deal gone wrong. The gameplay is fun and addicting and requires thinking and patience on the part of the players. Rushing the game often ends up in the cops arresting you .
Overall each play through tends to be very satisfying. And even with the same level ,every time you restart it you can notice minor changes like different traps , different rooms while the overall layout is same . The game is semi procedural. So no two playthroughs are completely identical.
Graphics and Soundtrack :
Not much to say about the graphics here . It suits the game very well and works with the aesthetic they are trying to provide . The game too isnt demanding at all and even a netbook could run it .
The soundtrack is simply great . The disco music blaring in the background while you do away your murderous shenanigans simply adds to the mood . Each level has its own themed music . For example a cowboy themed party has cowboy themed music . Its simply put great music .
Verdict:
Party Hard is a solid effort in this genre . It blends a novel concept with great gameplay mechanics.
The soundtrack and retro themed graphics add to the atmosphere . If you like games that require patience and a little bit of thinking all with a touch of violence , this game is must buy . However a suggestion would be to wait for the price to come down a bit.
Also a shoutout to Pinokl Games and tinyBuild for providing us a copy to review.
I give this game a 8.5 out of 10.
