[game 639]
Balatro
Roguelike
Playstation 5
Playstack (2024)
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Damn you, Balatro.
Look, I heard everyone raving about this game and I said to myself, "No, this can't be a good game! Look at it, it is just poker!"
Then I played it and was proven wrong. This is a good game. Very good. Is it a life-changing, all-time great? Not sure about that.
There's not a lot to it, really, it is just a set of basically familiar poker rules that are constantly tweaked through the game mechanics and wrapped in a joyful lo-fi graphical hug. It is a game that is pretty simple to grasp but fiendish to master. Randomness affects each round but doesn't quite ruin the experience. In truth, it is a new game every time you play it. It has a little of the hook of gambling (for some folks) with a lot more strategy than most gambling activities. All of this adds up to a pretty fun experience.
Yet, it hasn't reach the level of transcendence for me that it seems to have reached for other reviewers. Part of that might be because I'm a completionist and there's no way I'll ever be completing this game. The joy of collecting has worn off after about 40-50 games and feels a bit like the rest of the things to unlock will be grindy or random. And honestly, this game needs more music. I find myself adding my own soundtrack most of the time, though the sound effects are delightful. At this point in my time with it, I am decent enough to get pretty far in one game and then I find myself back at the console home screen switching to something else. However, I think this game will stay in the switcher as you can pick it up again after a long time off without any difficulty.
So, folks, it's a very good game not a great game in my book.
Look, I heard everyone raving about this game and I said to myself, "No, this can't be a good game! Look at it, it is just poker!"
Then I played it and was proven wrong. This is a good game. Very good. Is it a life-changing, all-time great? Not sure about that.
There's not a lot to it, really, it is just a set of basically familiar poker rules that are constantly tweaked through the game mechanics and wrapped in a joyful lo-fi graphical hug. It is a game that is pretty simple to grasp but fiendish to master. Randomness affects each round but doesn't quite ruin the experience. In truth, it is a new game every time you play it. It has a little of the hook of gambling (for some folks) with a lot more strategy than most gambling activities. All of this adds up to a pretty fun experience.
Yet, it hasn't reach the level of transcendence for me that it seems to have reached for other reviewers. Part of that might be because I'm a completionist and there's no way I'll ever be completing this game. The joy of collecting has worn off after about 40-50 games and feels a bit like the rest of the things to unlock will be grindy or random. And honestly, this game needs more music. I find myself adding my own soundtrack most of the time, though the sound effects are delightful. At this point in my time with it, I am decent enough to get pretty far in one game and then I find myself back at the console home screen switching to something else. However, I think this game will stay in the switcher as you can pick it up again after a long time off without any difficulty.
So, folks, it's a very good game not a great game in my book.