Party Animals Review

In the many years we’ve frequented EGX/Rezzed/WASD, we’ve played many games, most of which were good or even great. But there was one regular for several years that always provided the most memorable moments without fail – Gang Beasts. This physics-based wobbly fighter proved hilarious time and time again, be it against each other or against a random group of lads, with which we had a good series of competitive matches over about 45 minutes. We’ve since played it at home and while it’s still great, we also were in need of a bit of a mix up. Enter Party Animals.

The premise is much the same here – albeit with furry animals replacing the humanoid blobs of Gang Beasts. Up to 8 players can go head to head in wobbly physics-based carnage, either in teams or a free for all. Movement is trickier than it looks thanks to the floaty nature, and we’re armed with kicks, punches, headbutts, and all sort of weaponry with which to dish out punishment.

In Party Animals, it’s as much about the laughs we have along the way as it is the actual fighting. Thanks to the physics of the gameplay, we could be wailing around at each other in a comical pirouette, or be sent flying with a well-timed drop kick just as we were preparing to thrown someone else out of the arena. Sometimes it’s funny because we won, others because we didn’t. While this might strike some as unfair or even not all that fun, everyone is hamstrung in the same way, and even more average gamers have just as much chance of landing a killing blow as anyone else.

It’s not just fighting that we’re doing mind, though that does constitute a large portion of things. Each level has a different theme and set up, be it a simple arena where we need to throw opponents out of the area and into poison fog, trying to stay on a rickety bridge  as it falls apart, using barricades in a wind tunnel that slowly descend, fighting on the back of a stealth plane as it slowly engulfs in low altitude frost, or even playing a game of American Football or Hockey. Some are better than others (the soccer one feels a bit to drawn out thanks to the slow pace and physics, while the arcade minigame within a fight is a brilliant bit of fun) but there’s enough variety to mean even a longer play session doesn’t get too repetitive quickly.

Our main gripe with Party Animals though is that, much like the Soccer level, a lot of the games can feel a bit drawn out at times. When playing with four teams of two for example, unless one team steamrolls everyone, chances are we’re going to be fighting in the same map, against the same people, for a bit too long as each team gets a victory. These rounds are first to three wins, and it hasn’t been uncommon in our time playing to have all four teams win two rounds each before the final decider.

Each level does at least have a timer of sorts, most of which in the form of environmental hazards that shrink the play area. But even then we feel like the match-ups can go on a little too long for our liking. A short timer or fewer wins required would be ideal really.

A title like this should really shine in Game Pass, and as of writing a few days post launch there seems to be a healthy community of players on there at all times. Cross play is enabled which is great, though on other platforms this is currently a paid purchase, despite there being a micro-transaction store full of cosmetics. These are inoffensive enough, and we earned enough in-game money to pick up a couple of the more basic offerings in our time playing.

Conclusion

All in all, Party Animals is a fun, hectic online wobbly brawler. The levels are varied and have some clever ideas and set-ups, while the physics-based nature of the combat provides hilarity whether we’re on the good or bad end of the randomness. Matches can feel a little overly long, but as something to pick up for an hour or so with friends regularly, this fits the bill nicely.