Watch the Review in 3 Minutes for Party Animals, a chaotic ragdoll multiplayer party game developed by Recreate Games and published by Source Technology.
Party Animals Review Transcript
Party Animals is a chaotic ragdoll multiplayer party game developed by Recreate Games and published by Source Technology. The concept is straightforward: engage in some hectic battles against your opponents to either stay alive or accomplish the unique objectives in each game mode. If you’ve had the pleasure of experiencing the fun of Gang Beasts, you’ll feel right at home here. Expect wonky physics, wild and unpredictable combat, and a delightful sense of chaos whether you’re going solo, enjoying some local co-op action, or teaming up online featuring crossplay between Xbox and PC.
In Party Animals, you play an adorable assortment of dogs, sharks, ducks, monkeys, and many other critters. There’s over 200 cosmetics in the game that range from new animals and outfits, and my goodness everything featured is incredible. Whether you fancy dressing up as a whimsical owl reminiscent of Harry Potter or a Darth Vader Duck, there’s an abundance of charm to discover.
These cosmetics are purely for aesthetics, and can be earned through in-game currency acquired by playing or purchased if you prefer. The icing on the cake is that players can easily unlock 70% of the cosmetic items using in-game currency, known as Cookies, which you earn while playing. There’s no cap on how many Cookies you can earn, so you’ll have plenty to snag most of the items on offer. While these outfits are perfect for standing out in the crowd, it’s the exhilarating combat and game modes that truly steals the spotlight here.
There are three game modes to choose from – Last Stand, Team Score, and Arcade. In Last Stand, your goal is to be the ultimate survivor in intense brawl-focused matches. Team Score pits teams of 4 players against each other in various map-specific objectives. For example, the Soccer map adds a thrilling twist with combat while Lollipop Factory challenges you to secure candies for your team and thwart your opponents. Lastly, Arcade grants teams 10 lives, and the last team standing emerges victorious. All modes are entertaining, chaotic, and beyond fun, especially when playing with friends.
The only minor inconvenience I encountered with Party Animals was the limited control over match variety. It wasn’t possible to queue up different modes or maps seamlessly, necessitating a return to the main menu. However, this is just a minor hiccup in an otherwise enjoyable gaming experience.
Regardless of the game mode you choose, you’ll have a blast running, punching, jumping, headbutting, drop kicking, and wielding an array of weapons to take down your foes. Can’t land those kicks? Don’t worry, you can grab a taser, tennis racket, or even a lollipop from the ground to knock out your competition. It’s fun as hell to toss a downed enemy to their doom. And even if you find yourself out of the game, you can still spice things up by hurling bananas, bombs, and fish at the remaining players. This is a rare party game where winning or losing doesn’t matter, because you’re guaranteed to have a fantastic time.
I wholeheartedly recommend Party Animals for fans of chaotic party games. With its straightforward yet entertaining concept, quirky physics, diverse game modes, and cosmetic options, plus the unpredictable 10-to-15-minute brawls, it’s an absolute winner. It doesn’t matter your age or skill set, there’s a hell of a good time to be had here.
The standard edition of Party Animals drops on September 20th on Steam, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S for $19.99 with the Deluxe Edition costing $29.99. It’s also set to launch day and date on Game Pass.
