I am kind of new to the party game scene, so Rio seems to be a good start.
Rio enters what one can describe as a thinly spread genre, the family party game. Not many games out there can provide entertainment for such a varied age group. Either the games tend to be too easy or be too difficult for younger players. Rio however changes that, with a carnival twist.
The game boasts around 40 mini games, in which you can play with between 1-4 players. There is no online mode, however with 2 or more players this is not missed. The action varies between three main game types, shooting/bowling, collecting and dodging. Once you realised that, the game starts to show is depth, or lack thereof. Most of the games are slightly adjusted for example, you throw a snowball at your opponent, which later turns into throwing a ball of mud at an opponent. However with different settings the younger players probably will not catch on to that
The story mode was completed in around 40minutes, replaying this is not really on the cards as you get to play most of the mini games available. There are a few snippets of the movie through-out, although I cannot quite seem to understand why. Mostly they seemed quite random. The story mode is loosely based on the movie, but if you have not watched it, you won’t be missing out on much as the characters keep repeating the story.
The key to the game is in the atmosphere it can create in your lounge through the mini comps. Most consisting of around 10-12 games they don’t take up an entire evening. Just long enough to warrant starting up the console and not to long as to ruin the party.
Graphics wise the game is better than I expected, Having played other Disney type games I was not expecting much however the characters are well rendered and the music is enough to get you up and dancing. Controls are very basic, with most games being played with either just the left toggle or the left toggle and a button or two. Once again, it is aimed at kids and definitely hits the mark. My 3 year old nephew was able to get in and play without much hassle.
Would I recommend this game?
For a family that’s looking for something to entertain the kids and possibly join in on the fun, Yes. If you are looking for a game to play with a group of 20 something’s, I would rather buy Buzz! or the likes.
Overall I found the game entertaining but I don’t think I will be playing it in 2months time.
Scoring:
Gameplay: 6.0
With simple controls and basic movements, the game play seems a little lacking and almost assisted
Design and Presentation: 7.0
With better than average graphics and a soundtrack that just screams party the game is well presented however the size of the playing field is lacking.
Value: 7.5
With around 40 mini games there is less chance of repeating the same game, Three difficulty levels and various game modes you wont finish all the games in a rush.
Overall: 7.0 [average]
It’s a great game for those that have an hour or two to waste every now and then or those that simply just want to keep the little ones busy. However not really something I expect to see in most game collections
[Reviewed on Playstation 3 – also available for Wii, Xbox 360Â and Nintendo DS]
Last Updated: June 10, 2011
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