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Score Scale:
10 - Awesome
9 - Excellent
8 - Very Good
7 - Good
6 - Above Average
5 - Average
4 - Below Average
3 - Unsatisfactory
2 - Poor
1 - Very Poor
0 - Disaster
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Stacked
Developer: Myelin
Media
Publisher: MTV
Games
Reviewed by M. Brandon Robbins
Article Discussion Forum
First Impressions:
I’ve always loved playing cards and board games, but I’ve always found them hard to translate to video games. However, my hopes were high when I saw Stacked and glimpsed its high production values. With the slick presentation you would expect from a game with MTV’s label slapped on it, Stacked had quite a bit going for it. I was also quite impressed with the helpful instruction book that explained the rules to Hold ‘Em poker in a very user-friendly way, and the option to use tips from Daniel Negreneau to help you along.
Graphics:
Far too often when developers take on a video game for a niche audience, graphics are usually the first noticeable thing to go. This is not so in Stacked; the graphics are of a high quality but they aren’t perfect. The animations, though limited, are smooth and go off without a hitch and the cards are well drawn. There are numerous options for customizing your on-screen character, but you must be playing the high-roller’s table because the venues lack the hustle and bustle I would expect to see at a casino, around the table of America’s most popular card game no doubt. Another argument is that, in a card game that’s all about reading your opponent’s face and reactions, there are little expressions on the virtual card sharks occupying your table. Unfortunately, the developers missed a major chance to emulate the experience of sitting in a casino playing a high-stakes game by skimping on the graphical effects.
Sound/Music:
Subtle background music plays during the game, and your opponents taunt your audibly and make their calls with surprisingly crisp voice-overs that don’t seem to be over-acted too badly. The chips clink when they’re tossed on the table and the cards make a rough sound as they slide from the dealer into your hands. The sound effects are pulled off nicely and the music is unobtrusive, making the audio portion of this game’s presentation very strong.
Gameplay:
The controls are really too complicated for a video game based on card game. There are options to make your character frown, smile, to play aggressively or to be laid back. While these options are more useful when playing against other people online, they can only be used so many times before they become repetitive and predictable. Thankfully, however, the options you really need—your betting actions and calling on your professional coach for help—are all easily accessible. One graphical element that could be used for game play strategy, a first-person camera, is rendered useless both because of the lack of facial expression from your opponents and the crowded HUD. The most disappointing game play fault is that while there are some informative tutorial videos to watch, the teaching element of the game could benefit well from a step-by-step walkthrough type of tutorial mode.
Enjoyment:
Playing online against human opponents is what this game was designed for. It’s easy to spend hours against other people with this game simply because it is, after all, poker. But only true poker fanatics will find any enjoyment in that regard, and I’m sure true poker fanatics play plenty of the game in real life. For solo players, you may find yourself growing bored after a few hands, but for those new to the game it’s a great learning tool and once a player really gets into the strategy and the suspense it’s easy to spend a lot of time with it. It’s just too bad that the novelty wears off so soon, but even then this game makes a decent, simple diversion.
Multiplayer:
There is the now requisite online multiplayer mode that supports up to nine players, and this is certainly what the developers had in mind when they put this piece together. I must say though, that I was shocked and appalled to find no off-line multiplayer support. This could have been the party game of the year, but if you want to play Hold ‘Em with your buddies in the flesh you’re best to invest in a poker set because this game is no help.
Overall Impression:
It’s Hold ‘Em poker. The mechanics of the game are not difficult to simulate on screen, but also it’s easy to make the game very boring when you’re not playing it for real. So in all fairness, the developers had this going against them. Never-the-less, the game falls short when it comes to sheer fun. One can only play a game that’s dependent on human interaction for so long against non-human opponents. For those new to the game however, it’s friendly introduction—especially to the betting rules and basic strategy--that can help you hone your basic skills, so when you go over to your buddy’s house for Hold’ Em night you don’t walk out naked.
Marketing Efforts Towards Women:
The female characters in this game are forgiving when it comes to sexual stereotypes. A character wearing a tank top might be the most offensive content that one would find. There are a few real-life professional poker players to unlock in the game and a couple of them are women, so the female gender is well-represented (as well as respectfully presented) in this game.
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PROS: Serves as an easy-to-understand and follow introduction to the game of Hold ‘Em poker and the production values are higher than one would expect from a game based on poker.
CONS: The graphics are missing some flourishes that could’ve added to the simulated experience, a step-by-step game play tutorial could’ve been quite useful, and it’s only so long before playing cards with virtual opponents gets boring. And it’s a shame there is no party style offline multiplayer.
Total Rating - 7
Gameplay - 6
Enjoyment - 4
Graphics - 8
Sound/Music -10
Multiplayer -7
Minimum Hardware
Playstation 2 was the version I reviewed, but it is also available for PC and X-Box.
ESRB: Teen
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