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| The Entertainment Review |
| Genre: Sports Developer: Dark Energy Digital Publisher: Deep Silver |
several versions were released previously on other platforms. The game of pool has become popular with the Nintendo Wii due to the ability to include the Wii Remote to use more lifelike movements to play the game.
“Inferno Pool” is a mash-up of grimy bar billiards and the classic 1980’s board game Crossfire. A standard eight or nine ball pool game can be played alone or with a friend, but the main selling point of the game is a
four player game where any ball that a player pockets can be sent over to an opponent’s table. The player that clears the table or finishes the game with the least number of balls on the table wins the round. It is an
interesting concept, but it isn’t one that is any fun by itself and isn’t much better with a few friends. Also, the awful music and sound effects don’t help to make the game any better.
For those that are looking for a standard game of billiards, the options are available in the game. Eight and nine ball can be played, though they aren’t anything special. With a game of this type, it would have been nice
if there were a few more tweaks available to customize the game, but all of the options that are available work fairly well. There are a number of different aiming options present in the game and the general controls of
the game work very well.
When it comes to the element of the game that makes it unique, players are introduced to Inferno Mode. This is a multiplayer mode where the goal is for the player to clear their table. The trick is that all of the player’s
opponents are doing the same and any balls they clear may end up on the player’s table. Players are able to pick who the balls are sent to or save them for one large attack at a vital moment in the match. Points are
awarded for trick shots in the game, such as combos or bank shots, which fills up a meter towards an Inferno. When the Inferno is activated, any ball that is pocketed is worth double the points awarded.
It is quickly realized that “Inferno Pool” is a game that is all about quick shots with the victory going to whichever player is able to sink shots the fastest. It is a little bit of a multiplayer puzzle game, only with pool instead of
falling blocks. The problem of the game is the fact that it isn’t very exciting. Even with fire shooting out of the pockets and players sending balls from one table to the next, it only feels like a minor game of speed pool.
The strategy is very limited and there is no real need for any skill in order to be good at this game. In the end the game suffers from the oldest issue that games have, it just isn’t very much fun to play.
Like other puzzle games, “Inferno Pool” offers an Endurance Mode where balls are continually added to the table. Once the table has 24 balls on it, the game is over. The goal is for the player to clear as many of the
balls as possible as quickly as possible so that the game can continue to go on. It is quite easy to reach three minutes, but after that the game starts to get fairly difficult.
The problem with a game like this have a multiplayer mode is the fact that there are rarely any other players online willing to play the game. It is one game where players will have to rely on friends buying the game as
well to get a group to play. When a match is put together, it will run smoothly and was over very quickly, leaving players waiting to set up another match to player. Luckily players are able to sign in and play the game
locally or join in and search for more players to play online. For those who want to play a multiplayer game but can’t find anyone online to play and no friends are around, they are able to take on the computer with
scalable artificial intelligence. This is the mode that many players are going to be forced to play, and there really isn’t much excitement to be had.
It is quickly obvious that the designers of the game were looking to create the feel of a dive bar, and the stained felt on the pool table and the dimly lit room match that aesthetic. The balls themselves seem out of place
with their extreme shine and reflection with their surroundings. There isn’t a whole lot of detail in this game, and the menus are able as ugly as players will see in any game.
As stated before, the sound is the greatest problem in the game. The cheesy looping techno music get annoying immediately, the voice that calls out “Inferno” or “Multi-ball” whenever something happens sounds
terrible and the attempt to make the game hip is missed.
“Inferno Pool” doesn’t have enough flair to make up for all of its flaws, and the fact that it just isn’t much fun to play. Sometimes a twist on a classic game doesn’t work well, and that is the case with this game. The
game is the most fun when played with four players, but it is too bad that it is hard to get four players together online or offline to play.
“Inferno Pool” is a mash-up of grimy bar billiards and the classic 1980’s board game Crossfire. A standard eight or nine ball pool game can be played alone or with a friend, but the main selling point of the game is a
four player game where any ball that a player pockets can be sent over to an opponent’s table. The player that clears the table or finishes the game with the least number of balls on the table wins the round. It is an
interesting concept, but it isn’t one that is any fun by itself and isn’t much better with a few friends. Also, the awful music and sound effects don’t help to make the game any better.
For those that are looking for a standard game of billiards, the options are available in the game. Eight and nine ball can be played, though they aren’t anything special. With a game of this type, it would have been nice
if there were a few more tweaks available to customize the game, but all of the options that are available work fairly well. There are a number of different aiming options present in the game and the general controls of
the game work very well.
When it comes to the element of the game that makes it unique, players are introduced to Inferno Mode. This is a multiplayer mode where the goal is for the player to clear their table. The trick is that all of the player’s
opponents are doing the same and any balls they clear may end up on the player’s table. Players are able to pick who the balls are sent to or save them for one large attack at a vital moment in the match. Points are
awarded for trick shots in the game, such as combos or bank shots, which fills up a meter towards an Inferno. When the Inferno is activated, any ball that is pocketed is worth double the points awarded.
It is quickly realized that “Inferno Pool” is a game that is all about quick shots with the victory going to whichever player is able to sink shots the fastest. It is a little bit of a multiplayer puzzle game, only with pool instead of
falling blocks. The problem of the game is the fact that it isn’t very exciting. Even with fire shooting out of the pockets and players sending balls from one table to the next, it only feels like a minor game of speed pool.
The strategy is very limited and there is no real need for any skill in order to be good at this game. In the end the game suffers from the oldest issue that games have, it just isn’t very much fun to play.
Like other puzzle games, “Inferno Pool” offers an Endurance Mode where balls are continually added to the table. Once the table has 24 balls on it, the game is over. The goal is for the player to clear as many of the
balls as possible as quickly as possible so that the game can continue to go on. It is quite easy to reach three minutes, but after that the game starts to get fairly difficult.
The problem with a game like this have a multiplayer mode is the fact that there are rarely any other players online willing to play the game. It is one game where players will have to rely on friends buying the game as
well to get a group to play. When a match is put together, it will run smoothly and was over very quickly, leaving players waiting to set up another match to player. Luckily players are able to sign in and play the game
locally or join in and search for more players to play online. For those who want to play a multiplayer game but can’t find anyone online to play and no friends are around, they are able to take on the computer with
scalable artificial intelligence. This is the mode that many players are going to be forced to play, and there really isn’t much excitement to be had.
It is quickly obvious that the designers of the game were looking to create the feel of a dive bar, and the stained felt on the pool table and the dimly lit room match that aesthetic. The balls themselves seem out of place
with their extreme shine and reflection with their surroundings. There isn’t a whole lot of detail in this game, and the menus are able as ugly as players will see in any game.
As stated before, the sound is the greatest problem in the game. The cheesy looping techno music get annoying immediately, the voice that calls out “Inferno” or “Multi-ball” whenever something happens sounds
terrible and the attempt to make the game hip is missed.
“Inferno Pool” doesn’t have enough flair to make up for all of its flaws, and the fact that it just isn’t much fun to play. Sometimes a twist on a classic game doesn’t work well, and that is the case with this game. The
game is the most fun when played with four players, but it is too bad that it is hard to get four players together online or offline to play.
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