What would you do if your neighbours are too loud during the late night because of a party? Well, go on a killing rampage, of course! At least that’s the messaging behind Pinokl Games’ PC Steam title called Party Hard. Is this game gonna be something that you’ll be “partying†to or would it be “hard†to enjoy with?
You assume the role as Darius who is fed up with the neighbours partying and keeping him awake at night. As a result, he’s out to go on a killing spree. Each level can take you to a variety of party settings, including the night club and cruise. The objective obviously is that you kill off everyone within your sights. To note, there are various traps that you can set as well as spots where you can hide the dead bodies. So you can either perform the various creative ways to kill off these party people or you can just simply stab them.
While that does keep things lively and humorous, the gameplay can also grow old pretty quick as it feels you’re doing the same thing over and over again. And to add salt to wound, you may also have to do some waiting around considering you have to avoid having too many witnesses. Otherwise they will end up calling the police in which case you’ll need to evade them. If you’re impatient and expect some constant action, Party Hard may be “hard†to say put with.
Nonetheless, there are some redeeming qualities that can offset this repetitiveness. The controls are very straightforward, thereby making it very easy to pick up and play right away. There’s also a button you can press to make Darius dance. I must say that playing with the keyboard can be a bit confusing, so I would recommend using the controller if you can get a hold of one.
There are also some variety when going from one level to the next with the new environments. Additionally, when replaying the same level, the victims’ location and the traps are placed randomly each time, giving Party Hard its replay value. It doesn’t matter within the level how many people you killed. If you end up getting caught, you have to start over. So it can be a drag to be in this predicament.
The retro approach to the graphical appearance of Party Hard is an interesting one. Its colorful and keeps the violence from looking disturbing. The music also maintains this retro feel and, as a result, is quite catchy. Actually part of the motivation for me to continue on with the game is to hear the different soundtrack.
Overall, Party Hard’s sense of humor and retro style approach is what gives this game its charm. There will be moments where you feel its repetitiveness, but it does have a unique premise that makes it stand out. If you can get a hold of the demo, try it out and see if it’s your keep of tea.
