Trash Panic (Review)

TRASH PANIC

Readers of my Top Demo lists may already know that after playing the Trash Panic demo over and over, I eventually decided to bite the bullet and splash out a whole £3.99 for the full game. The Student Loans company would be so proud of me.

You may also be aware that I've embarked on an extremely frustrating and time consuming endeavour of playing every demo I could find on the PlayStation Store. Although some demos are true gems, sometimes even inspiring me to buy the full game, the process as a whole has basically felt like excavating lumps of crap out of the PS Store... But it's ultimately worth it for the games that really stand out.


But we're here to talk about Trash Panic, aren't we?
First thing I have to say about Trash Panic is- download the demo. I'll wait.

Done? What did you think?

After recommending it in an article, a few people got back to me with their opinions- pretty much mixed reviews all around. Some people felt the same way as me, a fairly good game and quite addictive. On the other hand, some people thought it was a pointless waste of time, so this game really does depend on your taste of games. The way I saw it though was if the full game could give me even a little bit more fun then it would be worth the mere £3.99 I would pay for it. It's safe to say it didn't disappoint.

The full game has a variety of modes. Well, 3 modes really. There is "Main Mode", "Challenge Mode" and "Versus Mode".


MAIN MODE
In the Main Mode you play 5 levels of varying difficulty. Each level increases in size but pretty much stays the same, by which I mean the objects, as well as the bin, get larger, making it a more cosmetic change than anything.



The first level is a waste bin in a bedroom, therefore the objects are smaller, such as cups, dumbbells, lighters, pencils etc. The second level is set in an office, with filing cabinets, office chairs and such. The third level (the level from the demo) is set in a waste disposal site. The levels get increasingly larger scale until the final level has you throwing entire countries and islands into, well, a giant bin.

The levels are great fun as different objects have different properties, things can be set on fire, broken up, decomposed etc, so there is a fair bit of skill needed to complete each level. Changing the difficulty makes each level longer and adds a special "Boss" item at the end of each level- an object that is much larger and tougher than the others which you have to destroy in 10 seconds.

The main problem I had with the game was how frustratingly hard it is. I didn't want to write this review until I had completed the main mode, which has taken me a fair while now... On easy. There is no save option, which means that if you want to complete it you have to do all 5 levels in 1 sitting which, believe me, is much harder than it sounds.

If you just want a quick game you can simply select a level to play and have a bash. However, annoyingly all the levels aren't unlocked from the start. To unlock a level you have to complete it in the main mode. Which means to play the last level you have to play through the entire game, start to finish- which as I stated earlier can be EXTREMELY frustrating.


CHALLENGE MODE
Another mode that seems necessary in all puzzle-type games is the "Challenge Mode". This features an array of different challenges to complete, including "Small Bin" in which you play a level with a bin half the size, "Ring the Bell 108 times" in which you battle the raging, non-existent elements to strike said bell with all your might (108 times) and... I don't know the others. That's right, this mode suffers from the same Achilles Heel as the main mode in which you have to do the previous challenges to unlock the rest. At least I assume so, I've yet been able to ring that damn bell more than 90 times.

I really can't understand the reasoning behind this system of unlocking the games I want to play. I paid for this game with the tax payers hard eared cash, the least the game should do is let me play it. It feels like a strange and redundant method of prolonging game-play, adding longevity. But puzzle games shouldn't need that. They're specifically designed to pick up when bored and put down after a few games- hence the simplistic gameplay and low price tag. To force people to play sections of the game they find frustrating or even simply not fun is quite frankly absurd. I enjoy a good challenge and working towards unlocking extra levels and features in games- but not to have to play every challenge just to unlock the next. Perhaps if there were 10 challenges and you had to play all 10, or at least 8 or 9 of them to unlock the next 10. That would make more sense, giving the gamer more choices, getting the most out of THEIR GAME.


VERSUS MODE
I'll be honest, this is one of the main reasons I bought this game. The versus mode sounded like it could be heaps of fun and although it is fun for a short while, doesn't have the longevity to make it the tipping point for buying the game. It's quite simple, you and a friend each have a bin half the size of of the regular bins, and battle it out not to lose. The only real competitive element is trying to fill up your bin faster than the other player, as when it reaches the top, your bin is poured into your competitors.

Matches don't tend to last too long and normally just end up being decided by whoever can mash triangle (throwing the rubbish into the bin faster) the quickest. Say that, it is fun for a while and it is something I will continue to play people on it- without fully explaining the rules, just to give myself that small edge...



All these criticisms aside, I'd still fully recommend this game. It's a new twist on the traditional Tetris style puzzle game which I still enjoy playing, even after all those frustrating moments. The fire and decomposition aspect of the game works really well and can make or break a level.

It's a game designed to sit patiently on your virtual gaming shelf for that moment in time when you've just finished a challenging title, or simply want to wind down and not have to worry about keeping up with some sort of ridiculous story line (I'm looking at you- EVERY GAME from Japan!).

And for £3.99 you will most certainly get a fair few hours out of it, considering it costs about £6 to see a 90 minute film at the cinema- this game is a bargain.

-- BIZNITCH --