Whacked
Posted December 28, 2002
The Plot:
"Whacked!" is a twisted take on the game show (as if today's game shows aren't twisted enough), with a series of funky players taking each other on in a series of silly, entertaining and way-out events. There are a few ways to play the game - against friends or other opponents across the country via XBOX Live (which I do not have; reportedly, XBOX Live also comes with a demo version of "Whacked!"), multiplayer or single player.
Taking a look at the offline element of "Whacked!", I found a game that certainly would make for a terrific rental, but maybe wasn't something I'd be entirely eager to recommend as a sight-unseen purchase. The game's humor is, in my opinion, perfectly played - the show's host is cheesy without being ridiculous and the wacky characters (including Lucy, a nude woman whose privates are covered with black or dark blue "censored" bars) are amusing and well-voiced. There's even a few bleeped curse words; while they could have been bleeped to keep with the "T" rating, there's something about their timing that makes the "bleeps" even funnier.
The games themselves are limited, but fun. There's games like "King of the Hill", where your character must stay on the top of an often-moving designated section for two minutes, while also trying to bump others out of the section and trying not to be bumped off, as well. There's even "Chicken", where the player must take out 50 of the swarming chickens with a series of goofy weapons. In addition, there's a combat game where players must knock the stars out of each other and be the first to collect 50 of the other players' stars, as well as other games. Playing the single player mode unlocks new "Whack"-y weapons, too.
Still, while the different games were moderately fun, there were a few concerns: all of the levels seemed fairly small and compact - while visually inspired and well-animated, there's just not that much space to run around. The single player mode also seemed fairly easy, as getting through many of the games proved to be not too much trouble (although again, the single-player mode is the one that unlocks the weapons, most of which are silly, inspired and worth getting). Playing multi-player during a party will likely get more mileage out of the title, though - "Whacked!", with its slightly "adult" edge and good humor is certainly a fine party title.
In the case of "Whacked!", those who are interested in a purely single-player experience should rent it first, while those who are looking for a multi-player or online game will likely get more mileage out of the title.
Gameplay:
There's really very little to "Whacked!" to learn - gameplay is simple and enjoyable, while nothing in the way of camera issues or other concerns comes up.
Graphics:
"Whacked!" offers a bright, cartoony visual style that, while not stunning, is satisfactory. The character models are well-done, while the textures are crisp and clean. The cut scenes are beautiful, with fantastic graphics and stellar animation. While the environments aren't massive, their snappy visuals are always a pleasure to look at and explore. There's even some amusing little animated "commuercials", with titles such as “How to Walk With a Rock” (from the how to Walk with a Rock Foundation)
Audio:
"Whacked!"'s highlight is the vocal work, which is adult, somewhat jokey and often very funny. While the various lines that the characters speak might start to get rather repetitive after a while, the voice work still contains fine enough timing that the jokes should last a while. The various cartoony sound effects are crisply presented, too.
Conclusion:
Rating Issues: "Whacked!" occasionally pushes towards the boundaries of the "T" rating, with suggestive/mature dialogue and occasional hints of nudity. There's also a lot of violence, but the fact that the game doesn't take itself at all seriously makes the more "mature" elements of the game seem a bit lighter.
Final Thoughts: "Whacked!" is an instance where I shouldn't have judged a game by its cover - bizzare, supremely funny at times and often quite involving, "Whacked!" certainly isn't perfect, but there seemed to be an amusing surprise around every corner during the game. Certainly at least worthy of a rental.
"Whacked!" is a twisted take on the game show (as if today's game shows aren't twisted enough), with a series of funky players taking each other on in a series of silly, entertaining and way-out events. There are a few ways to play the game - against friends or other opponents across the country via XBOX Live (which I do not have; reportedly, XBOX Live also comes with a demo version of "Whacked!"), multiplayer or single player.
Taking a look at the offline element of "Whacked!", I found a game that certainly would make for a terrific rental, but maybe wasn't something I'd be entirely eager to recommend as a sight-unseen purchase. The game's humor is, in my opinion, perfectly played - the show's host is cheesy without being ridiculous and the wacky characters (including Lucy, a nude woman whose privates are covered with black or dark blue "censored" bars) are amusing and well-voiced. There's even a few bleeped curse words; while they could have been bleeped to keep with the "T" rating, there's something about their timing that makes the "bleeps" even funnier.
The games themselves are limited, but fun. There's games like "King of the Hill", where your character must stay on the top of an often-moving designated section for two minutes, while also trying to bump others out of the section and trying not to be bumped off, as well. There's even "Chicken", where the player must take out 50 of the swarming chickens with a series of goofy weapons. In addition, there's a combat game where players must knock the stars out of each other and be the first to collect 50 of the other players' stars, as well as other games. Playing the single player mode unlocks new "Whack"-y weapons, too.
Still, while the different games were moderately fun, there were a few concerns: all of the levels seemed fairly small and compact - while visually inspired and well-animated, there's just not that much space to run around. The single player mode also seemed fairly easy, as getting through many of the games proved to be not too much trouble (although again, the single-player mode is the one that unlocks the weapons, most of which are silly, inspired and worth getting). Playing multi-player during a party will likely get more mileage out of the title, though - "Whacked!", with its slightly "adult" edge and good humor is certainly a fine party title.
In the case of "Whacked!", those who are interested in a purely single-player experience should rent it first, while those who are looking for a multi-player or online game will likely get more mileage out of the title.
Gameplay:
There's really very little to "Whacked!" to learn - gameplay is simple and enjoyable, while nothing in the way of camera issues or other concerns comes up.
Graphics:
"Whacked!" offers a bright, cartoony visual style that, while not stunning, is satisfactory. The character models are well-done, while the textures are crisp and clean. The cut scenes are beautiful, with fantastic graphics and stellar animation. While the environments aren't massive, their snappy visuals are always a pleasure to look at and explore. There's even some amusing little animated "commuercials", with titles such as “How to Walk With a Rock” (from the how to Walk with a Rock Foundation)
Audio:
"Whacked!"'s highlight is the vocal work, which is adult, somewhat jokey and often very funny. While the various lines that the characters speak might start to get rather repetitive after a while, the voice work still contains fine enough timing that the jokes should last a while. The various cartoony sound effects are crisply presented, too.
Conclusion:
Rating Issues: "Whacked!" occasionally pushes towards the boundaries of the "T" rating, with suggestive/mature dialogue and occasional hints of nudity. There's also a lot of violence, but the fact that the game doesn't take itself at all seriously makes the more "mature" elements of the game seem a bit lighter.
Final Thoughts: "Whacked!" is an instance where I shouldn't have judged a game by its cover - bizzare, supremely funny at times and often quite involving, "Whacked!" certainly isn't perfect, but there seemed to be an amusing surprise around every corner during the game. Certainly at least worthy of a rental.