Pool Panic Review – The game of billiards is now playable on any terrain and has plenty of attitude
I’m a very big fan of billiards, aka pool. I don’t know any professional players, I don’t play all that well or often, and I don’t have a pool table (yet), but I love the game. I used to spend hours playing on Yahoo against strangers and in high school, me and my friends would rent out tables at our local/across town Eddie’s Pizza, because the closer Eddie’s (or most other places) never put anything nice in the south side. So when Adult Swim Games announced Pool Panic, I had to get in on it!
Pool Panic is a very unique take on the game of billiards. It is very loosely based on 8-Ball rules, where you have to knock in all of the other balls before knocking in the 8-Ball. Though the balls in the game don’t have a number, instead they have different colors and slightly different designs. I think the biggest difference with Pool Panic and traditional pool is that in Pool Panic the balls are alive! Each different ball moves and behaves differently. As you progress through the game, you are introduced to more and more different balls. Even you, the cue ball, is alive and can walk around before setting up your shot. It’s a very unique and interesting take on the game, one that provides, hours upon hours of fun.
The game doesn’t really have a story from what I can tell. I think it’s slowly playing out, but from what I can tell you’re just a rogue cue ball putting other balls in their place. You travel to different locations, each of which acts as a level. You then are ranked on how well you complete each level. It’s like the ranking systems you get after completing a level on a puzzle game. Which is probably the best way to describe the game. Pool Panic is a pool inspired puzzle game. The best part of the game, in my opinion, is the environmental obstacles that different throughout the game. For example, there’s a level with a crashed car you have to hit release balls for you to knock into safety. I assume knocking balls into the pockets is for their own good and you’re not some menace who’s burying the pool ball community. Then there’s also a level where you have to hit the horn in order to call the pool ball scouts to the camp. It’s a very intricate puzzle game, and the integration of puzzles and pool is flawlessly done.
Pool Panic is a pretty flawless game in terms of mechanics. It has that kind of purposely messy look similar to the Squidbillies that gives the game a lot of personality. The sound and music are a bit forgettable but definitely, don’t take away from the game in any way. The game recommends to use a gamepad, but I personally preferred to place with the mice and keyboard, as it reminded me of playing pool online. The gamepad does making moving the cueball around much easier. The size of the game map and the number of levels is bigger and more than you would think. The game has content to keep you occupied for days.
My only gripe with the game is that it doesn’t feel comprehensive enough to warrant PC/Console gaming status. The game is huge, but there are thousands of levels of Candy Crush and other puzzle games. While the game map is really cool, traversing it doesn’t seem necessary. It feels like filler time. Though games graphics and scope do feel console level, the gameplay is only a few steps more engaging than most mobile puzzle games. While I did get in a good long session playing the game, it rides the line of, “Is it worth turning on my computer to play this game.” Don’t get me wrong it’s fun, but I have this weird thing about games that feel like mobile games on consoles/PC.
Despite my personal worth powering on dilemma, Pool Panic is an incredibly unique, fun, and addictive game. It will provide hours of entertainment that will also give you a mental workout. It easily brilliant use of pool gameplay outside of the pool table. You will have fun, and randomly giggle, as you are challenged to creatively and efficiently knock balls into balls. If you enjoy pool, especially online pool, puzzle games, and even online miniature golf, you will love playing Pool Panic. My Pool Panic review gets a 8.5/10.
Pool Panic [PC]
- Gameplay - 10/1010/10
- Mechanics - 7/107/10
TLDR
Despite my personal worth powering on dilemma, Pool Panic is an incredibly unique, fun, and addictive game. It will provide hours of entertainment that will also give you a mental workout. It easily brilliant use of pool gameplay outside of the pool table. You will have fun, and randomly giggle, as you are challenged to creatively and efficiently knock balls into balls. If you enjoy pool, especially online pool, puzzle games, and even online miniature golf, you were love playing Pool Panic.
