Fat Princess Review for PlayStation 3 (PS3)

System: PS3 (PSN)	Review Rating Legend
Dev: Titan Studios	1.0 - 1.9 = Avoid	4.0 - 4.4 = Great
Pub: SONY	2.0 - 2.4 = Poor	4.5 - 4.9 = Must Buy
Release: July 30, 2009	2.5 - 2.9 = Average	5.0 = The Best
Players: 1-32	3.0 - 3.4 = Fair
ESRB Rating: Teen	3.5 - 3.9 = Good

This game is seriously addictive fun. There is so much to do; you can literally spend hours tooling around and not realize where the time went. That being said, there is one major flaw the game is experiencing at least at launch: pervasive connection errors. Trying to join up with games was like pulling teeth. In fact, the only way I could get to play online was by hosting the game myself. As such, network coding seems to be off and in dire need of retooling. Of course, connection issues are typically resolved in just a matter of weeks. In other words, don't let this complaint stop you from picking up this game - you might have to be patient with it at first, however.

Fat Princess screenshot

The game's presentation is awesome. Both sounds and sights are perfect for what they are trying to accomplish. The game's whimsical musical theme's, high-brow voice work, and gurgling death shrieks are great. The environments are well designed, colorful, varied, and beautifully rendered. The same goes for the characters. The customizable soldiers' appearances, their attack animations, and the spurting crimson that flows across the battlefield keep players engaged. All in all, the production value is extremely high for this title - an utter joy for gamers.

Controls in Fat Princess are simplistic. Button-mashing the attack button, holding it down for charged attacks, and hopping around the battlefield is a snap. The game features an auto-targeting feature that helps with aim, however, it doesn't seem to function as well as it should. For example, switching between targets was impossible. Switching between victims with a tap of one of the analog sticks would have been ideal.

When all is said and done, this is a great online title that nearly everyone will enjoy. It's easy to see the craftsmanship that has been poured into this offering from its presentation to its stellar gameplay. The only problem we found that keeps this title back from gaming nirvana is its suspect connections - it was often impossible to play against others online. However, we're sure this problem will be rectified in the coming weeks, leaving players with a PSN exclusive that begs to be downloaded.

By Jonathan Marx
CCC Editor / News Director

RATING OUT OF 5

RATING DESCRIPTION

4.5

Graphics
The sharp HD visuals highlight the wonderful cartoon environments and quirky character design.

4.0

Control
The game's simple button presses belie a level of depth only a handful of downloadable titles could ever hope to achieve. Auto-targeting is a bit cumbersome, though.

4.0

Music / Sound FX / Voice Acting
The musical themes, the announcer's snobbish voice, and the battlefield effects are nicely suited to the action.

4.5

Play Value
Players will be lost in this title for hours and hours, likely hopping back in to play the game for years to come. It's too bad our fun was constantly thwarted by poor network coding.

4.3

Overall Rating - Great
Not an average. See Rating legend above for a final score breakdown.

Game Features:

Five Character Classes: Change your character class and team role at any time merely by swapping hats. Character classes include Worker, Warrior, Ranger, Mage and Priest.

Nine Unique Levels: There are nine battlefield maps total, shared across single & multiplayer modes, plus two special arena-style single-player levels.

Online Multiplayer: Jump in and join as many as 32 players online to wreak havoc on the battlefield. Coordinate your attack with in-game voice chat.

Single-player Campaign: Play through all ten chapters to learn the story of the fat princesses. For quick action, battle bots in the Gladiator Arena.

Resources & Upgrades: Work together to collect resources to upgrade your weapons and castle defenses.

Unique Game Modes: Select from four different game types: Rescue the Princess, Snatch 'n Grab, Team Deathmatch, and Invasion.

Customizable Avatars -- Create your own personal avatar before you charge into battle. Unlock new customization options during gameplay.