PAIN: Amusement Park Review for PlayStation 3

System: PS3	Review Rating Legend
Dev: Idol Minds	1.0 - 1.9 = Avoid	4.0 - 4.4 = Great
Pub: SCEA (SONY)	2.0 - 2.4 = Poor	4.5 - 4.9 = Must Buy
Release: Sept. 11, 2008	2.5 - 2.9 = Average	5.0 = The Best
Players: 1-4	3.0 - 3.4 = Fair
ESRB Rating: Teen	3.5 - 3.9 = Good

The second multiplayer mode is Call da Shot, and consists of one player creating a list of two to four targets that the other player has to hit in one shot. This mode can be fun until, of course, the other player picks targets on opposite sides of the park. Then it can get a little frustrating. This is probably the most forgettable of all the new modes, and I found myself skipping this mode more often than not.

PAIN: Amusement Park screenshot

The best feature in the Amusement Park expansion pack has to be the new PAINLabs mode. This mode actually has nothing to do with the new stage and allows you to experience a brand new experimental PAIN stage every week. During launch week, the stage was comprised of three cinderblock towers with a few pedestrians and signs punctuating the barren landscape. Watching the ragdoll character physics interact with the cinderblock physics is definitely more fun then you might initially expect. These new "beta" levels will allow you to test out what the PAIN development team is working on for future releases and are a huge incentive to play this game beyond its usual two to three week play life.

In the technical department, PAIN does not really do anything to improve on the original game. The graphics and control are all exactly the same as they were in the original. The sound is basically the same as well, except for a few ambient sound additions around the park.

The Amusement Park expansion pack for PAIN feels more like a sequel than an expansion, as it somehow manages to include more content than the original game. The Amusement Park expansion is a must for those who already have the original PAIN, and, if you were vaguely interested in the title before, the Amusement Park expansion definitely makes it worthwhile. That is, if you can stand all the insane wipeouts!

By Amanda L. Kondolojy
CCC Staff Contributor

RATING OUT OF 5

RATING DESCRIPTION

3.8

Graphics
Not too much has changed since the original was released last year. Still, the graphics are great for what they are, and the impact physics are as pleasing as ever.

4.2

Control
Controls are super-easy to use and work very well, even while your hapless character is in flight.

3.0

Music / Sound FX / Voice Acting
Voice acting is the same for every character as it was in the original, and most new level sounds are unnoticeable.

4.4

Play Value
Although there is only so much you can explore in the new stage, the new modes provide plenty of replay value, and the constantly updating PAINlabs will keep you coming back every week!

4.1

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

Game Features:

The first add-on environment for PAIN, Amusement Park, takes PAIN to a new heights with six modes, including four new ones - Hot n' Cold, Clown Toss, Trauma, and Call da Shot.

Hot n Cold: A single-player puzzle game where the player must find the hidden teddy bear target within the Amusement Park. Each teddy bear detonated by the player returns a message of hot or cold giving the player clues to the location of the hidden bear.

Clown Toss: A single-player game based on Mime Toss. Glass planes are replaced with exploding barrels and the floating Mime is replaced with a Clown bouncing on a pogo stick.

Fun with Explosives: A multi-player game for up to four different players. Launch into an environment and attempt to detonate as many explosives as possible.

Trauma: A multi-player game mode that challenges players to cause as much pain to themselves and others as possible. Go head-to-head with friends and see if they can make all the same elaborate launches.

Call the Shot: A multi-player game mode that lets players challenge each other by choosing a set of two to four objects to hit in a single launch. The more difficult the shot, the more points the challenged player will earn.