Pictureka
Score: 85% ESRB: Everyone Publisher: EA Games Developer: EA Bright Light Media: Download/1 Players: 1 - 4 Genre: Board Games/ Family
Graphics & Sound: Pictureka feels familiar to videogamers that have experience with the wide-wide world of hidden-object games now on the market. The other comparison would be to the I-Spy game series that has spawned many print and online versions. In all cases, we're thrown into a game world where visuals matter and where design is central to the experience. Pictureka takes a whimsical approach, and throws everything right out on the virtual table. It's not like a hidden-object game where objects are superimposed on scenes or hidden against other objects; this is just a huge jumble. It's like you opened a hoarder's closet and then tried to piece together the location of everything that spilled out to the floor... The graphics appear hand-drawn, and are often accompanied by cute sound effects - the Remix Mode brings sound and color much more to the forefront, something that would be impossible in the real-world version of the game. We appreciated how much good functionality was added to Pictureka by way of this format, and the only downside is that many of the objects appear small and indistinct unless you're playing with a large screen. More and more of us are, but any screen below 30" is going to reduce some of the boards to a size where individual objects are nearly impossible to pick out. You don't have time to zoom anyway, so this wouldn't have helped. Perhaps faster navigation or some type of pinch-to-zoom functionality is what we're missing, and only because we've become spoiled by interfaces like the Wii and the iPad.
Gameplay: The idea of combining hidden-object gameplay with traditional board games was done rather nicely by the I-Spy folks years ago, but just in a tabletop edition. The concept there was to grab a large mat that contained pictures of a bunch of items, and then deal cards to players that showed at least one item from their mat. The person that first found a match rang a little bell, and won the round. Pictureka exploits the same concept but with a few interesting twists. Instead of sticking to cards or hints for object searches, there are a few different ways you'll be instructed to find objects. One is to find a simple object hidden in a picture, before time runs out. This seems very straightforward until you realize that the object can be turned in various different directions, and can show up on the screen in a different size than what was shown on the card. It's also a neat touch that objects can be found as parts of other objects, such as a hint like "Clouds" that matches a ship puffing smoke clouds... When playing with others, you can even dispute interpretations by calling out a "judge" who shows his displeasure if you waste his time. Some of the hints can resolve to multiple objects in a specific scene, and this gets pretty hectic with multiple players. Still more hectic are the cards you draw that require you to find multiple objects, which become a race against the clock. Winners in these matches earn the card, and ultimately it's about gathering more cards than your opponents.
Difficulty: The Remix Mode in Pictureka is challenging because it requires more memorization, as in the case where you'll see objects flash on the screen before it's time to go find them, the clock counting down all the while. There are also some more abstract challenges in Remix, such as matches by sound. At first this can really throw you, because you simply aren't accustomed to doing the hidden-object thing based on sound effects. The time constraints in Pictureka actually seem pretty aggressive, and there aren't a lot of handicaps included to make the game accessible for very young players. Especially in instances where you end up searching for multiple objects, you'll really feel the pressure. Card variations keep things interesting and ensure that Pictureka maintains plenty of replay value. You won't run out of new ways to play in the standard mode thanks to the frequent dice rolls that mix up the way you look for objects, and Remix adds yet another layer.
Game Mechanics: The comment earlier about control schemes goes double here. If there's one thing you'll moan a bit about with Pictureka, it's the awkward fumbling around with the controller, compared to just sticking out your bony little finger and pointing to an object on a card. At least in this sense, the tabletop edition of this game would have a distinct advantage. It's not like the actual controls are complicated, since you really just move around and select objects with the press of a button. The challenge comes from having to navigate across a field that is crowded with objects, when you don't just move from object to object. The reason for this is that the game would be so slow as to be basically unplayable, so the compromise is to allow players to move freely in all directions. The trade-off with this control scheme is that you have to be precise with where you press the button, especially on the smaller objects. Making a wrong choice robs time from you, which only adds to the pressure. Tapping to cycle through available cards is simple enough, but frantic because you're always scrambling to figure out which card is the one with your object. As a fun party game, Pictureka holds up reasonably well. It's only an average candidate for videogame translation, although some elements like the Remix Mode wouldn't exist in any other format. Playing it on a really big screen with a bunch of competitive friends would be a gas, but it's not without its flaws.
-Fridtjof, GameVortex Communications AKA Matt Paddock
Related Links: Game Vortex's Review of Connect 4x4
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