Monopoly (Wii) - Review by Chris

Introduction

Monopoly is widely regarded as one of the biggest board games to ever have been created. Currently, the board game sees many new iterations each year, ranging from different board types specialised to specific cultures or events to licensed tie-ins, such as the Simpsons version that appeared on store shelves a few years ago. With such a large user base in both the Monopoly franchise and the gaming market, there have been previous attempts to bring the game to the industry with varying degrees of success. Now it's fallen to Electronic Arts to try their hand at another attempt this time on the Nintendo Wii. So does this title go passed 'Go' and collect £200 or is it a simple case of going straight to jail?

Gameplay

EA haven't gone overboard in trying to give the gamer too many new ideas with this title. For once, it seems that they've used restraint when it comes to adding new features (miraculous, I know). The game boils down to two distinct modes of play: the traditional Monopoly game, where players and parties will spend most of their time, and a new, faster paced game called Richest which sees you play out the Monopoly style gameplay in a 30 minute game where the winner is the one who has the most money. This particular mode is set up so that each player participates in a mini-game at the beginning of each round, of which there are 6, and these mini-games range from a driving game to an election game to making guesses on a stock market chart, and these determine who gets first pick for placing tokens on the board. These mini-games are also available to play outside of the actual game and can be played freely whenever you want a break from the main game.

The game perfectly replicates the board game's rules in traditional play and gives you a whole new set to follow in Richest mode. While initially intimidating, Richest mode quickly becomes easy to fathom out and you'll soon be able to play it like a pro, choosing whether to go high or low with die rolls to maximise your income. Each mode has a large selection of boards to choose from ranging from the classic to the world edition boards to new ones designed specifically for this game, such as the future board, with many of them being unlocked as you receive stamps for achieving certain targets in game. It adds to the longevity of the title but inevitably boils down to playing the exact same game only on a slightly different board. The inclusion of Richest mode is a nice touch as playing a full game of Monopoly can take several hours to finish and so being able to play a similar mode but in a shorter period of time alleviates the problem of time constraints on those gamers who don't have huge amounts of time to play. Another nice touch is that if you do find yourself running out of time, when you quit the game automatically saves your current state of play so that it can be resumed at a later time.

Controls

The controls used for the game couldn't be any simpler. You use the Wii-mote on its own with the pointer controls being the main focus. On menus and in game, you'll simply point at your wanted selection and press the A button. No other buttons are used and this streamlined effect on the controls mean that when it comes to multiplayer, and playing with friends who don't play games very often, it's instantly accessible for all. The game controls all movement of pieces on the board as well as the camera, which keeps up well with the game through the use of dynamic camera angles. The mini-games that you will encounter make use of different motions to achieve your goal and they all work reasonably well, although they could do with some improvement in their detection especially when it comes to the likes of the driving mini-game and the cart mini-game.

Graphics

Like the controls, the menus have been streamlined so there is no unnecessary clutter making selections difficult. However, this streamlining of the menus means that they do look dull and rather dated and it would have perhaps been a nicer idea for EA to use some of the backdrops used for playing on the themed boards as part of the menu. When it comes to the actually playing of Monopoly, the game's presentation is of a very high order. Boards and pieces look good and detailed, as do the accompanying backdrops designed to accompany the themed board, and Mr. Monopoly's character model is impressively done, looking clean and detailed with an impressive array of animation accompanying him. It's certainly above the standard that has been set by previous attempts at bringing the game to consoles.

Sound

The game is accompanied by a series of ambient sounds, which set the mood for the game. Monopoly isn't a fast paced game and the music used reflects this perfectly, creating just the right amount of ambience to move the title along but never intrusive on the actual gameplay. Mr. Monopoly himself provides a running commentary to what is happening on the board and while it adds to the illusion that he is there playing with you, his phrases become dull and annoying quickly.

Final comments

Monopoly is a staple in the board game industry but whether the same can be said about it in the games industry is unknown. EA have created what is the definitive version of the game so far on any console, with high production values, an easily accessible control scheme and a decent amount of unlockables. They've, thankfully, not gone overboard in trying to incorporate too many new ideas to the title and while the mini-games may seem like a strange addition to the game, they do change the pace of it for the better making it more competitive. Richest mode is a fantastic inclusion and means that people can finish a game of Monopoly in a decent amount of time, even if it isn't quite the same as the traditional one. The main problem with the title is its price point and at £30, it's really overpriced. Even with the game being as good as it is, at that price point I wouldn't recommend it to anyone and would recommend tracking down a copy of the board game which you can get for a fraction of the price.

Pro: High production values, easy and accessible controls, Mr. Monopoly looks great
Con: Playing the game can be time consuming, mini-games are a bit hit-and-miss, overpriced for what you get
Final score: 6.5

Share on Twitter or Facebook

Comments