Stacking
SCORE: 79
Stacking is one of the the most bizarre concepts for a game I’ve ever encountered. When I was asked to review a game about Russian nesting dolls, I was mentally torn in two directions. On one hand I thought, boy that sounds incredibly dull. On the other hand, such a crazy notion for a game developed by Double Fine must have some humor behind it...right? Obviously my curiosity got the better of me.
The visual design of Stacking is quite interesting. Your epic nesting doll adventure takes place in an age where being a chimney sweep is a valid career choice and anyone who’s anyone travels by zeppelin. As Charlie Blackmore (the tiniest of all nesting dolls), you must embark on a quest to save your family from the clutches of the evil Baron. You’ll visit a number of industrial locales on your journey including a train station, an enormous steam ship, and a zeppelin. The dialog and cut scenes in the game are presented in the style of silent movies. While this is amusing at first, it does get a bit old as you progress through the game being forced to quickly read the slides as they appear just to follow what’s going on. Another graphical nuisance is the camera angle. The camera follows little Charlie Blackmore very closely. This not only causes some navigational frustration but also makes it difficult to appreciate the surrounding environments. Stacking, which is rated E10+, has no blood or gore to contend with. There are, however, some mildly violent acts depicted such as slapping, punching, and assaulting other dolls in various ways. There is also some gross imagery at times such as passing gas and “tossing cookies”.
The audio in Stacking is oddly lacking. The music, which suits the period in which the game takes place, is repetitive and underwhelming. The ambient sound seems to have received the most attention as it does its job well. The sound effects are decent as well, particularly the joyful popping sound of the dolls hopping inside one another. On the down side there are some gross sounds that accompany the gross imagery mentioned earlier. The lack of any voiced dialog is also disappointing and could have added a lot to the game.
Stacking packs layer upon layer of replay value upon itself. Players are encouraged to find multiple ways to solve the challenges in the game which in turn will earn puzzle pieces used in your “secret hideout”. Players can also collect sets of nesting dolls throughout the game by finding each doll in the set. Trophies are awarded for completing certain tasks and Stacking also rewards players for completing “hi-jinks” tasks. These extras will certainly require a fair amount of dedication to the game, and many players will likely find it too monotonous to complete all of these tasks. Russian nesting doll fanatics however will be thrilled with the amount of content Stacking has to offer.
The gameplay of Stacking is creative, but very straightforward. Charlie has the unique ability to control any nesting doll which he enters. The only restriction is that he can only enter a doll the next size up from the one he current resides in. Controlling various nesting dolls turns out to be quite useful as each doll possesses unique abilities that Charlie will need to progress through the game and rescue his captive family. Stacking is essentially a puzzle game with a bit of adventure mixed in. Players traverse the game world solving various problems through the use the various doll’s abilities. For example, Charlie’s small stature makes him well suited to fit into small spaces, while other dolls have the ability to lift heavy objects, start fires, or repair machinery. The trick is figuring out which dolls to use to solve a particular puzzle. The developers have wisely chosen to allow for a variety of ways to solve these puzzles. Most have at least 3 ways by which you can get past an obstacle. Many times the solutions are too simple and can be figured out without much effort at all. Players who choose not to bother with finding multiple solutions will breeze through the game in no time. Parents will also want to consider the fact that a majority of these puzzles encourage, or require, the player to perform mischievous acts to accomplish their goal.
The family friendliness of Stacking is a mixed bag. There are
definitely some good values to be found within. Family plays a strong
part in Charlie’s motivation. He has a very tight knit family and they
all look out for each other. Charlie has a strong sense of pride in his
family and will stop at nothing to secure their safe return. Aside from
the villains in the game, the remaining characters have a desire to
overcome evil and do what is right. On the negative side of things,
parents will be put off by the crude humor and gross content. While
there is no foul language or profanity, the game does stoop to some
childish levels of humor by giving certain dolls the ability to “toot”
or “toss cookies”. One doll also possesses the “seduce” ability which
allows her to distract male guards. The game also deals with the issue
of forced child labor in a manner that some will consider too light
hearted. While Stacking certainly has its flaws, it is still a very
unique game concept that’s worth checking out for players 10 and up. The
PlayStation Store offers a free demo of the game so parents will be able
to screen this one and decide if it’s right for their family.
-Roger
Graphics: 74%
Sound: 79%
Replay/Extras: 84%
Gameplay: 81%
Family Friendly Factor: 77%
System: Playstation 3/Xbox 360
Publisher: THQ
Rating: 'E10+'
for Everyone 10+
{Crude Humor, Mild Cartoon Violence, Mild Suggestive Themes, Use of
Tobacco}
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