Are you cunning as a fox and cunning enough to steal the crown in this series of mini game challenges from Napnok Games for PlayLink on PlayStation 4? Frantics joins the catalog of PlayLink party games, where up to four players discard their controllers and use their smartphones or tablets to tilt, shake or tap their way to victory.
As with all other PlayLink titles, the Frantics app must be downloaded for free from the App Store or Google Play Store. All smart devices must be on the same Wi-Fi network as the PS4 you are playing on; do not worry if you do not have Wi-Fi, because you can use your PS4 as a hotspot via the settings in the game.
There are fifteen mini-games available and each game consists of four rounds of randomly selected games. Players must compete to earn crowns, which are then converted into lives for the final fight. Along the way you can also earn coins and the Fox auction different ways to sabotage your friends: from weapons to attack, objects that give you a boost or even a headgear that doubles your points. Fox can even give someone a secret mission, which is sent as a text message - complete this secret mission and earn extra crowns to help you in the final.
Each mini-game is quite short, usually only a few minutes, and that is when the players stay alive long enough, so that each session takes about 20 to 30 minutes. Although the size is very nice, we would have liked more rounds in every game. Now tracking down Frantics ' different modes, we noticed that you can adjust the experience, but only make the jars shorter than in normal mode.
The fact that certain mini-games such as Hot-Rod Heroes and Thrust Issues spend so much time distributing which modif actions are distributed to certain players - some helpful, others hindering - the actual races themselves feel very short and that affects some of the hilarity of the game itself. It is frustrating that you can spend a few minutes to sabotage a car from another player and then the race is over after 10 seconds. Also, the game becomes longer because you can practice for every challenge; Every time you play a mini-game you get a short introduction of the controls. What is handy in the beginning, will eventually become tiring (fortunately you can turn this off in the settings).
There are, as mentioned, fifteen mini-games available and our favorites are Tour De Frantics, a racing game in which you race small bikes around a track. That sounds simple, but you can not kick and steer at the same time, so it takes some time to master this, but ultimately it becomes quite competitive. Dough, on the other hand, let as a knight collect as many donuts as possible with a lance, while you can also steal those of your friends (just be careful not to end with the exploding donut). Then there is Chair Riot, a hilarious turn-based curling game with office chairs. You use your smart device to aim and strengthen your push. In the meantime, the rest is falling down to make you deviate from your job. We found this one of the most entertaining mini-games and have played them several times.
However, playing with friends and relatives is clearly the way Frantics should be played. It also does not offer online mode, so you have to sit together on the couch together to play. If you can not find anyone to play at home, Fox also has the necessary computer-controlled animal opponents to provide you with some challenge.
There is a large selection of animal characters to play and these all look like handmade clay animation figures. At the beginning of the selection process of the game you can also adjust random options, such as smaller heads, big noses and even some accessories that you earn when you win the final round. These accessories are used by everyone and not just the winner, which is a nice extra.
In the final round, all the crowns that players have earned are converted into lives that help you survive the fight. At the moment Fox is auctioning the objects and these are similar to the mini-games that you have played to reach the final: it can be a baseball bat, a bomb, a jetpack or even an office chair. Some are clearly better than others, so make sure you earn enough money to secure your bid.
If everyone is armed, Fox will send you to an icy lake and you will be shot into the air. Here you have to get your opponents off the platform through clever skills or a dose of luck, which makes them lose lives. To make it more challenging, the ice breaks occasionally under your feet, you can not stay in one place for too long and you have to watch out to not fall into one of these holes. The last remaining animal wins, after which you can lean back and enjoy Fox's witty remarks as you receive your prize.
The voices of Fox and the narrator are excellent, we must say. Fox's nonchalant attitude to the game feels refreshing. As well as the fact that he likes to help you to sabotage fights and let you pay to win jars. This also strengthens the rivalry between the players. Frantics is a fun social game with some hilarious moments, the slow parts between the pots and some short fights make the game sometimes frustrating. Yet it is entertaining when you have a few friends and that is what this game is all about.
Pros and Cons
➕ Decent variety of mini-games; stylish and great voice-acting; accessible and excellent for parties.
➖ Some mini-games are far too short considering how long preparation takes.
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