Game Reviews

For some reason, it feels odd to be reviewing a pinball video game. It’s not that a pinball game is far-fetched or even unexpected (there are farming simulators for God’s sake), but pinball was once the most popular in coin operated arcade machines long before video games ever existed. Yet even in gaming’s early days developers have tried to replicate the look and feel of playing an actual game of pinball. Even though I’m sure some of you will be quick to defend your copy of Crüe Ball, so far developers have failed to grasp the essence of an authentic pinball table. However, this hasn’t stopped Zen Studios whose last game, Pinball FX, ended up being a pretty decent pinball game. With their newest release, Pinball FX 2, has Zen finally mastered the art of realistic pinball in video game form?

[SPOILER]: Yes. Well, close enough.

I hope I don’t downplay this review early but, Pinball FX 2 holds no surprises. It is a pinball video game, nothing more. Of course, don’t think that smacking balls with paddles is all you’re going to end up doing. Pinball FX 2 has upped the ante on the previous game by providing more features and upgrades than you can hit a plunger with (ouch, bad pinball joke. I should keep those to a minimum).Pinball FX 2 looks nearly identical to the previous game except for two key components: graphics and physics. Along with a graphics upgrade, which provides richer colors and better special effects, Zen Studios has created a completely new physics engine. Among the hardest things to replicate when making a pinball game is the physics for the ball. As a person who has owned a pinball machine before, I have a pretty decent idea about how the ball should behave on the table. I have played several pinball games in the past where the movement of the ball can be noticeably unrealistic even to people who never play pinball. The ball physics for PFX 2 are actually quite impressive. While they aren’t perfect, thus far, this is the best physics engine for any pinball game I’ve played. The ball has noticeable weight and reacts convincingly when being hit by the pads or bouncing off the bumpers.