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Viva Pinata 2 360

Format:
360

Genre:
Strategy

Buy/Support:
Support Rowan, click to buy via us...

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Other GamePeople columnists have reviewed this from their perspective - huh?:
Family Guide Gamer (360)

Viva Pinata 2 isn't an action packed blockbuster of a game; it offers something quite different; peace, tranquillity, fun. Oh, and hundreds of little funny looking creatures to interact with.

It's four o'clock. The mist is rolling in and it's chilly outside. Halo ODST still hasn't arrived yet. I sit in-front of my 360, wondering what to play: Fable 2? Too addictive. Call of Duty 4? Not in the mood. Viva Pinata? To be honest, my first thought was "Looks a bit dull, doesn't it?". I couldn't of been more wrong if I tried.

Viva Pinata is one of those not-quite-educational games for kids around five to six years, so I was expecting bright colours, fun creatures and lots of happy people. The game delivers exactly this, but with a bit more flair and fun. Viva Pinata is all about growing and expanding a community of fun little creatures with awesome names. It's something that reminds me a lot of the Creature Stage in Spore, albeit with a bit less killing and a whole lot less frustration.

But visually this beats Spore by a clean mile. When it comes to looks, Viva Pinata is probably the most colourful game on the market. Blues, greens, yellows, reds, whites and a fair bit of pastel pink; everything you see is an explosion of colour, and the best thing is that the style works for the game without making it seem to childish.

You start by clearing out the junk in your garden with a few simple spade bashes. From then on it's all about sowing and digging ground. Before long you're planting trees and suchlike. The game even offers a few mini-games to provide a bit of variety and change, just incase you're easily bored, which, I have to say, I wasn't! As I played through, I got more and more space to play with, and with it more and more furry creatures to have fun with and add to my ever growing community. however, the game wasn't quite that simple: some of the more extravagant and vibrant pinatas really took some attracting!

The best thing is, there's nothing at all that'll make you mad. Even the controls are beautifully simple and easy to use. And though the game is about a community, there're no confusing social interactions that you might of gotten in Spore. No, it's all about making people happy; not only your vast array of little creatures, but you as well.

I was just getting into the stride of Viva Pinata when some sobering news arrived. Halo ODST turned up on my doorstep. Oh no! What to do? I decided to ditch Viva Pinata in favour of the hotly anticipated ODST. However, a few days later, I found myself coming back to Viva Pinata to check up on my little Fudgehogs.

This game is something you can pop into your console and play for half an hour or so, just as a bit of fun. For me Viva Pinata is all about relaxing. It's a way of getting away from it all without the intense and aggravating action of other games. Viva Pinata is a game you can really chill too! After a particularly long day at school or one of those days where everything seems to go wrong, Viva Pinata is the perfect game to unwind to. It's a way of getting away from it all without the intense and aggravating action of other games. Of course, Viva Pinata, like all games, isn't without its little flaws, and occasionally it can get a teensy-weeny bit repetitive, but the game offers just enough variety in creatures and things to do that it won't put you off.

As I was playing I had an interesting thought. Viva Pinata was, in a way, like reading or painting. When you mentioned it, people tended to dismiss it as 'boring' or 'tiresome' or some other similar word. However, everyone enjoys the occasional good book to escape into, and, contrary to popular belief, painting is amazingly relaxing!

Viva Pinata is the game equivalent of a stress ball, with added colour and a whole lot of fun. If you need to sit back, get comfy and relax, Viva Pinata is the game for you, regardless of whether you're six, sixteen or sixty!

Written by Rowan Brown

You can support Rowan by buying Viva Pinata 2



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Rowan Brown writes the Teen Gamer column.

"I write about my favourite games from a younger person's perspective. It's often surprising how different this ends up to other more grown up reviews."

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