Whacked! Screenshots   The Final Say! Gameplay 7.0 Graphics 6.9 Sound 7.0 Value 7.0 Whacked!  - reviewed by Tory Favro Review Date: 26 November 2002 Review Score: 7.0/10  Distributed By: Microsoft

Whacked! is the new game from Microsoft Game Studios that is based around a crazy game show hosted by a big toothed charasmatic guy named Van Tastic. Van will send you all into a spin as you play, *insert audience chant* WHACKED!   This title has been launched in the USA as part of the XBox Live line-up and praised for it's ease to set up and get into a game. Due to Live not being in Australia at this time, we cannot cover that aspect of gaming and will instead concentrate on the single and multiplayer aspects of the title.   Whacked! Features Players 1- 4 Genre: Third Person Action Rating: M15+ Game Show Setting Easy to pick up and play 5.1 Dolby Digital System Link XBox Live compatible (in future)   Every game show needs a contestant, right? You are the contestant and there are eight characters that you can choose from to do their thing in the various game arenas.  In essence the game is a deathmatch that takes place for points on the game. It's not incredibly in-depth and very simplistic in the way that it plays.   As a single player experience, Whacked! is fun but reasonably shallow. The beauty of single player is that you do get to see all the cut scenes and funny commercials that are played between games and some of them are truly ingenious. The downside is that this game is truly a multiplayer title and to try to take it on in single player mode is a pretty monotonous experience.   When playing in split screen mode, the game roars along at a furious rate and is truly fun with friends ribbing each other about laying the smack down to the characters onscreen. The graphics are nothing really special, nor are they bad either. The best way to describe them is "sufficient". I am guessing that over the XBox Live network the game would roar along just fine with images of this nature.   The characters you can choose from are certainly zany and there really should be something for everyone. My two favourite characters were Lucky the rabbit and Lucy the Naked Chick. Yes, I did say naked chick. Okay, are you back from buying the game... good. Let's continue!   In single player mode, we get on the set of Whacked! and meet Van Tastic, the enigmatic host of the program. He tantalises players with the incentive of winning "The Prize" upon completion of the game and then you choose which character you wish to play as. Then the title leaves the show environment and presents you with a number of choices to make.

It's kind of weird at this point as it's no longer really within the bounds of a gameshow and more just like your standard deathmatch game. There are three doors with a number of levels behind each one. Enter a door and the games commence. The arenas for the most part are interestingly designed with some oddities that make gameplay a bit hazardous on some levels. It's very easy to plummet to your death without being forced or even meaning it, so be sure to have control of your player at all times.

It will take about 10 minutes to accustom yourself to the controls, they are simple and quite user friendly. There is a tutorial which I found to be of use in the main menu if you wish to take advantage of it.

Games consist of whacking other competitors with a variety of different weapons and in multiplayer mode, this is  great deal of fun and should keep everyone entertained for some time. There is also the option of killing chickens and collecting the stars that are in them (Kids, there are not really stars in chooks in real life). The weapons are good and their effects look cool. The games do seem a bit mindless and there is not even the sensation that would be present when playing first person shooter title against bots. It all seems pointless in single player mode and even with the incentive of the commercials, it probably isn't worth making yourself play your way through it all.

In conclusion, Whacked! is good solid fun in the multiplayer environment and sucks a little bit in the single player category. If you have mates to play this game with, go get it now as it's a lot of fun. If you are going to be toughing it out alone, maybe rent it first or wait till it drops in price.

I do believe that this game would rule as an online game for it's simplicity and style in general.

- Tory Favro