Party Hard Review (PC)

Video games nowadays rely more on the execution of their gameplay mechanics than the cleverness of their concepts to impress players. While that's certainly a valid way of making an impact on fans, titles that go the extra mile for the sake of their ideas usually benefit from it, as they stand out even more from the pack.

Party Hard, coming from Ukrainian developer Pinokl Games, is just such an example. The core concept is one that I'm sure resonates with plenty of people. Your neighbors are throwing a party, and even if it's 3 o'clock in the morning, they're still going hard. As such, you get a mask, a knife, and go to the party in order to kill everyone there.

Throw in a tongue-in-cheek approach to keep things from turning horrifying, and Party Hard seems to be a combination of an interesting idea and mechanics taken from the likes of Hotline Miami or Hitman.

Does Party Hard manage to make a lasting impression or should it be shut down by the cops? Let's find out.

Story

Party Hard's plot is, as I've mentioned above, a tale that resonates with plenty of people, particularly those who work regular hours. Players control a deranged individual who, after getting sick of the late-night parties thrown by his neighbors, starts to go on a rampage throughout the U.S.

The events are shared by a police detective who took part in the investigation, with observations from a psychiatrist that focuses more on the mental state of the protagonist. The events are shared via episodes of sorts, leaving enough room for potential DLC to shed even more light on them. Even so, the 12 levels included as standard in the game provide plenty of action and a pretty interesting string of events.

The first party in Party Hard

Gameplay

In terms of gameplay, Party Hard is similar to action titles like Hotline Miami, sharing an isometric/top down view of the events. However, instead of pushing for instant action, Party Hard rewards stealthy behavior and strategy, much like older Hitman titles.

The main character can only employ a knife slash attack that's lethal at close range. As such, you need to stalk partygoers, take them out without others spotting you, and then dump the bodies in different hiding spots. From trash containers to heaps of hay or open sewers, each level has an assortment of places where you can dump the bodies.

If an NPC spots a dead body, he or she will call the cops who arrive, investigate the scene, and usually go away. If they spot you during that time, they'll give chase, so make sure you have an easy getaway and can dodge them.

While the concept is gruesome in nature and horrifying as a general idea, the execution has a tongue-in-cheek feel. From NPCs that continue to party in-between dead bodies, to cops that give up their chase by saying that they're too old for this stuff, the game doesn't go all-in on the whole violent tone, unlike other titles nowadays, such as the controversial Hatred.

While the levels share fixed layouts, the behavior of the partygoers is procedurally generated as they can do all sorts of things and keep moving around the premises. You can also summon random things by using the telephone, from pizza guys that draw the attention of the crowd to a pest control company and other such things. You can also use more absurd elements, such as turning on a golf cart to run over everyone in its path.

An important aspect is setting up traps and using objects like smoke grenades to pull off more complex things. You can rig things to explode, such as a stove or even a candy machine, while sabotaging book shelves or poisoning the food.

There are many things that you can pull off during Party Hard's levels, but some areas in a stage provide the best means toward success. As such, you'll often gravitate towards stalking a zone, preferably one with a place to dispose of bodies, and then just kill NPCs that wander through it.

A slightly confusing aspect relates to being spotted by civilians when killing someone. Some will immediately notice this, while others, even if they're quite close and are looking in that direction, won't do a single thing.

One novel aspect of Party Hard involves the integration of Twitch chat. Players can live stream their game, and at regular intervals, users in the chat can vote on summoning random things, from wild bears to a SWAT team, and so on. This adds an element of unpredictability and helps keep things fresh.

At the end of a stage, you're given an overall score and several factors, from combo kills to trap use or speed, are rewarded.

Las Vegas party in Party Hard

Visuals and Sound

Party Hard employs pixelated visuals, but it pulls off the style rather well. Unfortunately, the NPC models aren't that varied, and you'll start to notice the fact that you're killing the same person over and over again. It also gets a bit hard to follow the main character, especially through dense crowds.

The soundtrack is quite impressive and pretty varied, using different themes for the different stages. The voice acting isn't all that great, however, but it does a decent job of keeping the story going.

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The Good

The Bad

Conclusion