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SCENE
GENRE
GRAPHICS
SOUND
PLAYABILITY
VALUE
OPINION
REVIEW
INDEX |
| Setting
the Scene |
Unbelievable.
Here we are without a casino style gambling simulation for our
Playstation since it's release. Now as of this past week we get
two...go figure.
Caesars Palace is Interplay's answer to the Playstation casino
sim drought. It offers up five different games for the more serious
minded player. |
| Genre |
| Caesars
Palace is a Las Vegas style casino gambling simulation. As you would
expect, it contains a variety of games from blackjack to roulette.
|
| Graphics |
Caesars
Palace does a fine job depicting the games that you play and the
hosting casino that you play them in. The digitized photos are of
the highest quality and really brings the games to life.
All of the tables are beautifully done and clear as a bell.
The roulette wheel is nice and shiny and has the same hypnotic
effect on me as the real ones. Yep, I just kept on plunking my
computerized cash down. The craps, blackjack and baccarat tables are
sweat as well. All of the tables are taken straight from Caesars, as
are the chips and the cards...right down to the logo. The slot
machines are gorgeous and wonderfully displayed too. The only
drawback was that there was no handle to pull! Ah well...
The full motion video used for the game tutorials is nice and
crisp and very well laid out.
Still shots are used to good effect through-out the game and
further help to promote the ambiance of Caesars.
What else can I say...if you ever saw the games in a casino,
they are recreated very nicely here! |
| Sounds
and Effects |
The
approach this game seems to take is to strive for realism among all
else. To recreate the sounds, I am willing to bet that each of the
slot machines in the real Caesars has been digitally captured and
sampled for this game. All of the slot movements and the wonderful
sound of a big cash payoff are duplicated here to perfection.
The background sounds do an adequate job in setting the proper
mood but never really managed to put me there. Yep, there's quite a
bit of commotion going on but it just struck me as being a sterile.
The various dealer's voices are rather well done. There is a
nice variety, from an English-speaking gent at the blackjack table
to a Valley Girl style woman at the slots. Just the right inflection
is used at the proper moments. The other player's voices are also
quite plausible and easy to understand. |
| Playability |
There
seems to be two approaches that can be taken whenever a game is
created. The first is to not take yourself too seriously and attempt
to create a game that's fun to play. The other approach is to dig
and try to deliver the most realistic experience possible. It's
those rare games that actually achieve both...Caesars Palace seems
to have opted for the more serious, realistic side of things.
When taken at face value, one of the really appealing things
about casinos is the glitz and glamour associated with these places
and all of the people that frequent them. Oh, there is also that
lure of instant money! Strip that away and all you really have are
games that most people would probably not wish to play by themselves
(unless of course they have a bit of a gambling problem). In order
to make a casino style console game fun, you need to throw in some
extra stuff...you need to set goals. In real life the goal is to win
REAL money, in a console game that concept falls kinda flat unless
you have something to do with your computer generated cash. The
problem with Caesars Palace is that you really have nothing to do
with your winnings. Its just play and play until you go broke or
decide to quit. The whole experience can be a bit dry.
If on the other hand, you wish to learn everything there is to
learn about the five games that are offered here then this is the
game for you. This is a true gambling sim and Interplay seems to
have made every attempt to make it as real an experience as
possible. The premiere gaming expert himself, Dr. William Bertram,
has authenticated the game. For anyone that is seriously into casino
games, this name is immediately recognizable. There are even
tutorials presented in FMV to take you step by step through
blackjack, baccarat, craps and roulette. Everything is meticulously
laid out to help you understand and then begin to implement in the
game itself. One of my friends is a card counter...he is able to
keep track of eight decks at a time in a blackjack game. He
absolutely loved this title and its realism. In fact it's at his
house right now and I am pretty sure that I won't be getting it back
anytime soon.
Caesars Palace also does a fine job keeping stats. It keeps
track of all the pertinent information such as your starting
bankroll, how much you spent on the game just played, how much you
won and how many times you played that game before quitting.
Multiple decks are used and are shuffled frequently throughout the
course of a game.
The game also offers up a two-player mode that allows you and
a friend to play against some of the console demons. This was
actually fun betting with a friend on the roulette wheel and managed
to chew away a nice chunk of time.
I was however surprised at the overall lack of games offered
here though. You are only given blackjack, roulette, craps and
baccarat. Throw in 3 slot machine machines and you get a grand total
of seven games. I would really have liked to see a few poker games
thrown in there. That would have been nice.
As it stands this is an incredibly accurate gambling
simulation, and for all intents and purposes it succeeds wonderfully
in teaching you the games that are presented here. For me it just
wasn't what I would have looked for in a casino sim. I like to have
a bit more fun and this title left me a little bit bored.
If you are looking to learn the ins and outs of blackjack and
the other titles included in this game, by all means pick it up. It
may not be a thrill ride, but it certainly is educational.
|
| Value
for Money |
With
only five types games, this title will probably only appeal to a
very select audience. For those of you that wish to learn and
experience everything there to know about the games that this title
has to offer, then Caesars Palace is an invaluable tool for you.
|
|
Opinion |
| TOM |
|
|
|
|
|
GRAPHICS: |
Very
Good |
The
most accurate gambling simulation game available for the
Playstation. The game takes itself very seriously, yet is a bit
short on the word "fun". There is really nothing much more
to do then sit at a table and try to win as much console generated
money as you can or play until you go broke. Since there is really
nothing on the line here, it got boring to me rather quickly. At
least the dealer and player voices are well done and keep things
interesting for a bit.
It is a wonderful tool for those of you that want to learn and
understand the games that are contained in this package though. The
title will take you step by step through each of it's table games
and give the player a good understanding of the fundamentals. It's a
great simulation in this regard, it just wasn't my cup of tea. |
|
SOUND: |
Average |
|
PLAYABILITY: |
Average |
|
VALUE: |
Average |
| OVERALL
|
68% |
|
