The digital delights of Sony’s scrumptious PlayStation Network service know no bounds. Aside from letting punters compete in online gaming, stream films, browse the Internet and more, its premier attraction rests in the copious supply of downloadable games ripe for the picking. From PSN exclusives to PSOne Classics, minis and plain old add-on content, Sony’s online space is chock full of goodies battling it out for your hard-earned digital dollars.
Welcome back to another installment of Inside PlayStation Network, where every Monday – Friday we’ll pluck a PSN release—be it new or old—and put it in the spotlight for a thorough dissection. Fancy getting a new PSN game but don’t know what one to plump for? Perhaps this feature will help. Didn’t realize that a game was available in your region until now? We’ve got you covered. Or, perhaps you were musing over what those lucky Japanese folk were tucking into over in the Land of the Rising Sun? You can be sure our coverage will extend to those rare regional exclusives as much as those firmly embedded on the public consciousness.
Today’s entry sees us tucking in to a sumptuous slice of PSN pie in the form of the fabulous Fat Princess.
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Developer: Titan Studios
Region(s) available: North America, Europe, Japan
Players: 1-32
Titan Studios’ tasty trifle of strategy, humor and additive multiplayer has cemented Fat Princess as one of the most unique offerings on Sony’s online service to date. Whether you like pigging out on your lonesome or with friends, there’s ample amounts of content to consume here. The primary focus, however, is the game’s meaty multiplayer that accomodates up to a whopping 32 players. Indeed, those of you thinking the game’s innocuous imagery makes for a lightweight snack may want to take a look on the back of the packet. Like an irresistible sweet treat, Fat Princess is devilishly deceptive, packing in more meat than a calorific kebab down at your local Chinese eatery. Sure, it might not look like much, but after you’ve scoffed it down you’ll feel more bloated than a beached whale. Yep, Fat Princess isn’t just a guilty pleasure — it’s finger-lickingly good.
Viewed from an isometric perspective, Fat Princess has players attempting to extricate their overweight crown-bearer from her capturers, while concurrently keeping your opponent’s food-loving lass holed up in your castle. This is easier said than done, however, as your enemies will throw everything they’ve got at you in order to liberate their leading lady. Similarly, you’ll need to unleash a forward plan of attack yourself if you’re to stand any chance of freeing your own Princess from your foe’s clutches. This is done by a legion of loyal skivvies who each possess their own unique attributes depending on what ‘Hat’ they are wearing. Specifically, there’s priests, warriors, mages, workers or rangers. And here’s where the game’s apparent innocence crumbles like cookie dough. Fat Princess boasts a myriad of macabre ways in which to dispatch your foes; it isn’t just violent, it’s bloody sadistic (pun very much intended). Limbs are lost, claret redecorates the walls and foes get pummeled into submission. Mums and dads, this ain’t no kids game.
Indeed, it’s this juxtaposition of cuddly, Animal Crossing-esque aesthetics and brutal brawling that solidifies Titan’s medieval strategy romp as one of the visually striking efforts available on PSN. It just works like a charm. Equally memorable is the hilarious method of marring your foes’ attempts to rescue their Princess — simply put, you play on her insatiable appetite. Yep, Fat Princess loves nothing more than to shovel copious amounts of cake down her gob, thus making her fatter and heavier, ultimately rendering it a considerable pain in the back — both literally and figuratively — for her followers to lug her substantial bulk back to safety.
Moving away from the main course, as it were, Titan’s also thrown in a plate full of extra moves to indulge in, from Snack N’ Grab (kidnap the enemy Princess), Team Deathmatch (slaughter the opposing side), Soccer (a not-so-friendly kick about on the pitch, where you have to score as many goals as possible while wiping out enemy players) and more. Finally, if competing against your chums wasn’t enough, there’s also a side order of single player to tuck into, topped off with its own quirky narrative to enjoy. Add all that up, and don’t be surprised if you end up scoffing down on ample portions of Fat Princess for months at a time.
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Join us again tomorrow when we’ll be stepping Inside PlayStation Network once more.