Playing with friends in the game is not a necessity, but it is definitely recommended, as the experience of competing with another, or sometimes helping to complete a puzzle, is very enjoyable. Relentless Software’s experience with creating fun group experiences in Buzz! shines though in Blue Toad, as all four players can have a great time, even when watching someone else solve one of the game’s conundrums. This ‘family fun’ style play is what really makes the game so pleasurable, helping create the immersive feeling of a family board game that so many games strive for.
The entertainment gained from the puzzle solving can actually cause you to forget that you’re meant to be solving a crime, causing some people at the end to realise that they have no idea who the killer is when faced with choosing one of four suspects. However, the game does leave clues for you, and the final choice of ‘whodunnit’ allows the real sleuths among you to pick out the criminal.
Unfortunately, once you have picked out the murderer, seen the final cutscene and compared your scores, you have pretty much finished the game. Due to its plot driven structure, the outcome is always the same, and the puzzles also remain unchanged, causing Blue Toad to lack much replayability. While some may wish to revisit puzzles to earn high scores or unlock trophies, and others may pretend not to have played the game just to beat unsuspecting relatives, the majority of gamers will probably never play the episode again. This means that for a little over an hour’s worth of gaming, you must pay £6.29 for an episode, or £9.99 for the two that are currently available. This may seem steep for a game, but in reality, it would be fairer to compare Blue Toad to a family movie, or a monthly TV show, as that’s how the title feels, and, with that in mind, the pricing does seem much more reasonable.
With the low replay value being the game’s biggest drawback, the title otherwise manages to be spot on with its aim to be a fun and entertaining title. While the game is only part one of six, it is perfectly enjoyable by itself, although will probably leave you wanting more. The humour, the mystery and the brain-bending puzzles all lend to making this a perfect virtual Christmas stocking filler for all the family.
PlayStation LifeStyle’s Final Score
Great fun, alone or with others Little replay value Humorous
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