As soon as I caught wind ofFeather Party—yet another eight-player party game that was carelessly sporting all the same polka dots and colors as, say,Party Animals, Fall Guys,andRubber Bandits—I sort of had a sneaking suspicion of what it was that I was signing up for. Aside from the fact that it had chicks and not, for example, flaccid goons with elastic mitts, it didn’t look all that different from its competitors. Sure enough, ithada soccer game, and ithadan island-centric, last-person standing mode — and so, in my mind, it wasn’t to be any different from what was already happening in alternate shores. Annoyingly, though, I felt oddly guilty; those darned cute little fluff balls had me at hello. Cheers, threeW.
If you did happen to miss out on its grand debut on Steam earlier this week, then just know this:Feather Partyis, above all else, an online multiplayer—you guessed it—partygame, and one that bases its entire existence around one thing: cliche mini-games that invite up to eight players to thrash it out for points, status, and ultimate bragging rights over their peers. Now, ifthat’sthe sort of gig that you wouldn’t mind attending, then be sure to read on for a few quick pre-battle advisories. Here’s everything you should know about threeW’sFeather Party…
Clipping Your Wings
Feather Partyis one of “those” games; it mostly consists of short tournament-like rounds and mini-games that have several players all battling it out for a spot on some form of prestigious podium. The only major difference here, of course, is its chosen avatars—vibrant and annoyingly sprightly chicks, of all things, that are gut-loaded with their own designs, characteristics, and styles. Armedwith one of these characters, you essentially take to the battlefield and compete for stardom, whether it’s by scoring goals in ice hockey, or eliminating your opponents in an oversized pinball arena. There are quite a few modes to choose from, too, though, the goals mostly remain one and the same: you bash into your enemies, and make the occasional effort to score some form of small victory for points and exclusive bonuses.
It’s a party game, clean and simple, and so, if you dohavea little experience in titles likeParty Animalsor Super Mario Party,then you’ll probably feel right at home with this one. It isn’t a difficult game by any stretch, either; in fact, the lion’s share of the control schemes are mostly analog or trigger-based, in the case that, you don’t have to input ludicrously lengthy sequences in order to make a dent in the opponent’s seemingly impenetrable status, but rather, tickle a few buttons and watch the sparks fly in the wake of your self-inflicted outburst.
Having said all of the above, it does, unsurprisingly, often depend onwhoyou find yourself partnered up with.Likethe vast majority of party games, rounds can either be a complete walk in the park, whereas others can be a little more complex. Suffice it to say that, when it comes to Feather Party, getting onboard as early as possible is absolutely essential.
Birds of a Feather, Fight Together
I’m not going to say thatFeather Partyis an original game, because it isn’t; in fact, it’s actually a pretty reckless imitation of its own worst enemy. It’s soon-the-nose, in fact, that it doesn’t make all that much of an effort to disguise the fact that, when all’s said and done, it’s a clone of another product. The fact, too, that it also utilizes the same progression techniques, mini-games, and control systems, is yet another indication that its developers pulled out all of the stops to recreate what had, in all honesty, already been conceived several times over in previous iterations. But there is, however, a plus to all of this:Feather Partyis, thankfully, a tremendous amount of fun.
I’m glad, in ways, that the dozen or so games that Ididplay inFeather Party were all s mechanically sound, because, honestly, if there was even the slightest hint of clunkiness in its design, then I more than likely would’ve packed my bags and returned to an alternate shorelongbefore the game decided to clip my wings and spoon feed me another pile of its content. The fact that everything went smoothly, and, from my perspective, according to plan, I was able to pour a fair few hours into it — even when the lobbies refused to grant me access to their users.
I’m not going to say thatFeather Partyis dead on arrival, because that wouldn’t be fair. With that said, I, for one, did often struggle to progress through to the matchmaking stage andphysicallyenter an arena. This wasn’t always the case, and don’t get me wrong, Ididmanage to secure my place in a few lobbies. But boy, I expected alotmore players to be on the docket.
Let it Grow
Of course, as with any party game that takes full advantage of the infinite wealth of sports and other social activities, there is every chance ofFeather Partyfinding new opportunities to grow in future updates. Thankfully, there is a lot of material already out on display here, and, bar the fact that its general matchmaking is a little finicky, it seems that there’s enough to possibly warrant a sequel — a DLC, at the bare minimum, perhaps. LikeFall Guys,for example,Feather Partyhas that opportunity to keep the world afloat by incorporating new maps, modes, and incentives for newcomers, all of which I’d be keen to explore should they ever come to fruition in a post-launch add-on. And theywill,so long as its creators continue supporting it.
There are fourteen mini-games in total to choose from, and so, to give credit where it’s due, thereisplenty of content here to keep potential brawlers invested for the short haul. Granted, none of these games are particularly special, but the fact that they do generate a lot of tomfoolery and comedic value is enough of an incentive to round up your closest friends and set sail on the isle. What’s more, as the developer is currently promising to implement an additional belt of modes and maps at some point in the (hopefully) not-so-distant future, it’s likely that Feather Party,as a live-service game, will be around for quite some time. That is, of course, providing that the user base doesn’t fizzle out before it finally finds its foothold in the market, anyway.
Verdict
Feather Partydoesn’t necessarily do anything to reinvent the wheel, I’ll say that much. With that said, it does manage to capitalize on the idea of pitting multiple players together and having them bash their heads together for small perks and minor glories surprisingly well. It also plays incredibly well, too; the controls are easy to learn, and are in no way, shape, or form, difficult enough to comprehend — even during the tougher trials that require a bit more of a hands-on approach. On that note, I can quite easily recommend it to a newcomer, or at least, to someone who’s relatively familiar with the genre and the core mechanics of a game that leans on all of the same themes and mechanics.
There are numerous ways forFeather Partyto grow, and thrice as many opportunities to raise the stakes and entice more users to join the community and support its efforts to evolve, for sure. At the time of writing, itworks,which is a lot more than what most indie party games of its kind can boast, in all honesty. Could it do with a bitmore?Absolutely. But, for what it’s asking—a mere $5—it almost feels too good a deal to let slip between the cracks of your fingers. And sure, while youcould,in all fairness, opt for another game that sports all of the same bells and whistles, it isn’t to say that you should completely ignore the theatrics that have been written into the world ofFeather Party.
To cut a long story short —yes,you should give this one a whirl — especially if you’re looking for that next “big” ice-breaker to keep you and your comrades busy for the long haul. But, eh, don’t expect much from the online service.
