Video Game Review: Poker Night at the Inventory
Most poker fans would pass on a PC or Mac game that offered just one type of poker game. However, in the case of Poker Night at the Inventory (PC/Mac), poker fans that chose to pass would be missing out on a game that truly captures what the game is supposed to be about.
The big feature behind Poker Night at the Inventory is that four characters from gaming culture are part of the lineup that you face in the game. You will play in a secret poker game called “The Inventory” against Tycho from Penny Arcade, Homestar from Runner’s Strong Bad, The Heavy of Team Fortress 2 fame, and Max from Sam and Max.
Game play is just your standard Texas Hold em poker game in a one table tournament format. Each player begins the game with $10,000 in chips and you continue to play until either you win it all or you knock out each player. This is the only style of game that is offered in this title.
Most players that hear this would probably pass, but they would miss out on a fun playing experience. The real selling point of this game is the banter and interaction with the characters at the table. Everything from Tycho cursing you out for sucking out on him to the Heavy talking trash to the other players makes for a fun and amusing time at the tables.
In addition, when one of the other characters are knocked out, they tend to hang about and you can watch them either play on the arcade games or get a drink at the bar to drown out their sorrows.
The poker game play on this title varies from comical to solid depending on the setting. On easy, the players will play from wild and crazy to predictable. On hard, the players tend to play a much more solid and challenging game. While you are not playing against real opponents, they will certainly challenge you.
Besides just offering one form of poker on the title, the other real drawback is that after a while the banter between players gets a bit repetitive and dull. The title is great for the first few hours, but then you pretty much hear the same insults and jokes over and over.
Poker Night at the Inventory is really a game more about interacting with players and having fun than it is about playing poker. While it may not be a game that keeps you coming back for days or weeks, it is still worth a download if for no other reason than for the banter between players.
