Monopoly Review (PS3): A Monopoly Take-Off Not to Be Missed

Monopoly is board game released as a video game for the Playstation 3 and developed by Electronic Arts. A board gem being released on the Playstation 3? What's the point of that? Actually I consider this a good release even if it is out of left field. Let's take a closer look.

Story : There's no story to be had here as this is a board game, though it's easy enough to make up one of your own.

Graphics : How detailed can a Monopoly game be? Well, feast your eyes. This game is stunningly beautiful and is obviously the best looking version of Monopoly out there. It really nearly identical to playing the game in person as far as presence goes. It's all here, drawn, animated and rendered with excellence. A highly recommended game, graphically. It's worth it just to see how they interpreted all the Monopoly stuff you already know.

Sound : The available sounds are nice enough, and I enjoyed hearing the effects as I imagined them. There just isn't enough to go all around however. A lack of music and sound effects can't be ignored. I realize that this isn't the most complex game, but some creativity needs to be shown. Electronic Arts' just didn't put enough effort, sound wise.

Game play : First of all, it should be noted that having a Monopoly video game is far better than having the board version. Even though there's a certain charm to physically playing game, Monopoly is one of those games that requires quite a bit of setup. Fortunately, this game erases all that. Instant set up, no argument about who's the banker, instant clean up. Very nice. Let's get into the actual game though. The controls are good for the main game, but the mini games are really hard to get down correctly. The most notable thing about this version of Monopoly is there's a whopping total of NINE different boards. There's a big variety of how the boards play out too. Some are standard and some are really off kilter. Fans of Monopoly will enjoy exploring these boards, old and new.

Re playability : If you love Monopoly, this is a given. If you have a lot of friends, it's also a given. Basically Monopoly is the gift that keeps on giving. If you're not 14 and enjoy a game that has a little more to offer than blood and guts, you could do a lot worse than Monopoly.

Overall : 9/10. A great take of Monopoly that shouldn't be missed.