The phrase "guilty pleasure" comes to mind; Arctic Stud Poker Run is devious fun! Vengeance, sneakiness, nastiness, guile and cunning are encouraged in this game. If it feels like you're cheating, your probably doing something right!
Don't be misled by the name. Though certain Poker rules apply, "luck" is not really a huge factor, since stealing cards and blowing up opponents often makes "luck" a moot point. The addition of Poker rules add depth, subtlety and strategy to what is still, at its core, a multiplayer "deathmatch".
Part of what makes the game so interesting is that it can be played like any other deathmatch tournament: full-throttle, guns blazing, trusting to luck, speed and brute force. Yet players who don't mind a little cerebral action thrown into the mix will find Arctic Stud to be surprising refreshing and challenging contest.
You can Bluff. You can Raise. You can Fold. You can put a Bounty on the head of someone who's getting on your nerves. You can fire a heat-seeking missile up the dirt track of someone who has a card you want, or invoke a purple, tentacled demigod to rip apart the competition.
Yes, there is spell-casting in the game. And goblins, and cave bears, and Lovecraftian fish people and obscure references to Steven King and Slyders and Shakes The Clown and EvilBrau Beer and... Well, lets just say the game is not grounded in reality.
Absurd? Absolutely. But we've been playing it on an office LAN for quite a while now, and I don't see us ever getting tired of it.
Now, not everything is great. The game looks a bit dated, like it should have hit the shelves a couple of years ago. The Music is an unusual choice, a kind of acoustic bluegrass. I like it; but some of the guys I play with can't stand it. The Single player game pales in comparison to the multi-player game, I mean, how do you know if a bot is bluffing? (Though it should be noted that the new 2.5 version from GOT GAME boasts a much improved 1-p game than the original.)
One odd thing that takes some getting used to: When playing online, it is usually a good idea to let your friends know when the tournament(s) will start. You can join games anytime, but the nature of the game means that you usually want to be in at the beginning.
Probably my biggest complaint is that there are simply not enough online servers to be found yet. Hopefully, once it catches on ,that will change.
But overall, this is a game that is well worth owning. I guarantee that you've never played anything like it.
GameZone writes:
"There is fun in this title, but it isn't anything you can stand to sit down and play for a couple of hours. You just get too frustrated with the A.I.'s ability to get better hands and the long tournaments that take too much time to complete. This is the kind of game you want to jump in and play for 15 minutes and accomplish something, but you simply cannot."
Gameplay: 6.0
It has a lot going on at the same time and requires you to be fast on your fingers. Combat while playing poker requires part action and part strategy; that's why I play as a green gremlin.
Graphics: 5.7
They have a definite "old" look to them. The game skips along at a hearty pace but could use some modern technological lovin' to straighten out the graphics.
Sound: 5.0
Pretty disappointing, pretty timid. The voice-over work as the race starts gets old.
Difficulty: Medium/Hard
This game gets tough, the A.I. can be a real stinker as the later tourney's get incredibly hard to beat. Remember, you can bump at the end of a round and try and double up even more money, but run out of it and you are finished.
Concept: 7.0
To me, this is a fantastic idea. The game needs some additional production value put into it, but the idea is solid.
Multiplayer: 6.0
Yeah, it can be fun, but lack of competition and a stronger single-player A.I. pulled me away from playing online, not a good sign.
Overall:
