What would happen if 2, 3 or 4 people all played pool on the same table at the same time? Well Pool 2 explores this concept in a fantastic and playful party game that is easy to pick up and has scope for mastery over time. It may not initially look like much, yet the proof is in the excellent and approachable gameplay.
Pool 2’s main mode places up to 4 players (very competent AI can slot in for all or any slots you want them to) onto various creative pool tables. Each table has a unique theme such as sonar radar where the pocket to knock the ball into moves around the edge of the sonar. Other highlights include a take on the board game Hungry Hungry Hippos and a sushi bar where the balls move around the edge of the pool table on sushi conveyor belts. Each one has its own challenge and is full of four coloured balls and a single black ball. Every player plays at their own pace, aiming their cue and firing their ball at group of four coloured balls to try and pot one of the colours into a pocket. Pocket a yellow ball and your task is to pot all the yellow balls as fast as you can. Other players assume the other colours as they knock one of them into the pocket. Once you’ve cleared your colour, you then need to pot the black and if you do that – you win the round.
As everyone is playing at the same time, chaos ensues. You’ll be aiming for something that someone else might hit or ricochet off of first. You might hit someone else’s ball and pocket theirs instead helping them out. You can also shoot yourself into a pocket and this acts like a time penalty foul before you respawn and carry on. The big no-no is potting the black before you’ve cleared all your colours as if you do that, you are disqualified from that round. Some tables have roaming pockets, like the table that comedically emulates the DVD player screensaver screen where the logo moves around when a disc isn’t inserted. If you’ve accidently touched the black, your player number will be on it and if the pocket moves over the black and sinks it – you’ll be eliminated. Sometimes you’ll need to tactically aim for the black to move it out of harms way.
All of this carnage is made so enjoyable because of the simple controls and razor sharp consistency of the games physics. Aiming is accurate and easy on gamepad or keyboard. Understanding visually the power of your shot is helpful and consistent too. Balls react in predictable ways too as they burst from the initial breaks or you tactically hit one ball into another to get it where you need it. The tables are fun and engaging too and this adds to the 2-3 minute blasts of action each round gives. A second mode turns all the balls red and asks you to pot as many as you can, with the one who pots most winning.
Pool 2 delivers on every level that you’d expect from a simple wacky party game. Its jazzy soundtrack and bright colours bring a snazzy atmosphere. Colour blind mode adds unique symbols to different coloured balls to make the game more accessible. It is a very approachable game for new or rare gamers to get stuck into, with some tables being compact which allows for complete fluke shots working miracles for you. Pool 2 is a great addition to the party game genre and is a full recommendation from me. It has gone straight onto my local multiplayer games night rotation and I expect it’ll be there in years to come. Buy it!
Review copy provided by developer. Pool 2 is available on Steam.
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