Hoyle Casino 2004 – PC – Review

Have you ever
wanted to be a big time gambler at your favorite casino?  Or just have the
opportunity to play at the casino and try your luck against a high roller?  Well
with Hoyle Casino, now you have the opportunity to test your gambling skills in
a vast assortment of games.  You can test your gambling skills by yourself or
online against opponents across the globe.

From Texas Hold’em
poker to Roulette, the assortment of games in Hoyle Casino is impressive.  Games
that I have never even heard of are included, such as Pai Gow poker, and Omaha
Hold’em.  But for the traditional gambler, the list of standards games included
is impressive.  Here is a list of the different games available: Baccarat,
Blackjack, Caribbean Stud Poker, Craps, Horse Racing, Keno, Let it Ride, Pai Gow
Poker, Poker, Texas Hold’em, Omaha Hold’em, Seven Card Stud, Five Card draw,
Poker Tournaments, Roulette, Slot Machines, Three Card Poker, Video Blackjack,
and Video Poker.  Quite an impressive list and enough to keep most gamers
entertained.

You start off in
Hoyle Casino by creating your own character.  The game includes an impressive
create a character menu that allows you to customize the look of your
character.  You can change skin tone, face type, hair color, hair type, facial
hair, hats and other options.  This was an impressive feature that I wasn’t
expecting from a Casino game.  Once you’ve created your character, then you’re
placed onto the Casino floor.  You have a map of the floor in the bottom right
hand corner of the screen.  You can then select to move to any location on the
Casino floor by clicking that section on the map.  Once you’re in a section, you
can then select from the different type of games available.  The games might
vary depending on the amount required to enter the game, such as a $25.00 table
or $100.00 table.  There are other games available in each area, such as video
poker might be next to a poker tournament table.

During each game,
you can select from the help section to offer assistance in learning how the
game is played.  This is very helpful for the games that you have never played
before.  The instruction manual also includes a very detail description of the
different games and how they are played.  There is also a tutorial mode that can
offer advice on how to bet, or even a practice mode, where the computer will
watch you play the game.  The computer will then offer advice on what you can do
differently to better yourself while playing.  However the computer will
automatically select the best course of action it believes in, which can differ
from what you would like to select.

Hoyle Casino
offers an entertaining escape for those looking to blow some money at the
casino.  The best part is, the money isn’t even yours and it isn’t real.  The
amount of games available should keep gamers entertained for hours.

Gameplay 7.5

The interface for
the different games was smooth and easy to understand.  If you weren’t sure
about how to bet or play a certain game, the instruction manual or in game help
system was a true asset.  The interaction between the different computer
characters was also impressive.  When playing against the computer, the computer
will complement each other and you on a game well played.  But at the same time,
the computer will start ripping on it’s own bad luck when things aren’t going
it’s way.  There was one game where the computer and I raised each other six
times before the computer finally called.  Each time the computer would say
something different to try and persuade me to fold from the game.  This added to
the atmosphere of the game, making it feel more real.  But unfortunately there
is no true comparison to playing some of the games with other individuals face
to face.  The art of bluffing and reading other individuals is something that is
very hard to duplicate in a computer game.  Betting during the game is very
simple with just a click of the mouse button.  The help system is also just one
click away anytime you get lost in the game.

Graphics 7.5

The graphics for
the different game types are good, but not outstanding.  There isn’t a
noticeable problem with the graphics that takes away from the game.  Each game
type has it’s own unique look, which complements the game.  The graphics are
very clean and detailed, which is a plus in a casino game.  There wasn’t a
problem determining what type of card was played or what was the outcome of dice
roll.  The graphics of the different computer characters is also well done, but
nothing amazing.  When playing against the computer, you can view of the
characters upper body.  You can see the character’s eyes move and from time to
time their hands move.  This is a nice touch, but nothing that is necessary to
the game.  It was nice seeing what the other characters look like when you play
them, but after a while all of the characters looked similar to each other.
Your character’s graphics are presented in the same layout, a view of your upper
body.

Sound 7.5

There are several
different sound effects you hear throughout the game.  One is the sound of the
different game you’re playing.  A craps game will have the sound of the dice
being thrown around, while a video poker game will have the sounds of bells,
whistles and money dropping (if you win).  The sounds are very accurate and come
across very clear during the game.  There is also background music playing
throughout the game as well that adds to the atmosphere of the game.  Imagine
jazz music that you’ve probably heard in a movie about a casino and this is the
same type of music playing in the background.  Your character and the computer
characters have their own unique voices as well.  Each character also has
his/her own unique phrases they will say throughout the game.  Most of the
phrases are funny one liners that add a sense of humor to the game.  The phrases
will sometimes get repetitive after several games, but they do add a human
feeling to the computer’s characters.

Difficulty
Medium

For anyone that
has played at a casino, they know that winning isn’t easy.  For me it’s always
felt like I had either a lucky night or a bad night.  Hoyle Casino feels the
same way.  Certain games you’ll do really well in, while others will have you
running for the exit.  But determination can pay off after a while.  Reading the
instruction manual on the different strategies you can play during the games is
very helpful.  The game’s difficulty seems exactly the same as a real casino;
you just never know what’s going to happen each time you play.  But for the
gambling experts, there shouldn’t be anything that will surprise them in Hoyle
Casino.

Concept 7.0

Gambling games
have been a constant in the gaming industry for a long time.  Hoyle Casino
doesn’t do anything tremendously different then the thousand other casino games
released before it.  Hoyle Casino does offer a large selection of game types and
a smooth; easy to use interface that any gamer should understand.  It might not
do anything different, but it offers a solid casino/gambling experience.

Multiplayer
7.5

Well the games
available over the internet are different then the single player game.  During
the game you select internet games from the “Go To” menu option.  The game will
then open up your internet browser and connect you to the uproar.com website.
There are different types of games available on the site, besides Casino games.
You will need to register at the uproar.com site, which can be a confusing and
frustrating.  Be prepared for a ton of pop-ups, but make sure your pop up killer
is turned off.  If your pop up killer is on, then the game window might not
appear.  The online games play very similar to the offline versions, but without
the same graphical touches presented offline.  There was always a bunch of
different players online ready to play, but maybe not for the specific game you
would like.  But this shouldn’t be a distraction since you’ll be able to find
someone to play against with the large amount of games available on the
uproar.com site.

Overall 7.4

Hoyle Casino is an
entertaining casino/gambling game that will please most gamers.  The good
graphics, easy to use interface, sound effects, help/tutorial system and amount
of games available is enough to make any gamer happy.  Hoyle Casino can also be
used as a learning tool for new casino players.  If you’ve never played any of
the games before then Hoyle Casino can help up understand how the games are
played.  However, even with all of the good traits, Hoyle Casino doesn’t offer
anything different than what’s been done before.  If you’ve played a
gambling/casino game before then Hoyle Casino won’t blow you away.  It offers a
solid casino and gambling experience, but not enough to keep you coming back for
more over and over again.