Pit Boss from SkyZone is a
simulation title that has you controlling all of the ins and outs of a bustling
casino. The game is pretty fast-paced, but linear fare for a simulation. Still,
it can be pretty fun at times, and is impressively deep for a mobile sim title.
In Pit Boss, you’ll play as a
president at a bustling casino, and you must keep it from going out of business
by offsetting the monthly costs of running a casino with buying new things and
getting better business. You’ll have to invest a fair amount of time and effort
into making your business run efficiently and keep your customers happily
gambling and spending money. This includes giving them a variety of gambling
tables and games to play, amenities like restaurants and bars, and keeping your
business in top shape.
Most of the gameplay in Pit Boss
unfolds in real-time, but pauses when you enter the main menu, which allows you
to hire casino workers, open up new areas, buy new games to increase revenue and
so on. Additionally, you can check your casinos finances and get a running tally
on how much money you’ve spent and how much money your casino has taken in since
you’ve taken the reins.
At the end of each month, you’ll
have to pay a certain amount of money to stay in business. You have thirty days
to earn the specified amount (which increases every month). If you don’t have
the money ready by the end of the month, then it’s game over, so you’ll have to
make sure that you don’t overspend yourself as time winds down.
While the simulation-based gameplay
is pretty fun and allows you a lot of options for how you play, the game is
still pretty casual, and as a result holds your hand for most of your playtime.
If you are running short in an area or need to hire certain people, the game
will let you know. Additionally, you can only have a certain amount of games on
the floor depending on space (and the game will place the games on the floor
itself, so you won’t have to worry about it), so it makes the whole experience
feel quite linear.
Aside from the main mode, there is a
six-stage Challenge mode that has you completing specific goals to move on to
the next one. These goals are pretty varied and give you a good grasp of the
game’s mechanics, working well as a tutorial system for the main game.
Graphically, the game has a pretty
decent look, with flashing casino lights and simple sprite-based character
models throughout. The game won’t dazzle you, but generally looks pretty good.
There are a few modest sound effects here and there and some intro music, but
nothing major.
Pit Boss is a pretty fun game, but a
bit too linear for most heavy simulation fans. Still, if you’re a casual gamer
looking for a fun and light sim game, Pit Boss might be worth your time.
|
Review |
Gameplay: 7.5
Pit Boss gives you a lot of options for building your casino and can be
pretty fun and deep for a mobile sim. However, the whole experience begins to
feel pretty linear before too long.
Graphics: 6.5
Decent looking environments, but nothing that will dazzle you.
Sound: 6.0
Some intro music and a couple of sound effects, but nothing too major.
Difficulty: Medium
Concept: 7.0
A good idea for a mobile title, Pit Boss is surprisingly deep, but a bit on
the linear side.
Overall: 7.5
Pit Boss will appeal to casual sim fans looking to burn time on their phone,
but heavy sim fans might balk at the linear gameplay.
