Over the last
few years, Texas Hold’em poker has become a world wide phenomenon. The big
bets, high stakes, and competitive nature associated with poker have helped
extend the game’s appeal into television, films (Rounders is the
greatest movie of all time), and video games. I have played almost every poker
videogame and poker site around in hopes that I would fine another viable
source to satisfy my poker cravings. Unfortunately, many video games don’t
have legitimate AI engines to keep gamers enthralled and poker sites lack the
graphical prowess console games are known for. Since it was announced a couple
years ago, I have followed the development of STACKED and its numerous
delays. The developers tout their innovative Artificial Intelligence system,
Poki, and its ability to read players and adapt to their habits. Even with
this breakthrough technology, STACKED is a mixed bag of average online
play, informative instructional videos, and a slow campaign.
To put it
simply, the best part of the game ISN’T a part of the game. There are numerous
instructional videos featuring professional poker player Daniel Negreanu where
he offers up tips to help players at every skill level including bluffing
techniques and betting strategies. Forgetting the fact that Daniel Negreanu
has had some bad luck at the tables in the past year, his teachings are very
useful and a nice bonus to the game.
Stacked,
in all, isn’t a bad game. It offers a good arena to practice your poker skills
either against the computer or other people online. Initially, during the solo
campaign you can choose your character and make slight modifications including
skin color, clothing, and hair. Considering poker titles aren’t very graphic
intensive, I was disappointed at the lack of variety in customization. The
poker pros look fairly realistic and I’m sure the quality is improved on the
Xbox. Once chosen, you can either jump right into a single-player table in
quick match mode or sink your teeth into career mode. In either case, you will
soon figure out that STACKED is incredibly slow paced. Sure, you can
fast forward past a hand you aren’t involved in with a press of a button. But
be prepared to sit a while if you’re sitting on a playable hand. Each opponent
will say a comment before taking any action, and the one-liners are often
repeated and are always lame. This turns a would-be 30-minute game into a
match that could last several hours.
As said
before, the developers have implemented a “revolutionary” AI system called
Poki. Using this technology, they have created different opponents with
different styles of play to mix things up at the table. Some players are very
conservative and rarely play any hands while others wouldn’t think twice about
going all in on a bluff. Stacked does offer the best AI of any poker
video game currently available. But even the computer could be fooled with
aggressive betting (try going all in multiple times and see how the AI
reacts). To help aid your poker decisions, you can call on Daniel Negreanu’s
advice on how to play a particular hand. Keep in mind, however, that his
“words of wisdom” derive from a computer program that can often be dead wrong
(so don’t fold pocket aces just because Danny says so). I did enjoy the game’s
well-designed interface with easy-to-use card viewing and controls.
Besides the
single-player campaign, STACKED aimed to create a new forum for which
to play poker online. Playing with people over the Internet simply feels more
real. Although I wasn’t able to connect to a game online, players I talked to
admit the difficulty in finding a legitimate table to play in. It simply
doesn’t compare to the ease of finding a game on the internet poker sites like
Party Poker and Full Tilt Poker.
STACKED
is the best
poker video game currently out on store shelves. That said, I am a little
disappointed that the title didn’t go that extra mile in making itself a hit.
At $29.99, poker aficionados will find value in the instructional videos and
tables for practice. Otherwise, it’s rentable.
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Gameplay: 6.9
STACKED’s
innovative AI engine is unlike any other poker video game but it can be
tricked. The “Ask Daniel” feature is an interesting concept that didn’t
entirely work out. Each tournament lasts way too long to encourage continuous
play time. Players have had a hard time fining online tables to join.
Graphics: 7.0
Good-looking
professional poker player models and poker rooms, but character customization
is weak.
Sound: 6.0
Annoyingly
repetitive voiceovers and a forgettable soundtrack
Difficulty: Easy/Medium
Concept: 7.0
Daniel
Negreanu has been careful in lending his name to various projects. Without his
efforts, STACKED would have become another forgettable title.
Overall: 7.0
STACKED
is the best
poker video game currently out on store shelves. That said, I am a little
disappointed that the title didn’t go that extra mile in making itself a hit.
