Developer: Madorium
Publisher: Amplified Games
Platform: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S
Tested on: PC
Polterguys: Possession Party – Review
Party games have been on the rise these last few years, and while some are more successful than others, these games are often a hit when playing with friends or family. We recently took a closer look at CarGo!, a frantic coop party game that was only held back by its lack of content. Today, however, we’ll ditch the team spirit and put on our fighting gloves for Polterguys: Possession Party, a competitive party game that was recently released on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S. We were pleasantly surprised by this spooky and quirky little title.
Story
There is no story to be found in Polterguys. There is a short introduction that tells you more about what is going on, but that’s about it. This is a party game first and foremost, and as a result, it’s all about the gameplay. We didn’t mind the absence of a bigger plot here, as the gameplay and overall atmosphere speak for themselves.
Graphics
Graphically, Polterguys could be a spin-off title for something akin to Luigi’s Mansion. The ghost design and the items you can possess look cute, and there is enough variety to keep things interesting. The stage design is also varied, and there are a lot of small details to be found in the different levels. There are also different biomes that suit the game’s overall theme. Each of these levels also has enough clutter to interact with, which is a commendable achievement. The attack animations are cool to look at, and as a whole, the game feels highly polished. It took us a while to see all the different moving parts of a stage, which is great for the replay value.
Sound
The sound design of Polterguys isn’t too bad either. You’ll be treated to upbeat tunes that are also slightly similar to Luigi’s outings in haunted mansions. Nonetheless, while we compare the game to Nintendo’s famous IP, developer Madorium managed to create something that still stands tall on its own. Outside of the catchy semi-vintage tunes, the sound effects also do a formidable job by providing great audio feedback when punching or blowing up other players.
Gameplay
Polterguys: Possession Party is a party game that can be played with up to eight players. Your goal is to survive the monster(s) chasing you in a small arena-like setting and end up as the last ghost standing. It’s a simple concept that we have seen in other titles, such as Fall Guys, but Polterguys feels perhaps a bit more chill and relaxing than many other online titles. The game is very straightforward, and you’ll only have to memorize a few buttons in order to fully enjoy the experience. The game also offers local co-op, but we mainly tried out the experience online. At the time of writing, sadly, there is not a huge player base. Luckily, Polterguys fills in the empty player slots with bots that are properly programmed to still make the experience very enjoyable.
Even though the overall gameplay loop is rather basic, there is still quite a bit of content to unlock. You’ll be able to unlock an impressive number of items your little ghost avatar can possess. Each of these objects has its own unique skill that may aid you in taking out the competition by slowing down other players or help your survival by making you fly to safety. Outside of that, you’ll find item boxes, much akin to those in Mario Kart, that give you power-ups. These can also be offensive or defensive items. The matches become frantic fun because of this, and it makes it an ideal experience for both young and old. During the match, you can also collect sweets, which serve as the currency to unlock cosmetic items in your private haunt. Medals are awarded at the end of a match, and these, in turn, unlock even more items. We did notice a few balancing issues, as some of the possible items you can possess have better abilities than others. The time it takes to unlock new cosmetics or items is extremely slow, which might also be off-putting for a lot of potential players.
All in all, the gameplay loop is very satisfying, albeit simplistic. While the latter is absolutely not a bad thing, it will make it harder for the game to gain more traction to get a dedicated player base. We personally think it’s also a great game for kids, as it is just silly old-fashioned fun without any microtransactions. That being said, the current price tag is a bit too high for building up that player base. Don’t get us wrong, we had an absolute blast, but Polterguys feels more like a title you’ll play in between bigger games as a palate cleanser.
Conclusion
Polterguys: Possession Party proved to be a highly entertaining party game that simply needs to build up a bigger player base to truly make it shine. The current RRP might be a bit too high for its intended casual audience to pick this one up, but we still suggest looking up some gameplay online to see if this might become your next party game to play locally with friends or online. You’ll be treated to simple fun, engaging gameplay mechanics, and a great presentation that comes with it. We’ll certainly be revisiting this one from time to time to unwind.
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