Quoted from Sixxin:So for what it is worth, I got to finally play UM this weekend on location. I have one on order in the early 300s and was wanting to figure out if it was really as bad as the current market is making it out to be (short answer is no). I was also fortunate, as I got to play a Godzilla LE and Mando LE back to back with UM. Here are my thoughts for any other UM people that have one on order, but have not been able to play the game yet. Full disclosure, I historically enjoy Spooky games, as I owned a TNA for 2.5 years and currently still own my R&M (great game). With that being said, I have honestly been pretty annoyed at the situation in the past couple months of seeing how "rough" the state of the game is in and the lack of gameplay information I had before I had to put down a non-refundable deposit. I never bought the game to flip, but rather just wanted an enjoyable kaiju-related game with good theme integration similar to R&M or ACNC. For me, this is a make or break moment for Spooky as a customer. If they cannot deliver a really fun and engaging game like TNA or R&M, I simply won't be pre-ordering with them again regardless of future themes due to the speculative nature of it.
Pros: The game is visually stunning. Out of maybe 20 games at the location, it easily was in the top 3 from a looks perspective. The playfield artwork, side blades, and lighting all pop. The LED strips on the upper playfields are not distracting from the player's perspective and add atmosphere to the playfield. I was worried about this, as they are pretty visible on stream. The shots are smooth and pretty satisfying. The layout is unique and feels different in a good way. I was worried about how the upper playfields would feel, but the middle playfield felt good and I always felt like I had shot variety. I think something was wrong with the upper playfield entrance on the game I played, as I never ended up getting to it--lots of rejects from that ramp when I expected to get up there. The music is also excellent--it sets the right mood for the theme.
Cons: The code is super bare bones. I don't want to beat a dead horse, but in current form there is little to no instructions to the player on what to hit, or general strategy throughout the game. I had researched the rules before going to know what to do, but it was still a challenge sometimes. There is no risk versus reward present in the current code or cumulative feeling of progression. There are extremely few callouts and virtually no feedback or audible reward directed to the player. The subway to ball risers are a miss for me. From a positive side, they create very controllable situations to make shots, but they take forever. I think I counted about a 6-7 second delay between hitting the ball into a subway and the release of the ball into the inlane. Instead of creating a positive effect of "where did the ball go", within a few games it created a mini-cringe of "c'mon not again". Honestly, I don't think they can do much to fix it at this point, as it doesn't seem like the R&M staging would work. Finally, very little of the series is effectively integrated into the game in the current code. I didn't notice many show scenes other than UM flipping monsters. There are a ton of funny (intentional or not) parts to the series. These are not currently cultivated.
Summary: As everyone has said, layout cannot be changed, but code can. Playing the game is, at a base level, fun and seems promising. Honestly, I found myself choosing to play UM more games than Godzilla. I went into playing this weekend trying to figure out if I would sell my spot to get a Godzilla. At this point, I intend to keep my UM spot, as I like the theme and the general campy vibe feels good to me. I have faith that Charlie would not let a personal theme fall short from an integration standpoint. With that being said, I have seen a few people say this game isn't that bad where it currently sits code/rules wise. This simply is not true. It is very rough. It needs substantial consideration to incorporate risk versus reward elements, additive progression, and world building. These are fundamental pinball elements that keep players coming back for more. The game also needs MANY more callouts. Reactions to monsters, instructions to the player, and general world-building commentary is needed to be immersive. Right now, it is very sterile outside of the music. The game also has long ball times due to a forgiving layout, controllable shots due to the riser system, and deep shots. I don't mind this, but long playing games need DEEP rulesets. I want to feel like I am going on a journey or get to build an experience that differs slightly each time.
Suggestions: Lean into the time period, Japanese atmosphere, campy and funny nature of the show in the callouts, and consider mini-modes that focus on these elements similar to what Dialed In did with the Crazy Bob modes (lottery, emoji, etc). Since the ball is very controllable, you should consider integration of hurry-ups and mode-completion benefits or shot multipliers to add a sense of urgency, build-up, or importance of completing a task. Beating monsters should feel desirable and distinct between them. Right now, it just feels very rinse and repeat. A mode completion hurry up ala Alice Cooper in one of the left side holes for quick big points seems logical since they are not easy shots. Thought should be given to do something to entertain the player while waiting for the ball to come up in the riser during single ball play so it doesn't feel like wasted time. Maybe some sort of quick flipper controlled mini game like avoiding monster attacks for points, item collection like pizza slices on TMNT, or minor reward like the Indy 500 flip-through awards. Finally, always give me something to do on each of the upper playfields every time I get up there no matter the game state. Specifically, some interesting rule or effect needs to be integrated when hitting the ball into the shooter lane from the middle playfield. This is another stop and go moment in the game. Embrace it through some sort of effect or rule.
Overall, it seems like the Spooky team has indicated there is a lot more to be developed. I am cautiously optimistic and am looking forward to seeing what this game morphs into.
Seattle, WA
