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IGN Review of Brunswick Pro Bowling
For one reason or another, bowling games became synonymous with motion control as soon as people got their hands on Wii Sports back when Nintendo's system first launched. Carrying on in that fine tradition is Brunswick Pro Bowling on PlayStation 3, a game that leverages (or at least it tries to) the PlayStation Move while also allowing users to play with the traditional DualShock 3 if need be. Sadly, no matter what controller you use, Brunswick Pro Bowling never offers up much in the way of fun.
The game provides the expected modes, by that I mean you get a career offering, a quick play option and the ability to play a few random challenges as well as online multiplayer. The career mode offers up a handful of characters to choose from and sets you on a path to conquer the bowling world through a series of tournaments and events. There are ladder tournaments, high-score challenges and other contests, but it all relies on the same bowling control mechanic that is far more frustrating than it should be. But more on that later. The challenges (known as Spare Challenges) present you with different pin positions for a spare and then hands out points based on how many attempts it takes you to knock them down. It's a decent multiplayer mode, but it's held back significantly by the lackluster control mechanics.
Given the fact that it has been a few years since we saw Wii Sports' version of bowling, I'd expect there to be some advancement in terms of the feel of the bowling controls, especially when you factor in the impressive performance of PlayStation Move on other titles. Sadly that's not the case. One of the best things about Move is the fact that it picks up on finite wrist movements and changes in angle, yet none of that comes through in Brunswick Pro Bowling. You have to do wildly exaggerated bowling motions to get spin in either direction and the speed of your ball (theoretically tied to the speed of your arm and the point that you release the ball) doesn't react very accurately no matter how quickly you swing your arm.
You aren't forced to use Move, though. If you want, you can always plug in your DualShock 3 or Six Axis and perform the same bowling motion. That's right, you don't use the analog sticks in any way. Instead you have to press the down directional to start your approach, swing the controller in the typical motion and release the directional once you reach the proper point. I seemed to get better speed on all my shots with this method and spin was determined by the slant of the controller, but the fidelity (which isn't impressive with Move) suffers. I also found serious annoyances (and this applied to Move as well) with the aiming reticule used in-game. Sometimes I'd try to ride the ridge between the lane and the gutter, and my aiming arrow straddled the edge properly, but my bowler would still chuck it into the gutter. It was an annoyance that popped up on more than one occasion.
Brunswick Pro Bowling doesn't bring much to the table visually, either. The character models don't pack much personality or detail and the physics engine feels a bit too floaty for its own good. Environmental detail is also lacking, despite six different bowling alleys to choose from that span the southern part of the United States.
The online multiplayer portion of the game – the one spot where this game had a slight chance to shine – is gimped by the fact that you're never on-screen with your opposition. It would've been cool to have all four players (or two or three) in the same alley bowling next to one another, but instead all you get is a score that updates as they bowl. The multiplayer is a perfect microcosm of Brunswick Pro Bowling; it has potential, but utterly fails in execution.
©2010-09-30, IGN Entertainment, Inc. All Rights Reserved
The game provides the expected modes, by that I mean you get a career offering, a quick play option and the ability to play a few random challenges as well as online multiplayer. The career mode offers up a handful of characters to choose from and sets you on a path to conquer the bowling world through a series of tournaments and events. There are ladder tournaments, high-score challenges and other contests, but it all relies on the same bowling control mechanic that is far more frustrating than it should be. But more on that later. The challenges (known as Spare Challenges) present you with different pin positions for a spare and then hands out points based on how many attempts it takes you to knock them down. It's a decent multiplayer mode, but it's held back significantly by the lackluster control mechanics.
Given the fact that it has been a few years since we saw Wii Sports' version of bowling, I'd expect there to be some advancement in terms of the feel of the bowling controls, especially when you factor in the impressive performance of PlayStation Move on other titles. Sadly that's not the case. One of the best things about Move is the fact that it picks up on finite wrist movements and changes in angle, yet none of that comes through in Brunswick Pro Bowling. You have to do wildly exaggerated bowling motions to get spin in either direction and the speed of your ball (theoretically tied to the speed of your arm and the point that you release the ball) doesn't react very accurately no matter how quickly you swing your arm.
You aren't forced to use Move, though. If you want, you can always plug in your DualShock 3 or Six Axis and perform the same bowling motion. That's right, you don't use the analog sticks in any way. Instead you have to press the down directional to start your approach, swing the controller in the typical motion and release the directional once you reach the proper point. I seemed to get better speed on all my shots with this method and spin was determined by the slant of the controller, but the fidelity (which isn't impressive with Move) suffers. I also found serious annoyances (and this applied to Move as well) with the aiming reticule used in-game. Sometimes I'd try to ride the ridge between the lane and the gutter, and my aiming arrow straddled the edge properly, but my bowler would still chuck it into the gutter. It was an annoyance that popped up on more than one occasion.
Brunswick Pro Bowling doesn't bring much to the table visually, either. The character models don't pack much personality or detail and the physics engine feels a bit too floaty for its own good. Environmental detail is also lacking, despite six different bowling alleys to choose from that span the southern part of the United States.
The online multiplayer portion of the game – the one spot where this game had a slight chance to shine – is gimped by the fact that you're never on-screen with your opposition. It would've been cool to have all four players (or two or three) in the same alley bowling next to one another, but instead all you get is a score that updates as they bowl. The multiplayer is a perfect microcosm of Brunswick Pro Bowling; it has potential, but utterly fails in execution.
©2010-09-30, IGN Entertainment, Inc. All Rights Reserved