Overall – 75%
75%
Official Score
While the lack of board variations and crossovers sting, MONOPOLY’s Living Board and perfection of the fundamentals both make this digital release worthy of Mr. Monopoly himself.
A staple of game nights – and countless fights – the world over, Hasbro’s classic board game MONOPOLY has received a virtual glow-up by Ubisoft and Engine Software that would make even the great Mr. Monopoly blush.
Should players set out to build their empire in MONOPOLY’s latest digitized release?
MONOPOLY Review
Need a refresher on MONOPOLY, or never gotten the chance to play this board game staple?
Choosing from fun tokens like thimbles or roller skates (or even Rayman’s Raving Rabbids and Assassin’s Creed’s Ezio Auditore), MONOPOLY tasks up to six players with striking it rich through careful planning, auctioning, trading, and scheming.
Buying, selling, and trading are all in the cards – not to mention literal Chance and Community Chest cards. A time-tested tradition, taking advantage of prime real estate and forcing players to pay up or go bankrupt never gets old.
This release of MONOPOLY has everything one needs for the ultimate game night. One can choose from classic rules and a Classic Board – even flipping it topside without the nasty cleanup. Mr. Monopoly is also on hand to provide just the right quip, adding a healthy dose of personality to this title.
However, there is also the chance to take advantage of Fast Rules in this MONOPOLY release. One can take advantage of “Real Estate Agent,” “Magnate,” and “Architect,” each of which changes the overall win objective and (naturally) speeds things up to anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes a go. Speed Die’s also an option that adds some much-needed pep.
Longtime MONOPOLY players no doubt know how long each game can go, and while players can stop and continue matches, we gravitated toward these options during our time with the title.
There’s also the chance in MONOPOLY to go for a Living Board. While the Classic Board can be flipped, the Living Board of MONOPOLY is an absolute must. With a fully detailed city, a day/night cycle, and the chance to see things move and groove, it’s the clear choice.
One can also scope out additional pieces by exploring the nooks and crannies of MONOPOLY’s Living City. It’s the little things like the ghost token haunting the top of the skyscraper that show how much care was put into its world.
We just wish that this version of MONOPOLY took advantage of the many different variations out on the market today. While the Classic Board and Living Board admittedly get the job done, the different versions of the game have brought with them additional rules, crossovers, and pieces.
Rounding things out in MONOPOLY is an online mode with cross-play functionality. Play is smooth, and there’s the chance to join in ongoing games, though your mileage will vary. If all else fails, there’s offline support where only one controller is needed – a nice touch.
While the lack of board variations and crossovers sting, MONOPOLY’s Living Board and perfection of the fundamentals both make this digital release worthy of Mr. Monopoly himself.
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