Modern Game Weekly - Uno
Welcome to Modern Game Weekly, this series will
be focussed on more recent releases and is based around the 0 to Z of
Playstation 1 Games series, with information on what the game is, the gameplay,
story, critical reception and availability of the game. The story section will
not be the entire games story, just a small section to give you an idea of the
plot, spoilers will be kept to a minimum where possible.
The games chosen for this series are at random
from my own ratings database, the database currently contains the majority of
console releases from 2016 to February 2018 with releases up to April of 2015
added as well, with each game rated and ranked. Each game has their own rating
broken down into five different sections.
The first is the numbered ratings, this uses a
scale of 0 to 100 with a total of 10 of these ratings. One of the things that a
part of this rating are critic review scores, these scores come from all
console platforms the game is released on.
So for example Okami HD, which was recently
released on PS4 and Xbox One, as well as previously being released on the PS3,
all three of these releases factor in on the games overall rating. As a result
shoddy ports of a game will seriously hurt the games overall score.
The reviews section takes a total of 12 reviews
for the game if that number are available, both the six best review scores as
well as the six lowest scoring reviews for the game, this covers reviews for
console releases only. Information here will not be full reviews but snippets
that stand out from the reviews.
The Availability section works exactly the same
with a look at how available the game is assuming they are not digital only
releases, with retailers Gamedude, eStarland and Amazon.com, while Retrogames
may feature as older games are added to my database, the site currently only
covers games up to the Xbox 360 and PS3 era.
The 2016 and 2017 releases of Uno are an
updated version of the 2006 original release of the game on Xbox 360. Uno also
received an update from Gameloft for the WiiWare and DSiWare releases in
2009/10. Each of the games releases are different enough to be counted as their
own separate release, as such this Modern Game Weekly will only be covering the
2016/17 release of the game.
Uno is a video game adaption of the classic
card game which dates all the way back to 1971. This video game adaption of the
card game was developed by Chengdu Ubi Computer Software and published by
Ubisoft Entertainment and Ubisoft KK.
The game released first on the Xbox One and
Playstation 4 on the 16th of August 2016 via the Playstation and
Xbox stores. The game would receive a Steam release on the 3rd of
January 2017. A Nintendo Switch port of the game would be released on November
7th of the same year.
Notable people who worked on this game, Zhou
Min prior to working on the game as a Junior UI designer Min worked as a
Technical Level Design Director on the 2013 released Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell
Blacklist, a role he also held for the 2012 release Far Cry 3. Going further
back to 2006 he worked as a Level Designer on both Brothers In Arms D-Day and
Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter.
Wei Jie Zhao following his work on Uno as a
Lead Programmer, he worked on the 2017 released Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Wildlands
as an Online Programmer. Prior to his work on Uno her worked on the 2013
released Flashback and Rayman Legends as a Programmer.
This latest iteration of Uno still has your
traditional mode of play, this can be found in Solo Match against the AI, this
mode uses the classic rules of Uno that anyone who has previously played Uno in
either board or video game form will have no trouble jumping straight in.
The aim of your standard version of Uno is to
be the first player to score 500 points over several round, this is done by the
player discarding all of the cards in their hand. The player that discards all
of their cards will earn points equivalent to the value of all remaining held
card of the other players.
Additional cards to the numbers cards such as
the Action cards (Skip, Draw Two and Reverse) are worth 20 points while Wild
and Wild Draw Four Cards are worth 50pts. The Uno deck consists of 108 cards,
of which there are a total of 25 of each colour red, green, blue and yellow. Each
of the colours have two of each rank except for the zero card, the ranks for
each colour are from Zero to Nine as well as the Skip, Draw Two and Reverse
cards.
The Wild and Wild Draw Four Cards consist of 4
of each in a deck. When starting a hand each player is dealt seven cards, with
the top card from the deck set aside to begin the discard pile. When a game
starts the player directly to the left of the deal will start the game, unless
the first card on the discard pile is an action or wild card.
Action cards and wild cards have differing
effects on the game. Starting with the action cards and the Skip card, when
this card is player the next player will miss their turn, when this is the
first card on the discard pile the player directly to the left of the dealer
will miss their turn.
Reverse cards will switch the order of player,
with the turn order going from clockwise to counter clockwise, an additional
reverse card would switch the turn order back to a clockwise turn order. If
this is the first card on the discard pile play will begin counter clockwise.
Draw 2, this card when played will make the next player in the turn order draw an additional two cards, as well as miss their next turn. If this is the first card on the discard pile the player to the left of the deal will draw two additional cards and miss their turn.
Draw 2, this card when played will make the next player in the turn order draw an additional two cards, as well as miss their next turn. If this is the first card on the discard pile the player to the left of the deal will draw two additional cards and miss their turn.
Wild Cards are next up, a Wild card when put on
the discard pile by a player allows them to determine the next colour of card
to be matched. If the first card on the discard pile is this card then the
player to the left of the dealer will determine the starting colour, with play
resuming as normal.
Wild Draw Four/Draw Four Wild (+4 and wild)
when this card is played, the player will determine the next colour to be
matched, the next player in the sequence will draw 4 cards and miss their turn.
This card can only be played if the player has no cards of the current colour. If
this is the first card in the discard pile the card is returned to the deck,
they are shuffled and the top card flipped to start a new discard pile.
When the game begins and the discard pile has
been started by the dealer, the player must do one of the following, play a
card matching the discard in either the same colour, number or symbol, when a
Wild Draw Four card is played the following player has the right to challenge
that the current players hand meets the conditions of play. Play a wild card or
a playable wild draw four card or draw the top card from the deck.
If a player has drawn from the deck they must
either play or keep that card, the player Is unable to play any other card on
their turn. A wild card can be played at any time, even if the player has other
playable cards. In the event of an entire deck being used during a game, the
top card is discarded and the pile reshuffled with the game proceeding as
normal.
The second mode in addition to the traditional
4 player mode is a 2v2 mode, here two players can partner up and take on
another pair of players, both modes also support online play as well. In
addition the 2v2 mode has several different house rules that can be implemented
to change up the gameplay. These match settings include Stacking, this is when
a draw two or wild draw four are played, you may play the same type of card to
add to the penalty and pass it down to the next player.
Addition options in the match setup include
7-0, Jump-In, Force Play, No Bluffing and Draw-to-Match. The latter one being
when you draw a card on your turn, you must draw until you get a playable card.
The player is also able to set the score limit by the number of rounds that
will be played.
Like the last iteration of Uno the game
features different card themes, with the last game having the likes of Project
Gotham Racing, Kameo Elements of Power and Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD
Remix. This latest release also has card themes, sadly not as good as the
previous version, this version comes with a Winter theme and a Rabbids theme
which are both free DLC.
Also there are two paid DLC’s as well with a
Just Dance card theme (just thrilling) and a Rayman card theme. The three
Ubisoft game themes also come with four unique cards. The game offers beginners
an interactive tutorial as well as leaderboards, online lobbies and your
overall results are tracked.
Starting with the Zero2Zed rating for the game,
Uno starts off with a solid opening score with an 80, and overall the first
half of scores remain pretty steady around this point. With the game earning
another 80 rating and an 80.6 rating, the game also does not drop below a 78.3.
The second half scores to however take a hit with
the game only peaking at a 73.6, with the game rapidly falling from here on.
While it could have been much worse though, with the game earning a couple of
mid 60s scores and a 63.5 score. The game did take a significant drop for its
final score down to a 53.8.
Grading wise the games first half grades were
pretty solid with the game falling into the B grading range with all five of
its grade. The game earned itself a couple of B- grades while the remainder
were solid B’s.
The second half grades however were a significant drop, while the game did earn four grades in the C range, it only received one C+ grade which is the top end of the range, the game earned a couple of C grades and a C-. The final grade however was overall pretty poor with the game earning a D, averaging out the game comes in at an overall rating of 72.0 which converts to a C+ on the grading scale.
On to the first critic review which comes from
Worth Playing who rated the PS4 version of Uno at an 80. With the reviewer
finding the game to be a good alternative to the type of fare typically seen on
a console.
The second half grades however were a significant drop, while the game did earn four grades in the C range, it only received one C+ grade which is the top end of the range, the game earned a couple of C grades and a C-. The final grade however was overall pretty poor with the game earning a D, averaging out the game comes in at an overall rating of 72.0 which converts to a C+ on the grading scale.
With the reviewer finding that despite its simple rules it remains fun thanks to decent AI and a good sized online community. The reviewer continued by saying, it may not be as cheap as the Xbox 360 release was, but if you’re looking for a fun card game on PS4, you can’t go wrong with Uno.
Next up is Everyeye.it who also rated the PS4
version of the game at an 80, with the reviewer calling the game an excellent
card game, that you should keep on your hard drive, because you won’t know when
you want to play it, but sooner or later that you will.
The review commented on the inclusion of the
Rabbids deck, and the likely other Ubisoft themed decks to come, that will like
have to be purchased separately, but concluded by saying the initial 9.99 euros
is hard to say no to (Translated from Italian may not be 100% correct).
ZTGD are next up with another 80 rated review
for the PS4 version of the game, with the reviewer really pleased with this new
offer of Uno. With the reviewer finding the game to be one of those that is
always being opened for the odd game or a few quick matches.
They continued by saying, Ubisoft have managed
to not mess up the formula (as they did with their recent Tetris game) and make
sure the important things such as online stability, remain solid. Concluding
the review said. All I can say is that if you love Uno, you’ll love this.
GameSpew are next up with a fourth 80 rated
review for the PS4 version of the game. The reviewer finding the game to have a
crisp and clear game designer, with an easy to pick up and play feel to it. The
reviewer however was critical of the lack of variety in the game and the lack
of additional pack designs.
Concluding the reviewer said. Ultimately if you
enjoy Uno then you’ll probably enjoy this version of it. At £7.99 it’s perhaps
a little pricey for a game that you may play rarely, and the lack of 2v2 local
multiplayer is a shame. There's been little change since the PS3/Xbox 360
version, but that version was solid enough that it's no great loss.
The final 80 rated PS4 review comes from
Eurogamer Italy, with the reviewer finding that even without the predicted
add-on’s from other Ubisoft IP’s, the basic game of Uno that is on offer is a
super recommended game. Although not particularly innovative compared to past
editions, we are still talking about one of the best card games ever made.
The reviewer continued by saying that the game
is a masterpiece of playability and strategy in its simplest yet profound form,
concluding the reviewer said. I am sure that you will come back to play with
friends and perfect strangers in months to come.
For the next review we head over to the Switch
release and Gaming Trend who rated Uno at a decent 75. with the reviewer
praising the classic Uno gameplay that is one offer, the reviewer also praised
the inclusion of Ubisoft themed cards and the support of multi console and
online play.
The reviewer however was critical of the long
loading times they suffered while player, as well as the sparsely populated
multiplayer lobbies. The reviewer also found that being able to see opponent
cards in local multiplayer does soften the competitive nature of the game.
Concluding the reviewer had the following to say. UNO’s empty lobbies might be a disappointment, but local play, house rules, and the Ubisoft game themed cards breathe new life into the family game night staple.
Concluding the reviewer had the following to say. UNO’s empty lobbies might be a disappointment, but local play, house rules, and the Ubisoft game themed cards breathe new life into the family game night staple.
Heading to the other end of the review scale
now, where we find a 60 rated review from PSX-Sense. The Dutch publication
finding that Uno remains a very nice card game, but Ubisoft has done very
little effort with the Digital version to make something special out of it.
The reviewer found the number of modes on offer
was very scant. The reviewer found the online portion of the game to be far the
best part, with things kept very basic here, the reviewer also praised the
reasonable asking price for the game, but they did feel the could have done
with a bit more work on it.
The first Xbox One reviewer is up next, this
comes from GameRant who also rated the game at a 60. With the reviewer finding
Ubisoft’s Uno does a good job of replicating the original card game as a video
game.
With the game being a good option for player who want to play with friends but are not close to home. The reviewer however found the games shortcoming for in person players mean it definitely doesn’t qualify as a party game.
With the game being a good option for player who want to play with friends but are not close to home. The reviewer however found the games shortcoming for in person players mean it definitely doesn’t qualify as a party game.
Back to the Switch for the next review which
comes from Gaming Age who rated the game at an above average 58. With the
reviewer finding all in all that Uno for the Switch isn’t all that exciting.
The reviewer was critical of the games slow load times, while visually looking
solid it is far from spectacular.
The reviewer did continue by saying, but it’s
Uno and that is not really needed to make it work. They continued by saying,
It’s a solid representation of the classic card game with enough new to make
things interesting.
Back to the PS4 for the next review which comes
from DarkStation who rated this latest incarnation of Uno at just an above
average 50. The reviewer finding the PS4 version is an average offering that
doesn’t take advantage of the fact it is a digital game, with it providing a
serviceable version of the popular card game, but not much more.
The reviewer continued by saying. Online play
works fine, but without voice chat it loses the social elements that makes Uno
fun in real life. The reviewer did find the special rules and Rabbids deck do
spice things up, but do little to improve the quality of this tedious card
game.
Concluding the reviewer had the following to
say. Only players who would love to constantly play Uno with online strangers
might get excited by this. Everyone else should play their cards right and
stick with the physical card game.
Staying with the PS4 version of the game we
find God is a Geek with their 50 rated review. With the reviewer finding that
the game offers the basic elements of the card game very well. With the
reviewer praising the games bright and cheery visuals with an irritating
elevator music soundtrack.
The reviewer however found that this
incarnation of Uno fails to quite capture what made the predecessor on the 360
so wildly popular. The reviewer also found the restrictions on voice and audio
chat although understandable result in the game being a very silent and dull
game.
The reviewer also had a few connectivity issues
as well as players being booted out of matches, or failing to find matches at
all, the reviewer also had issues with the game freezing mid match, resulting
in the whole match having to be abandoned.
Concluding the reviewer had the following to
say on the game. It’s hard to imagine how Uno could be messed up: it’s a simple
game with simple requirements for fun, but somehow Ubisoft has managed to
completely fail to understand what made the 360 version so popular.
It wasn’t the nudity or the drug use, but the
ability to communicate with other people on the platform, and the opportunity
to make new friends. The restrictive social aspects of this version make it
ultimately feel a bit hollow. There is fun to be had with your friends, but if
you don’t have any that will play, you are probably better off playing the
actual card version.
For the final review we head back to the XboxOne version of the game and by far the lowest review score received by Uno
which is a poor 25 from Destructoid. With the reviewer finding the previous
release on Xbox 360 to be a better game in every single way aside from
resolution.
The reviewer continued by saying. I was so
excited for this. I had hoped to relive the days of big ol' dicks, and making
new friends on Xbox Live, but instead I got a lifeless card game that faintly
resembles a game I used to love.
Oh, and Rabbids. Fucking. Rabbids. Concluding he gave a box quote for Ubisoft with the following. Uno is a shining example of misleading marketing and a great argument for Xbox Live to adopt Steam's refund practices.
Oh, and Rabbids. Fucking. Rabbids. Concluding he gave a box quote for Ubisoft with the following. Uno is a shining example of misleading marketing and a great argument for Xbox Live to adopt Steam's refund practices.
This is the part of Modern
Game Weekly where is visit four online retailers and
see what the availability of the title is, and what price you would be looking
at if you wanted to pick this title up, the sites that I will be using for this
are Amazon.com, eStarland.com, retrogames.co.uk for older generation titles and
Gamedude.com I know the last one is very location specific, but from a podcast
I listen to, I’ve heard they have a huge stock of games, Ebay has now been
dropped unless the game is unavailable at other retailers.
With this being a
digital only release the usual stores of Gamedude, Retrogames.co.uk,
eStarland.com and Amazon.com are of no use. So we will be heading to the PSN
Store, The Xbox Store and the Nintendo eShop for the game prices.
Starting with the PSN
Store we find that Uno has a usual price of £7.99 if you are in the UK, this
game is currently on offer however with a price of just £3.99. If you are in
the United States you will be looking at $9.99 for the game, converting this to
British Pounds it works out at £7.11, so when not on offer purchasing this game
via an American PSN account will save you 88p.
If you are accessing
the PSN Store from Australia you will be looking at $7.55, with the game
currently on offer from its usual price of $14.95. If on the other hand you are
accessing the PSN Store from an EU country, you will find the game currently on
offer at €4,99 from €9,99
Next up is the Xbox
Store, where if you are in the US you can pick up this game for $9.99, with the
UK price the same as the usual PS4 price at £7.99, with the US version working
out at 88p cheaper when converting the price. If buying the game for the Xbox
One in one of the EU countries you will be looking at an outlay of €9.99, while in Australia it will set you back AU$14.95.
Lastly we have the
Nintendo eShop where if you are accessing the store from the United States you
will be looking at $9.99 for the game. In the UK the game will cost you the
same as on other systems of £7.99 and remains 88p more expensive when
converting the US price. While if you are looking to buy the game in EU
countries it will set you back €9,99
Written by
P J Gibbon
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