Monopoly (PS3)

About The Game

The game I am reviewing is Monopoly on the PS3. It was published by Electronic Arts and released in 2008. It is the most recent of many adaptions of the Parker Brothers famous board game.

Price and Availability

You can buy the game brand new on Amazon for £10.99 or used from £8.50.

Characters & Gameplay

The PS3 version of the game follows the same rules as the board game does, you can play it alone or as a multiplayer. You can play with up to four players; if you do not play with three other human players then the remaining spaces are filled with computer opponents. The rules of the game are adjustable to some degree, you are given the option to change things such as pass go money, free parking pay-outs and how much, if any, tax you pay. Another feature is that if you land on a property but decide not to buy it then it automatically goes to auction so everyone gets a chance to buy it. You can also change the auction settings in the menu so that when you land on a property you are taken straight to an auction rather than being able to buy it yourself.

You are given a variety of boards to choose from which become unlocked through playing the game. As you purchase properties you receive a stamp in your passport which fills up as you go through the game. Different boards have different looks to them and also have different place names that fit with the theme of the board.
There are no online features to this game, also there are no trophies. Some people will think less of the game for not having online features and trophies but as far as the online thing goes I think I prefer not being able to play it online as it is not the most exciting game to play online and tends to take a long time to finish. As for not having trophies, it is nice to come across games now and then that do not have any as when you have trophies to collect you tend to find yourself focusing on getting all the trophies and unlocking a platinum which can sometimes ruin the game for you as it seems like all you are doing is trophy hunting. I like collecting trophies but I also like a break from trophy hunting with games like this, where I can just chill out and play the game without worrying about strategies.

My Thoughts

I am a huge fan of Monopoly the board game, but I have to admit that I am not too keen on this version of it. It just is not as fun when you cannot roll the dice and sort out the money yourself. Also many people have their own “house” rules which cannot be implemented on the PS3 game. Different countries and areas have their own “made up” rules which are agreed at the start of the game. It is something that makes it interesting as you can make the game your own then, or make it more challenging. The different kinds of board are nice but all in all I found it a bit on the boring side and only played two games on it before putting it aside.

My Recommendations

If you like Monopoly and have played it as a video game before and enjoyed it then I would recommend trying it out. Be prepared to find it boring though as Monopoly is a long and tedious game at the best of times but when you are sat there just pressing buttons it gets boring faster.