PixlBit

The Price is Right first aired in 1956 and since has featured three different hosts and dozens of versions created by countries all around the globe. It was a game that anyone had a chance to be part of and the only knowledge required to play was general information regarding the price of objects ranging from lavish to everyday. This year Ubisoft created a video game version of the long-running The Price is Right TV show, and while it includes many familiar staples of the game show, the soul of the show is lost in this unpolished rendition.

When players begin the game they have two options, either single-player or multiplayer. Within single-player there are also two options, the first being to play the three strikes single-player campaign, or to play the classic version. In three strikes mode, players continue until they have lost three different times, whether in the Contestant Row, or while attempting one of the many popular mini-games featured on the show.

Classic Mode more closely follows the outline of the show, and begins with four players on Contestant Row guessing the price of an item. If players do not guess closest to the real price without going over the first time, they will have an additional six opportunities to do so. Upon success, players will then move on to play one of the many popular games seen on The Price is Right throughout the years. Some of these include Plinko, Flip Flop, Squeeze Play, and Grocery Game. Next players go on to spin the infamous wheel, hoping to land a number close to one dollar in two spins without going over. The highest valid number of the three contestants will secure a spot in the final showcase.

The single-player campaign is probably the most authentic experience players will find within this game, though players will always feel as if they are being rushed along. The Price is Right has always been about interaction with the host, and especially the audience, yet none of that is featured in the game. The beloved host, Bob Barker, is nowhere to be found even though his name is mentioned at the beginning of a round. Drew Carey, the show’s latest host isn’t present either.

Being that the crowd is such an integral part of the show, the game’s constant silence almost makes it feel creepy. There are so many subtleties and show staples that were overlooked in the single-player part of the game alone, and these problems are amplified in the multiplayer mode.

Multiplayer doesn’t offer a full Contestant Row, as the only participants are the real-life participants playing the game. After a contestant wins, they are sent to choose a challenge mini-game, but surprisingly skip the famous wheel, and move straight to the showcase.

The bottom line is that the multiplayer mode, which should be the centerpiece of the game, is shoddily thrown together, and doesn’t feel like an authentic experience. On top of missing whole sections of the typical game, a round can take as little as five minutes to complete. There is no window dressing, and no flair, just back to back games with only as much as a video featuring the familiar The Price is Right girls.

The list of what’s wrong with the game doesn't even come close to ending there. Load times are horrendous, taking upwards of 30 seconds to go from an on-stage game to the wheel or back to Contestant Row. This happens any time the game switches to an alternate scenario, and with wait times this long, without any music, or text on-screen at all, players are completely pulled out of the experience.

As stated before, there is no sound in this game. This is The Price is Right for goodness sake! There is absolutely no excuse for not having Bob Barker or at least Drew Carey take five minutes out of their busy lives to record maybe ten lines to be used over and over again throughout the game. When objects are presented to players to have their prices guessed, a very compressed video clip plays along with the commentator describing it, and the moment the video is done, the sound cuts off. There are simply no transitions at all; sound will turn on and off abruptly throughout the game.

This title does include the option of just playing the individual games themselves though, which is a good thing, except for the fact that players must unlock them in the single player campaign before they are granted access to them.

In summary, I just can't stress enough what a terrible representation of The Price is Right this game is. The game lacks every element that makes The Price is Right the success it has been for over sixty years. Even long time fans of the game show will be bored out of their minds or frustrated by the lack of personality. The potential for an outstanding game is there, but none of it was harnessed for this particular rendition.