Ahoy there, me lovely hearties! I’ve crossed the vast swaths o’ the ocean to bring you yet another review! Now, in my time of piracy and crime, I cannot tell ye just how many brigs I’ve seen. Be it the people I’ve thrown into them, or from behind the bars themselves. Let me tell ye, ye land lubbers, the life behind bars be a totally different sort o’ experience. You constantly have to stalk in the shadow if you don’t have a crew to watch your back. Ah those were hard times, but I can’t help but be hooked in by nostalgia because of Prisonhood.
The Gameplay
In terms of gameplay, Prisonhood takes a lot of cues from older social games but still manages to mix it up. When you first start up, you’ll be greeted by a short introduction into the world of prison life and it’s a hard one. You’ll be asked to be a thief, a liar, and a boss of your own crew so that you can survive the day-to-day struggle. Of course, you won’t be alone; along the way, you’ll be able to recruit people through tiny missions parsed out daily.
The twist that Prisonhood puts into the gameplay is that you’re an active participant in the fight mechanic of the game. When there’s a mission that requires you to jump into combat, the game shifts from an overworld view to a one-on-one cage match. Overall, it adds a new level of immersion to a very social game. However, if you or other players of the game instigate a fight, the match devolves into who has the better stats, and that’s a bit of a let down. At the same time, Prisonhood also offers gamers a lot of levels to fight through. There are at least 30 individual sections in the game, all of which show off something new to do.
The Graphics
Prisonhood takes a very cartoon-y look, which makes it very similar to other app games. However, it’s the small details that make apps unique, and this game has it in spades. Everything from the crowds in the background to the character animations are well detailed. If you manage to grab this game for a tablet with HD capabilities, you’ll see even more.
With that, the over-world map feels a bit lacking when it comes to details. It’s a small gripe, but more effort could have been put into making the environments more prison-like. Yeah, everything’s gray, but there’s no real grime as you go along through each level.
The Verdict
Prisonhood is a great game. While it doesn’t try to mix the formula Mafia Wars set down long ago, it does add a little more meat to it. The fight system feels fair and balanced, except in times when they’re dictated by stats, but that’s just a small problem. You see the automated fights are a means to push the social feature of the game. Inviting friends and fighting off other players is the second half of what makes this title fun to pick. Overall, Prisonhood is a bit of a gem, and it’s also free making it a must have for players that need something new to add to their game library.
