Hoyle Casino 2010 brings a certain casino feel to the Mac, but pops up short in most categories. With 3D tables and faster gameplay, we'll take an in-depth take a look at Encore's latest gaming offering for OS X to ascertain if it's worth spending $19.95 on (from Macgamestore.com).
Since 2000, Hoyle-themed games are actually developed by Encore for both Mac and Windows systems. Traditionally, these games have offered probably the most in-depth gambling experiences outside going to a true casino. An expertly recreated atmosphere coupled with a large plethora of games have meant that almost any person can enjoy a Vegas experience without the expense or hassle of the genuine article. The latest iteration of Hoyle Casino attempts to improve upon its predecessors in a very bold mission for provide the best virtual gambling experience, and while it may not have the lights and glamor of Vegas, it can do a relatively good job of providing an excellent rendition of numerous of our favorite games.
This review is divided into three sections: game selection, graphics, and miscellaneous. In the sport selection section, we'll explore many of the games offered and exactly how they compare relative to the competition. We'll then use an analysis of the graphics lastly review every other miscellaneous factors that influence the review.
Encore did quite well at ensuring that virtually any game one could find in Vegas is included in Hoyle Casino 2010. From blackjack to craps to baccarat, each game continues to be faithfully recreated with all the current rules matching comparable to that of an actual casino. While the the greater part of games are actually designed quite nicely, we'll examine three varieties of games: 2D table, 3D table, and slots.
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2D Table Games
2D table games, like craps, give you a mediocre experience when compared to the amount of detail that Encore definitely place on creating the 3D games. For example, the graphics inside craps game are clearly too narrow and the betting strategy is highly awkward. You can place a bet anywhere shared, so if you bet about the pass line, you aren't restricted to placing your bet straight before you. Instead, you can put your bet before a computer player or anywhere else you'd like. Unfortunately, the computer players love to place their bets anywhere shared, as we discussed from the image on the right (in the event you look closely there are 2 bets towards the left of mine). This naturally leads to many "is that my bet?" scenarios where you'll have to hover over people's bets to find out which ones are laptop computer's and which can be your's. Roulette is really a semi-3D game (the table is portrayed to be 3D, but the perspective fixation causes it to be look very 2D) also it suffers from many of the same problems. It's clear that Encore didn't put much thought into making greater table games as pleasant since the 3D ones.
3D Table Games
While the 2D games aren't particularly good, the 3D ones are absolutely astounding. Everything about these games feels completely realistic, in the way the cards are dealt on the rules themselves, Encore has generated an experience that's unrivaled by all other casino games. With the player chatter started up, there are numerous times when it feels just like I'm sitting at the real blackjack table. All the players place their bets and therefore the dealer is really animated to get dealing them, as can be seen from the image around the left. To give you a good instance of the attention paid on the 3D games, think about the betting limit sign. In previous versions of the game, you'd decide on a table limit that you simply wanted - whether it's $5, $10, etc. However, within this version of Hoyle Casino, just click around the sign to alter the betting limits which can be then displayed as they'd be in a real casino. This can be a little detail, but its certainly the one that adds to the realism.
Slots
I've been a little disappointed that Hoyle could never get licenses through the different slot companies to provide more faithful recreations of some individuals casino favorites (Double here Diamond, anyone?). Hoyle Casino 2010 isn't any exception to this particular. Still, it's clear that the developers have put lots of time and effort into making the ficitious slots look and play their utmost. They're rendered in 3D, and there are a tremendously high variety from which to choose, including standard 3-reel, 3-reel with 5 paylines, the greater wacky game slots, and the like. Virtually any kind of slot, video poker, or video blackjack continues to be included with this version of the game.
For people who haven't played Hoyle Casino before, it is usually worth mentioning that the slot machines don't have adjustable payouts. So, much like an actual casino, when you visit a slot you don't know what its payout percentage is going to be. The help manual in Hoyle gives payout ranges of up to 97% in addition to being low as 85%, so I suspect the computer just randomly chooses a percentage between both of these.
All in every, your selection of games is quite high. Although some games aren't designed perfectly, it will become very clear, rapidly that there's something everyone will cherish in Hoyle Casino. Given the scarcity of gambling games on the market, I'm inclined to say the positives vastly outweigh the negatives here and present this section a four away from five.
The graphics in Hoyle Casino 2010 are absolutely astounding when compared with other casino games. Blackjack, baccarat, etc. have all been rendered in very impressive 3D that accurately models the actual games. Instead of a fixed top-down perspective, you have been looking at the tables as in the event you really were playing the action. Although the models used certainly aren't Halo 3 quality, they certainly suffice just for this type of game. You can see the blackjack dealer dealing they, the chips look fine, along with the table/surroundings very closely mimic exactly what a real casino. Many times, you'll appreciate the added touches of realism (such as the limit signs discussed in the previous paragraphs) and find it easy to forget that this is just a video game.
A perfect example of the graphics is what the developers have done with the horse racing game. Users of old Hoyle versions will remember the cheesy looking stick horses making the rounds a track. However, the horse racing inside the 2010 version is in fact not too bad as you can watch the horses run properly. In addition, the developers took the time to build up a nice lounge so that you simply're "watching" the race on your own TV screen. While some of you might be looking with the screenshot for the left and thinking "that's special?", I think most of my appreciation for your graphics hasn't to do with their top quality, but more with their inclusion inside game. A nicely rendered horse racing lounge mimics design for betting on horses with a real casino.
Here's the part where I sort of tweak the review allow it a feeling more comensurate with the total experience. For starters, as I've stated above, the action itself has many positives using its awesome 3D atmosphere also it also improves on a few issues that users of older Hoyle versions will greatly appreciate. However, the question is, do these improvements actually justify a purchase order? Remember, these games will be the same as before - I mean blackjack is blackjack whether it's played with fancy graphics. In addition, Hoyle says that they've just added five new games in 2010, which can make some question the upgrade too.
It's just for this reason that I've made my miscellaneous section a 3 away from 5. That brings the entire score to 11/15 or 73% which I feel is often a much more accurate score because of this game. Sure there are a handful of improvements, nonetheless its hard to debate that they're so important that an upgrade is critical.
As for which you should do, well, I'd definitely point out that it highly is dependent upon what version you're using now. If you're by using an older 2D version and enjoy the wide variety of games that Hoyle provides, then my advice should be to take the $20 plunge and obtain 2010. However, in case you're on another 3D version and therefore are enjoying it, my advice should be to hold off, because there's really not much a new comer to see here.
Final Score: 73%