GameSpy's Take

Fat Princess is the game that looks like a casual but plays like a hardcore. Sure, the graphics are bright and colorful. Sure, it's got a silly sense of humor. Sure, the characters look like they'd be more at home catching insects and paying off debt-collecting raccoons than swinging a sword on a battlefield. Those things don't matter, though -- once you get into the game, you'll find that it's not kiddy stuff.

It could even be argued that Fat Princess is a bit too hardcore. Precious little instruction is given within the game, which can leave newcomers a bit flustered. The in-game manual provides only the most basic of details, leaving it up to the player to learn the game's finer points. This is mostly handled through the single-player mode which, given its length (it can be completed in an hour or so), is really just an extended tutorial. Think of it as a "trial by fire" method of instruction and you'll be fine.

Once you've gotten the hang of things in single-player, it's time to jump into the heart of the game -- the multiplayer mode. Fat Princess only gets really great when you're coordinating with 15 other humans and working towards your goal of defeating the opposing team. That teamwork is required, too. As in Team Fortress 2, different character classes are important, as having the proper mix of characters performing their roles is essential to victory.

For pure offense you can choose the Warrior, the Ranger and the Mage. Each has its own strengths and weaknesses to provide a bit of balance. The Warrior is strong and can block projectiles, but his limited range usually puts him in harm's way. The Ranger is a bit weaker than the Warrior, but his attack has good range. Magic lovers will want to choose the Mage, whose fire and ice attacks affect the area around the player.


Those who prefer to play a less forceful role can opt to heal their teammates as the Priest (although the upgraded Dark Priest can sap his enemy's health). The Worker is the behind-the-scenes muscle, harvesting wood and metal to upgrade the different classes and to build useful items such as gates, ladders and catapults. If you are extremely daring, you can forgo classes altogether and play as a simple villager. Here, your only ability is to slap the enemy (which occasionally stuns them) and carry items without losing much speed.

Regardless of how you wish to play there is a character class that you should connect with. If you don't form any particular bonds, a quick trip to your base allows you to switch classes on the fly, or you can simply swipe a hat from a fallen fighter on the battlefield. As a bonus, if you steal a hat from an upgraded enemy, you gain their advanced powers even if your team has yet to upgrade that character. This ability to swap classes is great, as it allows you to alter your personal tactics during a fight or quickly change your team's strategy when the need arises.

There are four modes to choose from in multiplayer. The "main" mode shares its name with the plot of roughly 40% of the videogames released in the '80s -- Rescue the Princess (for the record, the remaining 60% of game plots were split between "Shoot the Aliens" and "Punch the Ninjas"). In this mode, your goal is to simply infiltrate the enemy castle, liberate your Princess from her cell, and carry her back to your castle. Of course, this "simple" task can take a while as it usually involves some preliminary resource gathering, upgrading, and outpost seizing before it's time to storm the castle.

Also keep in mind as you fight that you have the enemy princess locked away in your castle. In order to keep her where she is, you'll want to have a couple players supplying her with a steady diet of cake to fatten her up. This way, if the enemy does happen to breach your defenses, they'll have a hard time carrying the poor girl back home. Juggling all of these different tasks can be a challenge, but when your team is working together and getting the job done, it's extremely rewarding.

The other "Princess saving" mode is called Snatch 'n' Grab. The same basic rules apply, but you must now save your Princess multiple times before the match ends. The remaining two modes are variations on the basic deathmatch and king of the hill multiplayer games. They're certainly fun and add some necessary non-Princess-centric gameplay to the mix, but they're nothing we haven't seen before.


Currently, Fat Princess' main problem is that it can be fairly difficult to get into a quality multiplayer match. As of right now, it can take several connection attempts before you get into a game, and even then there is a good chance that it will be full of lag. Still, when you finally get into a functioning game, it's a blast. Luckily, developer Titan has already said that it is working on a patch to fix some of the online woes.

The multiplayer mode is the key, though. Without that, there isn't much here for a single player to enjoy. Playing against bots is okay, and the survival and (quite clever) soccer game are fun diversions, but nothing beats running around a map full of 32 real players. The controls are spot-on, the maps are great, and once you get used to the mechanics and settle into a character class (this should only take you a couple of games), you'll be rescuing princesses with the best of 'em. There are even plenty of humorous touches that add to the game's already-ample charm. From the squeaky character voices to the unlockable beards to the awesomely hilarious credits, Fat Princess has a lot to love.