Fat Princess is here...

Just when I thought Little Big Planet is going to stay in my PS3 forever, Titan Studio's very anticipated title "Fat Princess" hits the PSN shelf this past Thursday (7/30/09). I only heard of the game after the beta testing phase was completed, so my wait for the official release was not as long as compared to other fans out there. Here is a quick game play trailer for your enjoyment...



I downloaded the game the afternoon after the release date and gave it a quick run. I did not read any of its how to play instructions, and just dove right in to the multi-player online mode. First glance, it was very intuitive, a basic "capture the flag" type of game play, where your objective is the capture the opponent's princess. You start by picking a character class - worker, warrior, ranger, wizard, priest. You choose which class you want to play by picking up hats (even if the color of the hat is not your own team's). Your objective is storm the opponent's castle and kidnap their princess and bring her back to your own castle. Sounds simple, but it is very challenging. Which is the "thing" that makes this game have a high reply quality.

As I dove into to an online game, I found the game pace was very hectic, it felt like everyone had a purpose in this world, until you realize that most of the players were AI characters. Take your time, get to know your surrounding, I can assure your no one will come charging into the castle for the first 3 min. After a while of hacking at AI opponents and not getting remotely close to the enemies castle, I started to notice more and more online players were joining the game. Since the game was new, most everyone I encountered were just as clueless as I was. It was fun trying to storm the castle in an uncoordinated fashion, but after a while, I realized I needed to read something or go thru its "how to play" section, so I took a break from online playing and read the instructions. It was helpful, but I still had alot of questions. I decided to take a break.

24 Hours later, I returned to the game late at night. There were alot more online players this time, and it is impressive how much 24 hours can change the game complexion. In game chatter (using headsets) now dominated most of the game. Experienced player are passing their knowledge to new comers, and suddenly strategies and team work becomes a necessary component to the online game play. I quickly found out some helpful tips:

1. Dont forget to hold on to your outpost (especially ones closet to trees and mineral resources). Outposts works as material cache, and extension of your castle, so you would not have to run back to the castle to deposit your hard earned resources.

2. Always keep a stockpile of wood in hand. Things around your castle breaks down and you will need wood to repair them. Castle doors is one thing that need fixin' constantly. So don't let your wood supply dwindle to zero.

3. Get your catapult going as soon as possible. A jump using the catapult can propel you faster than if you can ran. Not to mention you won't encounter any enemies in mid air.

4. Upgrade, upgrade, upgrade. Upgrade your classes as soon as possible. Yes, being in the middle of fight is fun, but it is more fun when all your characters are upgraded.

5. No need to feed the princess until later. Don't waste time feeding the fat princess in the beginning. Most likely your oponent is upgrading and getting that catapult in working order. There is plenty of cakes around, so concentrate on other stuff above on this list before you feed the princess.

6. Find short cuts. This will come naturally as you get familiar with the maps. Every map has a built in short cut that you can use to sneak into the castle. Find them and use them. Sometimes you will need to hack your way thru rocks or build a spring board to get to it, but its worth the trouble.

7. If you have a headset, USE IT! don't be shy. Communication is key in online multi-player mode. If you can gather a group of players in a designated point and siege the opponent's castle together, your chances in kidnapping the princess increases exponentially. Use your headset, introduce yourself, get to know your team.

8. Don't worry about the score or your ranking. The game is more fun if the team works together. Running solo can be fun for a while, but it misses the point of this game. Work with others... Trust me, it is alot of fun.

I've only played for about 12 hours since the game started and I've already added +/- 10 Fat Princess gamer to by friend's list.

As I find more tricks and strategy, I will post them under the Fat Princess lable in this blog, so visit often and share your tips with me. Hope to see you the game one day.

My PSN id if you have not guess it from the blog title: moncorbuus

Happy Gaming! And feed more cake!