In dire need of a patch.
- Stunning graphics: each Pinata, building, and item model looks nearly flawless, especially with the resolution and graphics quality at maximum. You can see each individual little piece of paper making up the Pinatas' fur.
- This game really is suitable for all ages. Despite the cutesy graphics, there is a fair amount of depth, and some thought and planning is required to get the most out of the limited space in your garden.
Now the bad:
In it's current state, this game is nothing short of broken. I had heard of the issues that many people experienced, but I was keeping my fingers crossed, hoping that I would luck out or that these issues were isolated. It was not to be:
Issue #1 - I didn't have a Live account, so I had to take the time to create one (this is required to even save a game). That in itself isn't really that much to ask...but see Issue #2.
Issue #2 - If you're using a router, there's a small chance that it will incompatible with Windows/XBox Live. Consult the "Compatible Home Networking Equipment" page on the XBox official page to check. I had to update the firmware on my router before the Live account creation could be completed. Now this is asking a bit much, since I've had no issues at all with Steam, BF2, or any other games online.
Issue #3 - Now this is the BIG one: the dreaded corrupt save file. This happened to me about 10-15 hours in, and it wasn't a case of me turning the system off in the middle of a save, or anything else that could have been attributed to user error. It was simply me trying to Save & Exit, and seeing a message about the corrupt save file. The important point here is that during this same gaming session, the game had autosaved successfully numerous times. So the corruption essentially came out of the blue - there are no warning signs.
So in short - great game...but you'd be strongly advised to wait for a patch.
My system specs, for reference:
Core 2 Duo E6600
GeForce 8800 GTS
2 GB DDR2-800
Windows XP Pro