Brooktown High
Score: 80% ESRB: Teen Publisher: Konami Developer: Backbone Entertainment Media: UMD/1 Players: 1 Genre: Strategy/ Simulation/ God Games
Graphics & Sound: I vaguely remember high school as being a little less colorful than this game. There were some characters in my class, but nothing as extreme as the sights in Brooktown High. Wild punks, soon-to-be supermodels, and arty chicks abound in this school simulator from Konami. The developer, Backbone Entertainment, got a lot of things right in the look of the game. I certainly remember high school being about the ever-expanding universe of my wardrobe, so it was reassuring to see that fashion plays a big part in the design of Brooktown High. Picking out the right outfit, suited not only to your style but to your activities, is critical. I managed on the first day of school to enact the great nightmare of leaving home with nothing on but my tidywhities. Predictably, someone told me to go home and put some clothes on... There aren't many speaking parts in the game, but there is a nice soundtrack featuring Dashboard Confessional and a few other bands. Music isn't at the heart of the game, just a sidebar to the main show of trying to help your kid get through high school with decent grades, good friends, and full pockets. The overriding first impression that stayed with me through the game was that there was ample attention to detail, but not enough work put into creating a wide variety of locations and action to feature the characters in action.
Gameplay: Dating sims haven't exactly been the rage for Western gaming audiences. Dating and social interaction has cropped up in a few games, but not usually as the main focus. Brooktown High doesn't put dating at the top of the list, but there's no question that getting in good with friends and enticing the opposite sex is a big part of the action. As you start out playing, you have the goal of building your list of friends and creating some social credibility without bombing your classes or ending up grounded. Compared to The Sims, you'll find Brooktown High feels lighter and more focused on interaction with individual characters. As school sims go, comparison with something like Bully also leaves Brooktown High feeling a little light on the side of action and story. So light all 'round is the verdict, but there are some definite bright spots. The replay value for something like this is high because there are always opportunities to have multiple interactions with characters. The storyline doesn't branch radically based on your conversation, but there are some subtle differences that come across when you lead a conversation in a totally different direction. Other aspects of the game like your chosen path through school (jock, nerd, etc.) have a more profound impact on social outcomes since specific characters may warm up to you or play more easily into your social web. There are multiple ways to play through the different activities that your high school kid is up to during the week and weekend. Some things, like attending and studying for class, are a mix of interaction through your character and simple menus where you select the option to study and watch your grades go up. Brooktown High is at its best when your character interacts with other characters or does action-oriented activities such as the little games you can access and play in your room. On the flip side, the game drags during some of the night and weekend hours as you spend time grinding through the same menus and options in your room. As a casual game it makes sense, but Brooktown High could have been stronger if the action elements had been played up or more of a storyline introduced.
Difficulty: Managing to navigate social mazes is difficult for even the savviest high school kid. Nice to imagine that us older kids have got it right by now, but Brooktown High stands as a reminder that even a slight error can send your social quotient spiraling down like a barometer during hurricane season. Each student you develop is measured by popularity and confidence. New friends that you gain through good conversation and that you keep through interaction during and after school help your popularity. Quests or "favors" from friends can often bring you closer. Confidence and "cools" will increase as you stretch out and try to ride the wave of your new popularity. Mastering the school scene and avoiding social pitfalls will ensure that your character thrives. Oh, and you have to keep studying during all this and maybe scrounge up a few bucks through a job or allowance.
Game Mechanics: The controls in Brooktown High are simple, but the interface is not always intuitive. For instance, I didn't intend to go to school in my underwear, but I pressed the action button a bit too quickly. The epiphany comes when you realize that Brooktown High doesn't require a very deep control system because not much goes on during the game. The mini-games are the pinnacle of action and you'll spend a lot more time just pressing the (X) button repetitively to cycle through menu choices and dialogue options. Unless the game's setting really turns you on and unless you're looking for something a bit less intellectually stimulating than a Sims title, you are likely to find Brooktown High lacking in depth. Then again, that would have been my read on the whole high school situation anyway, so maybe this is really the perfect simulation... In any case, it earns some points for originality, but just doesn't come up with enough in the gameplay department to be more than a footnote in gaming history. Footnote may even be too generous... an appendix entry, perhaps?
-Fridtjof, GameVortex Communications AKA Matt Paddock
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