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Review: Gossip Girl: PARTY Style Your Love

Gossip Girl fans might want to save their pennies on this game. This game‘s execution is simply not good.

Gameplay:
I changed from playing this on my iPhone 5S to my iPad Mini because it was a strain to read the small text. I think you might have better luck with larger cell phones like Galaxy Note or iPhone 6/S+, but I’d suggest playing it on a tablet.

You get to choose your character and can change it. I chose two characters to play: Alex and Marc. I resisted the urge to pick the aloof, Izaac for variety sake.

I dislike the interruptions, such as prompting me to use another pass to continue reading the story. To be honest, I’d rather pay up front. Those interruptions often came in the middle of a scene. If it asked per chapter, it would be less intrusive. It also lets you know whether your choice is the right one — which is cool, but still intrusive.

I prefer games where I can get immersed in the story, therefore anything that takes away that experience is a huge no-no. Think of it like reading a book at the climax (or any moment that‘s intense) and then being interrupted to deal with some nagging task. Your feelings deflate and by the time you get back to reading, it‘s just not the same. Now have that happen several times. Even worse, no?

Pick your guy.

Pick your guy.

Navigating the menu and various parts outside of the story is not intuitive. For example, when a new message popped up and I read it, I had trouble remembering what to press to get back to the story. Sometimes the “back” button didn’t work.

There are mini-activities outside of the story line such as the style challenge where you help people decide what to wear for an event. It gives some needed variety to the game if that’s your thing. Some launch without you requesting them. That’s part of the distraction I was referring to before — get to a good part in the story and suddenly you have to go on a fashion mission!

Chuck Bass, an original Gossip Girl character with Marc, a new character created for the game.

Chuck Bass, an original Gossip Girl character with Marc, a new character created for the game.

Story and characters:
Initially, I found the prologue to be slow, but I liked the introduction of all the characters. Eventually, you have to choose your guy of choice and your first choices are between Alex, Marc, and Izaac.

I like the combination of familiar characters and new characters. Here we have Blair, Nate, Chuck, Dan, Jenny, and Serena with some new characters: Alex, Marc, Izaac. You play as a new person moving to New York when you run into Serena and get sucked into her dramatic world. It’s amusing how similar the original GG characters are in this game to their book and show counterparts. Unfortunately, I found the app itself to be such a nuisance. I ended up not finishing the game which is sad because the storyline is great.

Art:
The characters are drawn pretty well, however, the backgrounds are kind of pixelated and not the best quality. The app itself isn’t appetizing either nor is it easy to use. Sometimes it felt like I needed to tap something twice to make sure it worked.

Audience: 
You can enjoy this game without having read the books or watched the show although doing so will provide a lot more familiarity. It’s available on Android and iOS.

Final thoughts: 
The story is good, but the gameplay was awful in comparison ruining an otherwise great story. Overall, I didn’t finish the game due to frustration with the jumping around. I might try it again at a later date although I’m not sure if this is the game you want to sink your money into. I had higher hopes but I can’t give it that many hearts — no matter how much my teenaged self wants me to.

Heart of Manga Rating: ♥♥

Adrienne
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