Pinball FX3 - Indiana Jones: The Pinball Adventure by developer and publisher Zen Studios—Microsoft Xbox One review written by Nick with a copy provided by the publisher.
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
It’s been a while since we had a new Pinball FX3 table, and this latest release was certainly worth the wait. Pinball FX3 - Indiana Jones: The Pinball Adventure is a digital reimagining of the classic Williams pinball, with all of the bells and whistles you would expect from a Zen Studios offering.
That is the good news, and it’s ample. Visually, this table is a feast. The basic table design is a lot of browns and oranges at first glance, but there is no shortage of bright, colorful lighting on the table itself. Having been a fan of the actual table for many years now (I used to play it in my early college years), seeing it brought back to life in this fashion. Obviously it’s been a long time since I played it, but the sound design sure feels like what I remember, right down to the music and dialog recreated on this table.
While I love the overall presentation, I do appreciate that there is an option to turn off what I think of as the ‘Pinball FXtras’. These are the 3D effects on and around the table that don’t occur with a real pinball machine. I like them myself, but I know some purists prefer to turn those off, either because they find the animations distracting or just takes away from the nostalgia. That is probably especially true of a table such as this, which is based on a real-world pinball machine. If those extras don’t appeal? You can turn them off.
Thematically, this game is based on the original three movies. As such, there are quests sprinkled throughout that harken back to those movies. Like other tables, completing these objectives can lead to big points. Each table has its own scoring system, but this one certainly feels like it has more zeros than many of the others. That being said, it feels great when you complete one of those objectives and you see the points just rolling in. On my very first play I came pretty close to the default table high score and earned at least one extra ball and pulled down a multiball. I seemed to have had pretty good luck though, as I’ve only exceeded that score once since.
As for the table play itself? It’s a fast, fun table with lots of missions, plenty of narrow passages to shoot the ball through and more. This is a very vertical table with only two flippers, but the ball moves with plenty of speed and I seldom felt like there were lulls in the action.
So for as good as the table plays, there is a single point of contention that needs to be brought up. The table is fantastic – but it’s also a single table instead of the usual packs of three. Also, it’s more expensive than any of the standalone tables that can be bought. Maybe this was a licensing issue that caused Zen Studios to pay more, but they just feel this table’s worth it, but from a value standpoint, Pinball FX3 - Indiana Jones: The Pinball Adventure takes a bit of a hit compared to some of the prior packages released. To me, it’s worth it to get to relive this table, but your mileage my vary.
Summary
Pinball FX3 - Indiana Jones: The Pinball Adventure is a fantastic table that filled me with nostalgia as soon as I fired it up and heard the familiar music. The presentation is top-notch across the board, and it is a fast-paced, entertaining table. The value proposition might not be for everyone however, as it is a single table at a premium price.
Score: 7.5 / 10
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