Pinball Wicked Review Summary

Excellent graphics, physics, and sound: The game boasts impressive graphics, physics, and sound design. Reviewers highlight the effective use of the Unreal Engine, realistic ball physics, and immersive audio elements, contributing to a high-quality and visually appealing pinball experience.

Top-tier pinball experience: Many reviewers feel that the game is a top-tier digital pinball experience, even compared to other popular titles. They praise its overall quality and consider it a must-have for pinball enthusiasts, with some even calling it their favorite.

Engaging modes and features: Reviewers appreciate the game's engaging modes and features that add variety to the gameplay. The game is fun for both quick rounds and extended play sessions, encouraging continued engagement.

Excellent cabinet mode support: The game offers robust support for cabinet mode, including screen rotation and back glass display options. This feature enhances the realism and enjoyment for players who use arcade cabinet setups, making it easy to integrate the game into their existing setups.

Well-executed pirate theme: The game features a well-executed pirate theme, with many reviewers drawing comparisons to "Pirates of the Caribbean". The theme is immersive and adds to the game's charm and atmosphere.

Unrealistic/inconsistent pinball physics: Multiple reviews criticize the game's physics, particularly concerning the flippers and ball movement. Reviewers describe issues such as weak or weightless flipper action, balls feeling too light or floaty, and unrealistic bouncing. These physics issues detract from the overall pinball experience.

Limited content: only one table: A common complaint is the limited content, with only a single table available. This lack of variety reduces replayability and makes it difficult to justify the game's price. Players desire more tables to enhance the overall experience.

Crashes and performance issues: Several users have reported technical issues, including crashes, stuttering, and significant frame rate drops. These problems can make the game unplayable or significantly detract from the experience, even on high-end hardware. Optimization is needed to improve performance and stability.

Possible developer abandonment: Several reviews express concern that the game has been abandoned by the developers, especially given its Early Access status and lack of updates. This perceived abandonment, coupled with the price, makes it difficult to recommend the game.

Difficult cabinet mode setup: Pincab users find it difficult to set up cabinet mode due to the lack of in-game rotation options and a confusing command-line interface. This makes the game less accessible for those who prefer a cabinet setup.

Unique physics, challenging gameplay: The game offers unique pinball physics, distinct from other titles like Pinball FX, with a faster playfield and cannonball-like ball behavior. This, combined with a classic table design, creates a gameplay experience that some find deeper and more challenging, while others find it harder to make accurate shots.

Customizable options and settings: The game provides a variety of options and settings, including multiple game modes ('Pure' and 'Action'), remappable buttons, and graphical customizations. Players can also choose between 3 or 5 ball games, each with dedicated leaderboards, allowing for a tailored experience.

Obscured elements in certain views: Some camera views obscure important elements, such as balls resting on the skull or lit rollovers, hindering gameplay. This makes certain actions, like aiming the cannon, feel random and reduces player control.

Themed visual elements: The 'Action' mode includes 3D animated skeletons and pirates that interact with the table, while the 'Pure' setting features classic elements like pirate and skull drop-down targets. These visual elements enhance the game's pirate theme and add a layer of visual interest.

Gameplay becomes repetitive: While the game's objectives are initially clear, some reviewers found the gameplay becomes boring after a while. This suggests a lack of long-term engagement or depth in the game's rules and challenges.

Inconsistent performance across hardware: The game's performance varies significantly depending on hardware. Some users report smooth gameplay at high settings and resolutions with modern GPUs, especially after updates and Unreal Engine 5 integration. However, others experience performance issues like low frame rates and stuttering, even on mid-range systems, particularly at higher resolutions or during intense scenes like multiball.

Generally stable with few crashes: Several reviewers reported experiencing very few crashes or glitches, suggesting the game is relatively stable, especially considering it was in early access at the time of some reviews. This indicates a generally polished experience regarding stability.

Supports portrait mode setups: The game offers a command-line option to enable portrait mode, allowing players with vertical monitor setups to play the game in a properly oriented resolution like 1080x1920. This is a niche but appreciated feature for users with specific monitor configurations.

Dynamic camera causes stuttering: The default camera view, which moves with the ball, can cause stuttering. Switching to a static camera view resolves this issue, resulting in smoother gameplay.

High-quality graphics potential: The game features "ultra high" quality graphics that look glorious on a big screen. This indicates that the game has impressive visuals when the hardware can support it.

Desire for more tables: Many reviewers praise the existing table's quality and express a strong desire for more tables and continued support from the developers. They believe the game has the potential to compete with established pinball games if more content is added. Some reviewers highlight the uniqueness of the existing table and express disappointment at the prospect of no further content.

Good, but consider sale price: Several reviewers recommend the game, especially to pinball enthusiasts and those who appreciate the pirate theme. However, some suggest waiting for a sale due to the limited content (single table) and comparing the price to other pinball games with more tables. The consensus is that the existing table is worth the money, especially if purchased at a discounted price.

Promising, needs further improvements: Some reviewers suggest monitoring the game's progress, hoping for improvements in physics and optimization. Some have refunded the game but plan to check back later, while others recommend it only after specific issues are resolved. This suggests a cautious optimism about the game's potential.

Better value elsewhere: One reviewer compares the game unfavorably to Williams table packs on FX, citing a better experience and more tables for a similar price. This suggests that the game needs to offer a more competitive value proposition compared to established alternatives.

Request for trial version: One reviewer wishes for a trial version to be available. This would allow potential buyers to test the game before committing to a purchase, especially given concerns about the limited content and potential issues.

Early Access status: The game is in Early Access, with some reviewers expressing concern about its development status. However, full release is expected soon.

Improve controller support/configuration: Players are requesting better controller support and configuration options. Specifically, they want a default Steam Controller configuration and a way to test controller inputs within the game's menu.

Add features for community integration: Reviewers suggest that adding features like trigger/message queues and full integration within the virtual pinball community could significantly enhance the game's appeal and longevity, potentially establishing it as a platform for new tables.

Uses Unreal Engine: The game utilizes Unreal Engine 4-5, requiring an initial installation. The game also prompts players to review privacy policies and EULAs related to the game's website.

Future VR/Pincab support planned: The developers have plans to add pincab and VR support, as well as additional tables, which will likely be available for an additional fee. This indicates ongoing development and expansion of the game's features.