Hello everyone!
Welcome to a ‘Blue Reviews’. I am going to comment on this month’s party as a critic. Within ‘Blue Reviews’, I categorise several aspects of the party. This month’s party is the Merry Walrus Party!
Just some information first, this is going to be an annual party from now on, therefore replacing the Holiday Party. This party was created to justify many different traditions that you can do for the holidays. It also promotes the ‘We Wish You A Merry Walrus’ animation by Club Penguin. It also introduces a new mascot, the Merry Walrus! The Merry Walrus is the equivalent to Father Christmas so Club Penguin thought it was time to spread some holiday cheer by conjuring up their own.
That was some background information of the party; now lets review it!
1. Story
It all started from a mysterious story book. Aunt Arctic was able to grasp onto a lost book found in the forest. Inside it told the tale of the Merry Walrus who rides a sleigh with Blue Crystal Puffles. Aunt Arctic read that he encourages everyone to spread the holiday cheer by giving presents to one another and coins for change. It was a week later until the Merry Walrus arrived on Club Penguin and sets quests for you to do. An example of one is decorating the tree in the Forest and each quest completed will donate 500 coins in your name. Everyday until the 21st you can come back for another tradition to enjoy.
The story of the Merry Walrus Party is okay. It is a shame that they never introduced the Merry Walrus an earlier year. This is because the Merry Walrus never visited before so it is unknown why he visited this year. However it is nice to see a new mascot added to Club Penguin as well as a different theme from past years. The story still has some loose ends but it is definitely enjoyable!
2. Visuals
The visuals in this party are – as always – amazing! Club Penguin have introduced a new theme this year but I would like to state that I do not think that they are as good as former years’. First of all some rooms have been slightly renovated from last years’. For example, here is a picture of the town in December 2013 and another one of the town in December 2014.
They are similar but I appreciate how Club Penguin has changed it slightly. It would be better if the rooms changed each year though. The visuals look more cartoon-like at the Merry Walrus Party whereas they were more sharp and sketchy in 2013. I prefer the enhancements to the overall graphics this year however the decorations from last year brings a festive atmosphere to the island. Especially the unique sky from last year made the Holiday Party much more cosier but unfortunately Club Penguin have not included this at the Merry Walrus Party. The atmosphere looks colder and crisp which I do not think captures the atmosphere of a true and a festive holiday.
Furthermore Club Penguin still have not supported all rooms on the island which is still disappointing. The Cove was not even decorated at all which surprised me a lot!
Visuals at the Merry Walrus Party are quite disappointing… It is a shame that Club Penguin have got rid of the starry sky that was used in former December parties. Also they still have not decorated the entire island which most people have complained about this year. Why are they not learning from this?
3. Content
Club Penguin have still supported Coins For Change which I think is entirely unique compared to other virtual world traditions. Since it is a time for giving, I think that Club Penguin are very wise for making Cons For Change possible! To make Coin For Change even more successful, Club Penguin accepts donations from buying items in the catalogue. Every item bought, donates a specific amount to Coins For Change which I think is very efficient. Also Club Penguin have plotted booths around the island which supports donations from 500 coins to 10,000 coins.
The quests in this party are very limited, however. I have looked at the Quest Manager and it turns out that there are only 4! Usually there are a range of quests to complete until a week of the party has passed however these ones last until Sunday the 21st! I must admit that they are very easy too. The only one that I think it creative is the first one where you have to decorate the tree by throwing snowballs at it. The following quest is kind of irrelevant and similar since you have to throw snowballs in order to start a food fight! I do not think Club Penguin have put much effort into this at all!
Even though there is a lack in daily quests, I like how they introduced the parade where Penguins can ride a float around the island. It is quite boring however since there is nothing to do except enjoy an on-going scene of trees. Perhaps Club Penguin could have adapted this more like they did with the trains last year. It would not follow the plot, however it would be nice to see something similar to last year where you have to throw snowballs at coin bags. It would also donate even more to Coins For Change. Or they could have made the trip more exciting by adding a few more details. What Club Penguin have done with the float is enough but I am sure others would agree that it could be more exciting.
Something I miss from former years is the sleigh ride. It is a shame that Club Penguin have not included any activities like this at the Merry Walrus Party. You could argue that the float was an equivalent to this but then again, Club Penguin could have made it more enjoyable. On the whole, the party is lacking enjoyable quests and activities to participate in… At least they added a new Puffle but then again, I think Club Penguin have introduced enough Puffles already!
Last of all, it is very pleasing to see that Club Penguin has been brought to Android Devices! I am thrilled that they have done this since I can now play on the go! I like how Club Penguin have brought the parties to devices since you could extend the fun a bit more. The app often includes exclusive content such as Sushi Drop however they have not added any exclusive content for the party. Anyway I appreciate their hard work for bringing Club Penguin onto Android Devices so fast; I was expecting another two months or so after the new year!
The content within the party is not the best, I have to admit. I generally find that parties this year have missed out on enjoyable elements that were included formerly. The quests are disappointing and the effort is not at its best. It is such as shame since I love the Holiday Parties and I thought it would be even better by introducing new traditions and a name but to be honest it has got worse. I have no idea why it is not improving but I really, really hope that 2015 parties will be the best. I am sure Club Penguin will eventually redeem their selves since a new year is approaching which means fresh starts!
4. Verdict
The Merry Walrus Party introduces a new theme to Club Penguin Holiday parties. The Merry Walrus is a new mascot on Club Penguin which adds onto the fun with giving and maintaining a festive spirit. This party – however – does not set a high standard, generally. I think Club Penguin have taken a step back with the whole idea of effort which has annoyed a lot of people this year. The fact that this is the last party of 2014, does not encourage people to look forward to next year because of its weak standard. Even though it is dropping back, Club Penguin are working on ways to develop Club Penguin onto devices such as android and I am sure that this was their main focus this year. There is probably a lot of secretive development being made to many aspects of Club Penguin. Overall it is a poor party but I hope Club Penguin will be able to redeem their weak efforts by making Club Penguin even better next year!
SCORE: 4/10
Pros
- A new theme added.
- Coins For Change has been developed.
- More platforms supported.
Cons
- Lack of effort in content.
- Limited quests.
- Only a few rooms have been decorated.
- Disappointing traditions.
-Blue
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