Soltrio Solitaire

"So what if it's installed on most new computers"

Soltrio Solitaire was one of the oddest additions to the Live Arcade. Perhaps if it was free I wouldn't have questioned it so much but the game is found on every PC and back when I didn't have a PC I was hooked on it on my game.com. But is it worth getting this title though?

Graphically there is only so much you can do with a card game. Thankfully the cards and backdrops are nice and crisp looking. The colors are pleasing but no distracting. I did find it kind of hard to make out which cards I have highlighted though.

The music in the game is very calming. I wouldn't write home about it but it fits the mood of the game nicely and I never felt stressed playing the game even when the timer is counting down.

Control is very simple. You just select a card. The left analog stick moves you around while A grabs and places cards. Very easy to get the hang of.

The idea of Solitaire is to put the cards in their house order starting with the Ace and working from the 2 to the King. It's a simple idea and at its basic core it works nicely.

What's nice about this pack is that there are about 5 or so different types of Solitaire. I personally suck at all but the normal and my only complaints is that the game doesn't fully explain the rules. Like in free cell. If I have a K-8 in proper order, why can't I move all of them into a blank spot? It just seems weird.

The game has offers a travel mode which takes you to different backdrops. An interesting idea really. Besides that there is on-line which still has people playing it and it's a cool idea. There are also achievements and some are just insane. Win 1000 solitaire games? Ouch.

I think my only problem with this game is that it's a bit pricey for something that most people already own. Not only that the game seems to be getting new packs every other weak and while it's great that new content is being released for it. The fact that you need to pay for a few more games that should have been there is kind of annoying.

Story - N/A
Graphics - 9/10
Sound - 8/10
Control - 8/10
Game Play - 8/10
Replay Value - 7/10

Final Score - 8/10

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 10/12/07

Game Release: Soltrio Solitaire (US, 05/16/07)