Review: Soltrio Solitaire [Xbox 360]

Soltrio is what it is, it’s Solitaire. A single player card game that is played the world around, is it true to the real life game? Why yes it is, but is it good? I would say so.

Graphics: 80/100
First off for a card game this game is beautifully drawn. You have painted backdrops to add a little atmosphere to the otherwise plain game that Solitaire is, also the artwork on the cards is nicely done with the option of choosing between several different art sets for the cards. As with it’s pseudo-prequel Hardwood Solitaire III, the cards are fully animated when they are moved or shuffled which is really nice compared to some of the more mundane PC Solitaire games with static cards. Some visual effects are added for when you score points, But it also causes a problem. The cursor is made up of sparkling dots which can sometimes make seeing which card your actually on in a column of cards difficult at best.

A noticeable issue in this game is how it looks on a Standard Definition TV. For games that have a lot of cards on the play field it gets really eye straining if you do not have either a large TV or an High Definition set, other then that there is not much else to complain about.

Sound: 58/100
The sound is not the best, the biggest flaw in the audio department is the music. While the in game theme is magnificently done along with the menu theme as well the other music is horribly generic MIDI.. now in the days of compressed MPEG3 and other lossless digital audio formats why do they choose to use MIDI in a next gen game? It’s a real mystery. Unlike it’s cousin Hardwood Solitaire III, there is only ONE in game track. Now it is catchy and I find myself humming it when I’m not even playing the game but the monotony of it after an hour or so of playing makes you want to use the 360’s media player to add a little zest to the game.

The sound effects are nice, clean and never annoying. The sounds of the cards are realistic. The sound effects are just what you would expect from a relaxing game of cards.

Gameplay: 72/100
The fact is its Solitaire so if card games appeal to you then you will enjoy the way it plays. To mix it up a bit the developers included a Voyage mode which includes a treasure chest for each step on the journey around the Soltrio map. After completing 3 games of Solitaire you unlock a card graphic which can be used to create a custom card deck of your own. What makes this mode different then the Classic mode is that when you score points it fills in a power up bar that includes adding one reshuffle to games that have limited Stock Reshuffles, The ability to pick up any card from the Tableau, and the ability to pick up whole columns of cards in games that don’t allow it to name a few. This addition not only helps make some games with low chance percentages winnable but also adds an element of strategy as you have to use these power ups wisely.

Soltrio also features a Multiplayer mode which allows you to either play against another player or play along with a friend to complete a game of Solitaire, a rather fun addition though the game is really meant to be a single player game but it is a welcome feature none the less.

Replay: 77/100
Soltrio isn’t for everyone but if your a fan of card games then it does have a lot to offer since it does come with a decent amount of solitaire variations. Though unlike Hardwood Solitaire III which came with 100 variations, Soltrio requires you to purchase additional 9 Game Packs to expand upon the 18 that come with the game to reach that magic 100. While it is kind of a ripoff considering the base game costs 800pts it is well worth it if you want to get the most out of this great Solitaire game.

Overall, Soltrio is a great game for those who just want to sit back, relax and use their brains instead of killing things and blowing your friends up.