Pinball M Review

Pinball M isn’t the first time developer Zen Studios has dabbled in the genre, in fact they’re quite possibly most well-known for their pinball titles and the wealth of DLC available for each of them. This time, Zen Studios aims to please a more mature, spooky-loving audience with this collection of tables paying homage to some truly great horror movies and games. After the fairly disappointing Pinball FX, can the developer earn a high score, or will this one drop right between the flippers?

Having played several of the other Pinball titles from Zen Studios’ back catalogue, the premise was much the same as those; install the free version (which includes a free table) and purchase additional pinball tables as downloadable content separately. It’s nice to be able to pick and choose — for example, I never would have picked up the Duke Nukem machine had I not been reviewing the game and the additional content — but when all the extra machines are so fun to play, you may just end up with them all!

The free table, Wrath of the Elder Gods: Director’s Cut, is an enhanced version of a machine released previously for Pinball FX, a Cthulhu-themed Eldritch nightmare which, for a pinball table, can get pretty unsettling! The four paid for tables, based on Dead by Daylight, Duke Nukem, Chucky, and The Thing. Let’s break down each one, shall we?

Starting with the Dead by Daylight machine, you’ll opt to play as either the survivors or the killer, much like the multiplayer horror title itself. But, you know, with more balls. The main goal is to hit certain bumpers and lanes in order to escape the clutches of death, or to successfully hunt down your victims.

Then we have everyone’s least favourite gaming icon, Duke Nukem, and his Big Shot Pinball. Despite my dislike for the franchise, I couldn’t help but crack a smile at the throwback to Duke’s golden age, with low-poly models and fun FPS mini-games aplenty. You may be thinking that thematically, this doesn’t quite fit with the rest of the machines, but I have three words for you. Duke Nukem Forever. Urgh, horrific.

Chucky’s Killer Pinball is next on the list, and though I must admit I only have a passing knowledge of this franchise, yet again this was a table that was a hell of a lot of fun to rack up high scores on. Actual film clips of the murderous doll’s big screen adventures will play on a loop, whilst the red-headed menace glares at you at the side of the table. Disturbing, for sure, but this machine felt like the weakest of the four DLCs, with not enough originality to its mechanics like the other three.

Last but not least, my personal favourite of the lot, The Thing. Whether I’m slightly biased towards the pinball machine based on one of my all-time favourite movies, the atmosphere surrounding the table is incredible. The creepy lighting and constant snowfall really set the tone, and the actual machine is a joy to play as well! Just like the previous machine, you’ll see clips of the movie as you smash ball after ball, with iconic lines being heard throughout.

All five tables are presented incredibly well, tying in nicely to each one's specific horror themes, and the flashing lights and satisfying chimes of the machine never failed to keep me engaged. Unfortunately, the rest of the audio was underwhelming. Taking The Thing pinball table as an example, there are no licensed songs or voiceovers, leading to disappointment from someone who adores John Carpenter’s work.

In terms of gameplay, well, it’s pinball, but virtual. You’ll use the left and right shoulder buttons to trigger the respective flipper, with the analogue stick being used to tilt the table, useful if you’re not afraid to cheat to potentially climb the ranks on the leaderboards!

It isn’t all about earning high scores, though, as each table features a kind of campaign mode to work through. These do mainly consist of reaching a certain score, but with plenty to unlock to customise your play space, it’s worth investing a bit of time into these in order to get the most out of Pinball M.

The fun factor is definitely what kept bringing me back to Pinball M. There is a good amount of challenge here, and enough content (including daily challenges) to keep me returning for a long time to come. Some smaller issues, such as long loading times, and the previously mentioned disappointing audio, are slight drawbacks, but if you’re looking for an easy to grasp pick up and play title, then for the asking price of each table, these are some quality virtual pinball machines that will charm fans of each represented franchise.