We are celebrating 15 years of one of the most unique and special games in the catalog of the fantastic Xbox 360.
The concept of Viva Piñata is so fantastic and cool like the game’s own piñatas. We are faced with a life simulator first person released for Xbox 360 in 2006 by the British study Rare workshops.
In the game we will be responsible for maintain an abandoned garden in Paradise Island, which once housed a mixture of colorful animal shaped pinata. As the new owner, we will have to take care of these animals to restore them to their former glory. As we progress through the game, we will get new tools and upgrades to create habitats for a wider variety of piñatas, dig ponds and grow plants to attract you and finally, convince them to stay. A concept very similar to the one seen in Nintendo’s legendary franchise, Animal Crossing.
It is surprising how old he is this colorful game, 15 years after its initial launch. One of the first things to consider is your impressive visual presentationIt almost looks like we are watching an animated cartoon series. The animals were turned into piñatas to fit a certain visual style and the large number of colors on the screen make the game beautiful even all those years later. It is very easy to start playing and spend a few minutes looking at all the details in the form of visual effects and a unique art style.
It should also be noted the soundtrack composed by Rare. The main theme of Viva Piñata still resonates in my head every now and then, as well as other themes that perfectly match the style of the game: calming and providing an incredible feeling of calm and well-being
Although to say that the game is basically a kind of gardening simulator It doesn’t seem like the most exciting thing, Viva Piñata is much more than that. As each piñata begins to wander through the garden, a garden that we can 100% personalize with an immense amount of options, here we find immense satisfaction in fulfilling the necessary conditions for them to become residents, terraform and personalize the garden in the process
At first glance, it seems like a simplistic game, but it actually has a surprising strategic element. With all the tools at our disposal, it’s up to us improve our garden to attract this piñata which requires specific elements to live with us. Balancing different terrains such as dirt, grass, and water in a pond is difficult if you don’t plan ahead.
In addition, we must take a series of “difficult” decisions to get all the piñatas. For example, some are classified as “Piñatavoras”, which means that they have to eat other piñatas in order to be able to live in our garden. Players should consider this they are ready to sacrifice themselves for other piñatas or decide how they are going to defend themselves from predators so that the garden continues to improve. The garden customization options are endless and they allow players to decide what and how to do what we want.
Finally, it should be noted that Viva Piñata is undoubtedly one of the most relaxing games History. As I mentioned before, the music section is sublime, but often I was absorbed by the artistic style of the game and the environment of living and wild nature, to the point that it is a perfect game to play among other things it is the opposite. Music, vitality and nature of the title make it a cathartic experience.
Available on Xbox Game Pass (and enhanced for Xbox One X, something death-like) and in the Rare Replay compilation, Viva Piñata has never been so accessible and promises a great experience for all ages. Its sequel Trouble in Paradise was released in 2008, but it’s a shame the franchise didn’t continue and we haven’t seen a new title developed by Rare since.
