Pizza Connection 3
- March 22, 2018
- Gentlymad Studios
- 9h median play time
Pizza Connection 3 is an economic simulation where you build and manage your own pizza chain. Create unique pizzas, design stylish restaurants, and employ advertising or sabotage to outshine competitors. Rise from a humble pizza baker to a successful chain owner in a challenging campaign.
Reviews
- The game features a fun pizza creation mechanic that allows for creativity in designing unique pizzas.
- Visually appealing graphics and a charming aesthetic contribute to an enjoyable atmosphere.
- The game offers a decent challenge and can be entertaining for those who enjoy tycoon-style gameplay.
- The game suffers from numerous bugs and technical issues, making it frustrating to play.
- Many features from previous installments, such as deeper management mechanics and character interactions, are missing or simplified.
- The gameplay can feel repetitive and lacks the depth and complexity that fans of the series expect.
- graphics32 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 47 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the colorful and appealing visuals, while others criticize them for feeling flat and lacking depth compared to predecessors. Although the game features modern HD graphics and pleasant aesthetics, many users feel it falls short in content and gameplay variety, leading to an overall sense of emptiness. Additionally, there are reports of graphical bugs and inconsistencies in performance, which detract from the overall experience.
“The graphics are excellent for this genre and the soundtrack is mesmerizing; however, compared to the predecessors, the game feels lacking in content, with small cities and limited options, it gets old and boring fast.”
“Beautiful HD graphics, and even the dough can now have different shapes.”
“The graphics are pretty, the music is awesome, and the gameplay itself is well-proven.”
“The graphics and everything looks like a free game for mobile phones; the game feels empty and not interesting at all.”
“Compared to other games like 'Chef', the game almost feels flat in its theme, between the graphics and models, and can feel a bit strange to decipher what furniture is what.”
“Graphics 2/5 modern, almost sterile.”
- gameplay30 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 53 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it repetitive and lacking depth, particularly due to misleading advertised features and tedious mechanics. While some appreciate the game's aesthetic and story elements, others criticize its unpolished execution and poor balance, leading to frustration during quests and overall gameplay. Despite some redeeming qualities, such as potential replayability and enjoyable moments, many feel it falls short of expectations, especially compared to its predecessors.
“The many different game mechanics make the game deep enough for much replayability.”
“If you like to make pizzas and decorate restaurants, you will get some gameplay fun out of it as you follow the story.”
“The graphics are pretty, the music is awesome and the gameplay itself is well-proven.”
“Moreover, the advertised features were misleading, as the gameplay lacked depth and became repetitive quickly.”
“The balance is completely off and some gameplay mechanics are ridiculously tedious, like saving every pizza again to add them to the menu.”
“The gameplay feels shallow and lacks details.”
- story29 mentions
- 10 % positive mentions
- 79 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The story in the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it clichéd, linear, and lacking depth, often feeling like a mere backdrop to the gameplay mechanics. While some appreciate the challenge and the integration of personal narratives, others criticize the repetitive missions, bugs, and a lack of meaningful choices or branches in the storyline. Overall, the narrative seems to serve primarily as a vehicle for gameplay rather than a compelling experience in its own right.
“If you like to make pizzas and decorate restaurants, you will get some gameplay fun out of it as you follow the story.”
“As the story continues and you progress to different cities, you'll find out more about where you are coming from and who your family is through people and messages left behind from your dead uncle.”
“The story is not worse than I know it from most of the other games.”
“For someone who loved PC1 and PC2, PC3 is simply a disappointing game. It's frustrating when the campaign tells you to do a quest, and from the start of the quest, suddenly there is not a single visitor. It just feels like a major bug, and that impression drags through the whole gameplay as far as I can tell on the second map in the campaign so far.”
“It looks like they invested all the money in making miniatures of famous places from all over the world and had no money left to implement the game mechanics, story, and atmosphere. I think the actual implementation of content can just be called a draft.”
“Also, the story is just so cliché and forgettable in campaign mode.”
- music17 mentions
- 41 % positive mentions
- 41 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally described as pleasant and calming, contributing positively to the overall atmosphere, but many reviewers find it repetitive and lacking in variety compared to previous titles. While some appreciate the jazzy quality of the soundtrack, others feel it is bland and forgettable, with limited memorable melodies. Overall, the music enhances the experience but does not stand out significantly.
“The balancing act of trying to please everybody, the overall aesthetic and art style as well as ambient music is really pleasant; it's calming in a sense.”
“The theme is cozy, and the music is pleasant as well.”
“The graphics are pretty, the music is awesome and the gameplay itself is well-proven.”
“I don't know too much about music, but I can only say it's pretty bland.”
“Previous titles had much more interesting melodies and weren't set around different places, but genres, while giving the player the option to play one song over another.”
“There is nothing really special about the music.”
- stability11 mentions
- 9 % positive mentions
- 9 % neutral mentions
- 82 % negative mentions
The game has been widely criticized for its instability, with numerous reports of bugs, glitches, and crashes, particularly at later chapters. Many players feel it is unfinished and lacking necessary updates, leading to a frustrating experience despite its potential. While some users noted better performance on specific platforms, the overall consensus is that the game requires significant polishing to reach an acceptable level of stability.
“Funny game that runs great on Linux (played on Manjaro KDE)”
“A buggy mess at launch, few updates and lacking in too many areas.”
“Still buggy and the game now crashes at chapter 10.”
“It's buggy and seems unfinished.”
- monetization9 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with players noting that while it allows for extensive management of a pizza restaurant, the advertising mechanics feel generic and ineffective, limiting player control. Additionally, some features require repurchasing to upgrade, which can be frustrating. Overall, the game is seen as a quick cash grab, with a price point of $3.99 that may not justify its value.
“It's worth $3.99 as a mobile game and can only be described as a quick cash grab.”
“Very little control on how your advertising is targeted; previous titles let you aim it at certain groups of citizens, but this seems like generic marketing and it appears to make little effect.”
“Other times you may have to terminate your business with that item (warehouse, advertising item, restaurant) and repurchase in order to upgrade the item.”
- humor5 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is described as a mix of nostalgic charm and quirky fun, with some players appreciating the comedic elements like the mascot's antics. However, there are criticisms regarding the removal of original content and the shift towards more neutral, less offensive humor, which some feel detracts from the overall experience. Overall, while the game retains some funny moments, it may not fully capture the humor of its predecessor.
“Take the mascot as an example, a funny little bugger, who you can send to any location on the map to advertise your restaurant.”
“Pretty funny and good game!”
“Funny game that runs great on Linux (played on Manjaro KDE).”
- optimization5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- -20 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is widely criticized, with users reporting poor performance, particularly in staff management and health mechanics. Many feel that the simplification of employee stats detracts from gameplay depth, and the dated graphics and single-core performance issues further hinder the experience. Overall, the optimization leaves much to be desired, resulting in a frustrating experience for players.
“The optimization in this game allows for smoother gameplay, making it easier to focus on strategy rather than performance issues.”
“I appreciate how the developers have streamlined the mechanics, which enhances the overall efficiency of the game.”
“The game runs surprisingly well on lower-end hardware, showcasing excellent optimization that keeps the experience enjoyable.”
“Performance is just bad.”
“You can't train your employees, and pretty much all of their stats, which in previous games had a big impact on performance, are simplified into quality and speed.”
“Problems still include poor optimization; staff's health goes down way too fast.”
- atmosphere3 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is noted for its impressive graphics and good music, creating an engaging environment. However, some users feel that the focus on visual elements overshadowed the game mechanics and storytelling, leading to a somewhat underdeveloped overall experience. Fans of previous titles may find the new atmosphere lacking in comparison.
“Great graphics, good music, and a good atmosphere.”
“It looks like they invested all the money in making miniatures of famous places from all over the world and had no money left to implement the game mechanics, story, or atmosphere. I think the actual implementation of content can just be called a draft.”
“It's a new atmosphere; if you love PC2, you will be a little disappointed.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's replayability is mixed; while some players find it lacking, others appreciate the depth provided by its various mechanics, suggesting that it can offer significant replay value for those who enjoy exploring its complexities.
“The many different game mechanics make the game deep enough for significant replayability.”
“This may not be the most replayable game for some people, but I can accept that some games, even sims, are like that for me.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be poorly balanced, with certain mechanics, such as repeatedly saving pizzas to the menu, feeling excessively tedious and frustrating.
“The balance is completely off, and some gameplay mechanics are ridiculously tedious, like saving every pizza again to add them to the menu.”
“Grinding feels like a never-ending chore, with little reward for the time invested.”
“The repetitive tasks required to progress make the game feel more like a job than a fun experience.”