[PS3, X360] Review Roundup - Stacking

[PS3, X360] Review Roundup - Stacking 1UP - A - "Stacking is short, but that's a small sin for a game that gathers together so many distinct elements so skillfully. I'd rather play a game that condenses a fun experience into several great hours rather than overextending itself with boring fetch quests, or letting its puzzles grow staid and mechanical. Stacking proves that lively character and set designs, catchy music, and clever writing are far more important in making a good game than simply simply adding filler to extend the quantity of gameplay hours."

Joystiq - 4.5/5 - "Much like Costume Quest before it, Stacking's central gimmick works as both gameplay and metaphor. Charlie may be small, but he's the only one that can save the day, that's an easy message. But there's something else going on here, a sweet vignette about a family whose bond is represented by their ability to be physically encased in one another. It's not a traditional way of telling the story, but why would you ever want it to be?"

IGN - 8.5/10 - "Stacking is chock full of charm, humor, and fun puzzles. Though some of the solutions are really easy, if you avoid the hint system it’ll take some time to decipher some of the harder ones. If all you want to do is run through the story without trying other solutions, performing Hi-Jinks or collecting dolls, Stacking may not be the best $15 investment. However, it’s hard not to get sucked into this colorful world, so if you can appreciate the style of humor Stacking has to offer, you’ll enjoy this game immensely."

Game Informer - 8.5/10 - "Most of the laughs are pretty adolescent, with no shortage of dolls that feature farting as their special ability (with a surprising variety of sounds). If you're too stuffy for this breed of humor, you can expect more sophisticated laughs as well. The Great Depression and child labor are two topics that might not instantly spring to mind when it comes to comedy, but Double Fine uses them to great effect. Stacking is a bit rough around the edges, but the puzzles are clever, the humor hits the mark more than it misses, and the characters and story are delightful, leaving adventure fans with little more to ask for."

EDGE - 8/10 - "The mechanics are wrapped up in a delightful narrative, with a whimsical setting which is fresh and unusual. The game is unvoiced: cutscenes instead play out with text plates as in a silent movie, but the painted dolls are characterful and expressive, and their written dialogue is witty and tightly scripted. Likewise, the overarching plot, which has you working to reunite with Charlie’s siblings and put an end to child labour, provides a neat thread to link the varied dioramas that make up the game’s levels. Stacking’s best qualities are its eccentricity and ingenuity. The puzzles lack the tortured bite of Double Fine’s early work, but in broadening the narrative-led puzzle game’s scope and carefully choosing which elements of tradition to keep and which to discard, Stacking is a bold and charming reinvention."

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