From the creative minds at Ultimate Games, Pets Hotel is a delightful simulation game where you run a luxurious abode dedicated to pampering pets in their owners’ absence. Curious about how this venture stacks up? Let’s dive into the details of Pets Hotel!
Imagine catering to the whims of various adorable animals—each one with its distinct personality and needs. The owners trust you with clear instructions, and it’s your task to meet those demands—feeding, grooming, and playing are daily activities. Remember, a satisfied pet is synonymous with business success! One primary challenge in Pets Hotel is designing and operating a hotel where pet owners feel assured that their beloved companions are in excellent hands. With the competition always on the prowl, this isn’t as easy as it sounds!
Ultimate Games presents three main modes in Pets Hotel: a Tutorial for beginners, a Challenge Mode, and Free Play, where you can let your creativity roam free in a sandbox-style environment.
In this engaging game, you’re at the helm of a pet paradise, handling everything from room creation to phone reservations and pet care. The concept is intriguing, yet its execution on PlayStation leaves much to be desired. Initial impressions aren’t great, as the tutorial—often the starting point for newcomers—has some game-breaking issues. Early on, you’re tasked with constructing a room, but a bug prevents you from placing walls, halting progress abruptly. Although this is the only critical bug encountered, it certainly gives the impression of a rushed release. Luckily, players aren’t required to build everything from scratch, thanks to preset options.
Control-wise, Pets Hotel diverges from typical PlayStation norms, requiring a period of adjustment. The touchpad opens a tablet menu but unexpectedly defaults to the background music selection, demanding extra navigation steps just to access core options. Additionally, navigating through text messages is inconsistent—sometimes it’s the R1 button, while other times require the Square or X buttons. Since X is generally used for advancing dialogue, this inconsistency makes navigating feel less intuitive.
Taking on the role of a pet carer, you’ll be managing various tasks like reservations and daily animal care. While the mechanics of feeding, leashing, and cleaning are initially engaging, the tasks soon feel repetitive, even with five types of pets to manage. Fortunately, the inclusion of management features like hiring staff adds some depth. An interesting quirk is that it’s seemingly impossible to "lose" a pet. Even if neglected for extended periods, the only real repercussion is a drop in satisfaction.
For an indie game, the visuals are decent, yet the 3D world shows its rough edges. While the pet models boast an okay polygon count, their textures feel dated, seemingly lifted from the era of PlayStation 2 graphics.
The game boasts a comprehensive trophy list, complete with a coveted Platinum trophy, to boost your collection. With a breakdown of 40 Bronze, 3 Silver, and 5 Gold trophies, achievements range from greeting your first guest to more intricate tasks like upgrading aquariums or running the hotel for 100 days.
Pets Hotel promises an engaging dive into the world of pet care management. Despite its enjoyable core, the game stumbles on the PlayStation due to awkward controls and minor bugs. While caring for the pets is satisfying, it can become a tad monotonous. Available on PlayStation 5 for $21.99, it offers a mixed bag of experiences.
Note: This review was crafted based on a PlayStation 5 version of Pets Hotel provided by Ultimate Games.
