Pinball FX3

 PlayStation 4
User Score
6.2

Mixed or average reviews- based on 18 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8 out of 18
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 18
  3. Negative: 5 out of 18

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  1. DreadPurpose
    Nov 1, 2017
    5
    A game that could've been good but instead is deeply flawed. Filled with bugs and glitches, it also crashes frequently. It randomly resets your profile, challenge stars and upgrades. I'm afraid that Zen Studios isn't up to the task of fixing it either. Don't spend your hard earned money on the table packs. They are expensive and as broken as this game is, not worth the money.
  2. TheDaveUk
    Oct 22, 2017
    9
    This is a cutdown version of my review posted on Reddit (sorry linking not allowed and it's too long to post in full here)

    Pinball FX3 is the latest pinball game from Zen Studios and out on PS4 Xbox and pc. All of the core gameplay from the last game remains but has been expanded in some new and rather interesting ways, more on that later. One of the first things I should mention is    This is a cutdown version of my review posted on Reddit (sorry linking not allowed and it's too long to post in full here)

    Pinball FX3 is the latest pinball game from Zen Studios and out on PS4 Xbox and pc. All of the core gameplay from the last game remains but has been expanded in some new and rather interesting ways, more on that later.
    One of the first things I should mention is how deeply I am impressed with the developers of this game, the core game is free and includes one table however you are able to import almost all of your old tables from Zen Pinball 2 (FX2 on the pc). This means the game has a very impressive starting line up of tables and previous customers are not asked to re-buy tables again to get access to the new features, in this day and age that loyalty to fans is a rare commodity.
    New to this version is the “Upgrades” system, this allows you to level up score multipliers, bumper scores etc to give you a bit of an edge on the tables. These upgrades can be used in the new “Match up” and “Tournament” modes along with Wizard powers!
    So what are Wizard powers? Sadly you can not unleash fireballs on your rival pinballers, what you get is a lot more useful and leaves fewer soot stains!
    There are 3 Wizard powers per table;
    Rewind time
    Score Boost
    Slow motion
    To earn the Wizard powers you play the new challenge modes.
    Each table has 3 challenges, the first two are self-explanatory 1 ball and 5-minute time limit. The 3rd challenge is survival, which gives you a 60 second time limit to reach a target goal, once you hit that goal the target is increased and the timer reset. All of these modes are fun to play and help you get a good feel for the table.
    The Tournament mode allows you to go up against the world (all systems share the same scoreboards for these) by creating a set of rules, a time limit of anything from 1 day to a week and picking a table or playing someone else's. The options you have are immense and yes you can turn off the Wizard powers and upgrades to make for a level playing field. Personally, I am partial to the 5-minute tournaments where you have to score as many points as you can in 5 minutes.
    The last new game mode is “Match up” this is more your official huge tournament, 4 tables are picked by the zen studio guys at the start of each week and you can play them all (if you own all of them) or just keep replaying your favourite. Each table has 3 scores you can choose to beat, think of them as easy, medium and Hard if you beat the score you choose within the 3-minute time limit you get some points (you get bonus points for playing more tables and/or dominating your chosen score. At the end of the week, those in the top 20% move to the next league of the tournament and those in the bottom 20% drop back to the last league. Given that all systems compete in the same tournament it can be pretty tough to get in the last 20% and sadly it does mean that those with more time to play will fair better regardless of skill.

    PROS
    Realistic ball physics.
    A huge improvement over the last game which was already rather good.
    You can import already owned tables
    Huge list of tables (68 in fact)
    Every table is fully featured and animated, the detail that goes into these is awe inspiring.
    The new tournament mode allows you to challenge people long after your mates have looked at your high scores and backed away shaking their heads.
    The unlock system is a unique idea in pinball and one I found really enjoyable.
    It really is the best pinball game I have ever played (and I have been playing them on and off since pinball fantasies on the Amiga!)
    All three main systems share the scores and tournaments, that is a lot of people to play against.
    It is a free game (with 1 free table)
    You can trail any table for 5 minutes as many times as you want before purchase.

    CONS
    Not all the tables made it over to FX3 (including my old favourite, Plants vs Zombies) it is my hope they will be added later though I suspect there were licensing issues.
    Due to the way tables are sold in packs, it is possible to have a table or two from importing that is in the pack meaning you may have to re-buy some tables to get the missing ones (far from ideal)
    Die-hard pinball fans may not like the upgrade system, but it is optional.
    New users only get one table free.
    Despite the “match up” mode being 3 minutes long and the trials of tables being 5 minutes, you can not use the trial versions of tables in match up.

    VERDICT
    Well, I said it in the Pro section, this is the best pinball game I have ever played the mix of realistic ball physics and unrealistic but awesome table features, it really is a hell of a lot of fun. Add in the competitive features and the fact that all major systems can compete together in the tournaments and you have an amazing game.
    So yes I recommend it, grab yourself some tables too.    … Expand
  3. Crowkkeli
    Sep 26, 2018
    8
    As far as digital pinball goes, this is one among the very few options available nowadays, especially if you are on a console. Luckily, it emulates the real deal quite well. The physics are spot-on, and during my 150 hours or so of gameplay, I haven't come across anything which would have made me question the authenticity of the general "feel".

    There is only one free board, with the    As far as digital pinball goes, this is one among the very few options available nowadays, especially if you are on a console. Luckily, it emulates the real deal quite well. The physics are spot-on, and during my 150 hours or so of gameplay, I haven't come across anything which would have made me question the authenticity of the general "feel".

    There is only one free board, with the rest being paid downloadable content. They come in form of packs, with a few exceptions, and prices aren't all that frightening. You can still play all boards for free, but you are limited to 2 minutes of gameplay per session, before having to splash the cash to continue playing the board. It's a handy way to test out which boards you want to buy.
    Online tournaments keeps the interest at a high; the joy of overtaking one of your competitors by a margin of a couple of thousand points (in a game where you're up over 100 million) is indescribable. The scoring system in pinball has always been through the roof, and Pinball FX 3 is no different. It's a simple tactic, and it does work.

    The only negative thing I have to say about the game is that I lost a handful of tables when I eradicated Zen Pinball 2 from my console and switched to this one (ZP2 was the predecessor to PFX3), and three of my absolute favourites as well. I think the studio should offer some kind of compensation to those who suffered the same consequences.

    Otherwise, Pinball FX3 is a great pinball game. Of course, you'll have to have some love for the concept of pinball to be able to enjoy it. But if you haven't got any passion for it, what are you doing here reading this anyway?    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

83
#83 Best PS4 Game of 2017

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
78

Generally favorable reviews - based on 9 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 9
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 9
  3. Negative: 0 out of 9
  1. Gamers' Temple
    Dec 13, 2017
    90
    Overall Pinball FX3 is an enjoyable experience. The tables all look fantastic and play quite well, and the pinball physics is unmatched in pinball video games. At the very least take the time to download the game and take its free table out for a test drive. You just may find yourself getting hooked on the game.
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  2. Game Informer
    Nov 2, 2017
    80
    Pinball FX 3 contains a number of welcome additions and improvements, and gives pinball fans what they need most: an excuse to return to and keep replaying all of their favorite tables. Hopefully the studio can also shore up and heighten the sense of rivalries again, but either way, it's a great time for pinball wizards to dive back in.
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  3. GamingTrend
    Nov 2, 2017
    70
    Pinball FX 3 is a decent step forward for Zen Studios’ long appreciated pinball series. There are some fun new single player modes that provide multiple challenges, some competitive modes, and plenty of practice options. The game also provides some direct competition and tournament style online options, though they aren’t much different in practice that the single player games. Overall, this is a nice update for the game and makes it much more diverse and interesting to explore, and the backwards compatibility means you have no real reason not to update and enjoy.
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