Gamer reviews for KIM KARDASHIAN: HOLLYWOOD

Reach for the Stars in Kim Kardashian: Hollywood

Glamorous dresses, rave parties, endless travels, and tons and tons of special items and privileges—and as the celebrity manager in the game says; Exposure, exposure, exposure—this is pretty much the life of a celebrity. Though not everyone is given the chance to snag this kind of lifestyle, Glu Games Inc. now provides people the rare opportunity to experience life on the fast lane with the simulation game Kim Kardashian: Hollywood.

The game was released in June 2014 and is available for free to download in both Android and iOS devices. This game is quite heavy on the availability of in-app purchases, so be sure to watch where you tap—especially if your device is linked to your credit card.

The goal of the game is as the title suggests—to rule Hollywood by becoming an A-list celebrity with the help of the A-list star herself, Kim Kardashian. The game begins with a nice video introduction by Ms. Kardashian, then it immediately prompts you into the customization screen where you can personalize your avatar or future celebrity (with of course a reminder to carefully pick “hot” items in your wardrobe). Once you are done with that, you are immediately thrown into a little boutique where you humbly begin your adventure to stardom by first working as a fashion boutique assistant. The tutorial comes in the form of a little quest by your boss asking you to do some simple chores in the store before closing up.

As you will soon find out, gameplay and navigation is quite simple for this game as it mainly involves quest completion of photo shoots, public events, etc. by simple taps here and there to move throughout the game. The faster and more tasks you complete (like attending a photoshoot, going to parties, etc.) the faster you are to gain experience points which will help you level up your celebrity-in-the-making.

As expected, there is a limiting factor in fulfillment of all these quests or tasks. Your avatar is given only a fixed number of energy (as represented by a lightning bolt icon). These energy points are what you can use to move around during quests. In each quest or task, EVERY single action you do to complete the task (pose for the camera, smile, check make-up, mingle with friends, etc.) will require a certain number of energy points. On an average, one quest (not including the special events) would take from you around 30-40 energy points. Given the limited number of energy points, you have the option to wait for your energy to replenish or buy them using your rare and hard-earned Kim Stars.

If you would decide to test your patience and wait it out, it is important to know that it takes five minutes to gain one energy point — there is a countdown available on the energy status bar to guide you. But if you would decide to wait, there is pretty much nothing else to do but wait. There are no mini puzzles or mini games available—just the quests. The other way to go is to purchase energy points by using up the Kim Stars you collect along the way (which is really rare). So if patience is not among your virtues, then go ahead and use some cold cash to buy those Kim Stars. If you would need five energy points, you would have to use six Kim stars. In buying Kim stars, 50 Kim Stars is around $5--pretty heavy if you ask me.

The 3D graphics are quite entertaining and full of vivid colors. Navigation throughout the game is also pretty straightforward too as you would just have to slide to your left or right to check out an area and then tap here and there to go to a certain location. The game’s music and soundtrack is varied and well-suited to the location and current quest.

To sum it up, Kim Kardashian: Hollywood is a game to play if you are looking for something to pick-up and play for a few minutes and then leave it to get back to it later once your energy has restored. This is also a nice game to play if you are looking for a game with a strong community to share your “celebrity” status with. But if you want a game that has intuitive and immersive gameplay, then this game would not be for you.