Developer: Telltale Games
Platform: Windows, OS X, 360, PS3, iOS TBA
Release Date: April 24, 2013 (360), April 26, 2013 (Windows and OS X through Steam), April 30, 2013 (PSN NA, EU May 1), iOS TBA
ESRB: None
Format: digital download
The sequel to the original Poker Night changes things up a bit with new characters and game mechanics.
Tonight the players are; Brock Samson from The Venture Bros., Claptrap from Borderlands, Ash from Army of Darkness1, and Sam from Sam & Max, with Reginald returning as host but now GlaDOS from Portal serves as the dealer.
This time around, the game is harder. While the character's tells are there, they have multiple ones. Each of the characters have their own play style, but they all pretty much know what they are doing. They will bluff or play conservatively from time to time to throw the player off their game and are much better at calling the player's bluffs.
Now the player can choose to play between Texas Hold 'Em and Omaha Hold 'em. Each time a character bursts out before the player, the player is awarded tokens (one hundred for winning the tournament) which can be used to unlock decks, chips, and table felts linked to each of the players and GlaDOS' franchises. The tokens can also be used to buy the characters drinks (served by Mad Moxxi from Borderlands) which cause the characters' tells to show up more often.
Again the game allows the player to unlock items for TF2 but now also for Borderlands 2. There are also 360 Avatar Items and PS3 themes to unlock. How these items are unlock has changed as well.
In order to unlock an item the player must first complete three "bounties" (randomly generated poker goals). In the next tournament one of the characters will offer up their bounty item. The player must then win the tournament in order to claim it. If the player busts out, they must wait till the next tournament. Like the first game, which character offers up their item is random.
The items are2:
1: While Ash is a very good, if somewhat cartoony, rendition of his Army of Darkness visage, sadly he is not voiced by Bruce Campbell. Although, Danny Webber makes an adequate go of it.
2: These items are not the actual ones unlocked in the other games but represent unlocks from their specific franchises. The TF2 and Borderlands items are different from each other, likewise the avatar items and PS3 themes.