Fireworks Mania invites players to unleash their inner pyrotechnician in a sandbox environment where the only limit is their imagination. You get to blow things up with pretty sights and sounds. But does this explosive premise ignite a spark of creativity, or does it fizzle out into repetitive button-mashing?

A Sky Full of Dreams, or Just Noise?

The core concept is simple: players are given a variety of fireworks and tools to create dazzling displays. You can choose to do whatever you want to. If you want to set off a single firework, then go for it. If you want to create a display-worthy setup, then go ahead! If you want to aim a bunch of rockets at a petrol station (gas station to US readers), light them and see the resulting explosion, then…go ahead!

From classic rockets and firecrackers to more elaborate multi-stage creations, Fireworks Mania offers a surprising amount of variety in its pyrotechnic arsenal. The narrative is, unsurprisingly, minimal. The focus is purely on experimentation and the joy of creating something visually spectacular. However, it’s pretty clear what this game is all about as you head into it, so there shouldn’t be any surprises around a lack of any story!

Painting the Night with Fire

Gameplay revolves around placing fireworks, connecting them with fuses (or using other triggering mechanisms), and then setting off the chain reaction. The controls, although plentiful, are also intuitive and they allow players to easily manipulate and arrange their fireworks.

The game also includes tools for creating synchronised displays, allowing for complex and impressive shows. The physics are generally impressive, although they can occasionally be a bit wonky, leading to unpredictable and sometimes frustrating results. However, this happened only rarely and didn’t hinder the fun for even one moment!

A Shared Sky: Pyrotechnic Partnerships

Fireworks Mania now features a multiplayer mode, allowing players to collaborate on spectacular firework displays. This means that players can take all of the explosive fun they were having before and coordinate their efforts to create even more elaborate and impressive shows with others! It would be nice to see some specific, structured multiplayer modes added in future as there is a lot of potential here.

Painting the Sky with Sound and Colour

The visuals are bright, colourful, and stylised, perfectly capturing the vibrant nature of fireworks. Each firework looks and sounds great. The explosions are satisfying, and the game runs smoothly, even with large numbers of fireworks going off at once. The sound design is excellent, with authentic firework sounds that add to the immersive experience.

A Lingering Glow or a Flash in the Pan?

In terms of replayability, the addition of multiplayer significantly boosts the replay value of Fireworks Mania. Collaborating with friends or other players to create dazzling displays offers a fresh perspective and encourages experimentation. Although the solo mode of Fireworks Mania is incredibly fun, the addition of multiplayer mode adds a layer of enjoyment that you never knew you were missing!

Conclusion

Fireworks Mania remains a fun and visually engaging sandbox experience, and the addition of multiplayer has elevated the game’s potential. While it may still lack depth in terms of structured gameplay beyond the sandbox, the ability to share the creative experience with others makes it a more compelling and enjoyable title. It’s difficult to NOT have fun playing Fireworks Mania, and it still remains an incredibly enjoyable experience to this day!

Grade: 8.5/10