Yes you can play other people. I just rented it yesterday. The game is fun and the characters are amazingly detailed. Learning the controls for some of the events is a pain in the a$$ but you get used to them after a hour or so. I do recommend that you click on the "controls" icon in every event to learn how to use them. each event is differnt.
P.S.....You can also use your Mii for this game !!