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A.P.I Review:	Actua Ice Hockey 2
Developer:	Gremlin	OPTIONS:	SCREENSHOTS: No.1   No.2   No.3
Distributor:	Gremlin	1-4 Player
Game Type:	Sports	Memory Card 6 Blocks
Review Date:	May 1999	Dual Shock/Analog Compatible

Setting the Scene

I am beginning to lose count of the number of ice hockey games presently available on the Playstation and a further addition can only cause to confuse the uncertain punter. If you are a new PSX owner then be warned of that deadly minefield which lies out there.

If you have ever enjoyed an EA Sports title then there is a good chance that many of their other projects will be to your liking. Although the sporting subject may differ, each game is created with a unique style of gameplay and visuals that bare the trademark of the development team who coded it. The same can be said for Gremlins line up of Actua sports titles.

The Actua Soccer and Golfing games have steadily improved over the years and it's from this platform of experience that Gremlin launch the second in their Actua Ice Hockey series of games.

Modes of play will include practice matches, friendlies and cup tournaments as well as the monster monster Championship which requires a will of iron to succeed. You'll need to punch and play your way through 31 teams made up of over 770 players before any silverware is forthcoming.

Sound & Vision

Once again we are introduced to a sporting title via a short selection of live action video. Now being a British ice hockey game (yes, British... it is allowed under the rules of the Geneva Convention... or something like that!) all of the video footage and motion-capture in the game has been provided by players from the Sheffield Steelers. The 'Steelers' also assisted with the development of the game's Artificial Intelligence. Some of the club's top players provided their insightful knowledge to help fine tune the defensive and attacking tactics to perfection.

On loading the game for the first time I was fairly impressed by the standard of visuals. The ice-white rink is almost blinding due to the reflection of the overhead stadium lights, while all zonal areas are clearly defined with the red and blue markings.

The crowd comes to life with so much movement - arms raided in triumph, hands clapping with delight, fists clenched with rage and many faces press against the transparent protective viewing screen.

The players strips are so bright and rich in color that it would be impossible to confuse opposing team members with your own. This is not just reds against whites but individual squads with dark hose, blue hoops, black numbers and their names emblazoned across their shoulders. Even the referee is accurately represented.

The commentary has been greatly improved since the last Actua Ice Hockey event. It is now presented in full US TV-style incorporating Ambient Realism, the new interactive crowd and commentary system. Also combined is a studio 'link man' with an in-game replay mode that will analyze each goal-scoring sequence.

Mogwai, the current darlings of the Glaswegian underground scene, provide the brutal, cutting edge sounds that lend a poetic backdrop to the choice realism on show in Actua Ice Hockey 2.

Playability

To allow you to get to grips with the control system Actua Ice Hockey offers an excellent practice mode to home in on your skills before entering a major competition. Select from five different scenarios such as practicing how to skate past defenders in a breakaway, one on one penalty shoot-out, making best advantage out of a Powerplay situation, firing a few shots against a top quality keeper or even taking your team onto the ice for a teamplay training session. Don't ignore this option as practice makes perfect and it is doubtful that you will get the time or the space to grasp the finer aspects of the game when a real contest begins.

Ready to play? Then Actua Ice Hockey 2 has multiple modes. There are two style of Exhibition matches. Normal Exhibition is a standard game of ice hockey using all of the normal rules and players. Arcade Exhibition is an intense four vs four fast paced game with no rules or restrictions and played on a much smaller rink. Similar to a five-a-side football match the action is fast and furious.

Next up is the GHL menu featuring several options for starting a game in the Gremlin Hockey League. Compete in a full 82 game season along with the teams of your choice. Create and compete in your own season competition using Customise mode. Play out a 52 game season with a random schedule or if you prefer something smaller then this can be edited to contain only 26 games. Finally set up and enter the Playoff stage of the GHL season. This is an 8-team knockout to decide the overall league winners.

The option screen follows the same pattern as many ice hockey games allowing the player to switch on/off each rule such as icing, offside, two line pass, etc. Game speed may be adjusted, there are three difficulty levels, while the puck may be regulation size, medium or big.

The control set up is so simple that you could almost play Actua Ice Hockey one-handed. Three buttons and a directional pad is all that is needed when attacking or defending, even better if you use an Analog Controller to guide your player. There's a pass/poke, a speed boost and a switch/shoot. Simple and effective.

I must say that I was impressed with the speed of play in this game and the control system makes it so easy to pick up and play. I still believe that NHL 98 is the best ice hockey game available on the PSX, but this is another worthy effort from Gremlin.