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The
Introduction to this game leaves everything else that I have so far seen for the
PlayStation firmly in the shade, this is computer entertainment at its best. Two
teams of fully rendered players battle it out in a fantastic demo game that
lasts well over a minute. The Quality of the animation is SUPERB, they have used
computer animated players rather than just the standard Full Motion Live Video
Action that is present in so many of the Next-Gen games and guess what! no
glitches, no fuzzy bits, no slowdown its BRILLIANT. The shadows, the lighting
effects, the pitch textures WOW I'M IN HEAVEN. Lets hope that the rumored
128/256 bit PSX2 will allow us to actually PLAY games if this quality.
Into the game now and being the last in a long line of FOOTBALL
releases, Psygnosis have obviously taken a good long look at the competition,
read all of the press releases on them and tried to patch over the cracks of
previous "Almost Great" efforts.
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Before
I launch into a review of the game, I must firstly get something off my chest.
In the European release of this game WHY OH WHY did they have to call it Power "SOCCER"
and not Power FOOTBALL! I realize that the Americans would then be confused,
but surely they could have changed the title for them, after all I think they
would be pretty annoyed if a European company produced a game of BASEBALL and
then named it "ROUNDERS" for us Europeans - nuff said!
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There
are two types of FOOTBALL gamesplayer, the type that likes the flashy and
graphically excellent FIFA SOCCER type games and those who prefer the SENSIBLE
SOCCER and KICK OFF type games. I belong to the latter fraternity and so the 3D
perspective approach that this game takes didn't exactly blow my mind. All of
the players have been "Motion Captured" for realism and 6 months ago
they would have been revolutionary, but now they just seem kind of average. I
think the best way of describing the in-game graphics would be - FUNCTIONAL
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Well
the game contains the necessary Crowd noises (which are less than brilliant it
must be said), the commentator (Who gets on your nerves after a very short time)
and the sound of boot on ball - which amazingly enough sounds just like a ball
being kicked.............by a boot. I would have been happier if they had built
in an option that allowed you to stick a MUSIC CD in the machine while playing
the game, but unfortunately not!
On a lighter note the programmers have included a secret code that
when entered transforms the boring commentator into a pair of hilarious "tarty"
females who spent more time commenting on the "Good Looking" players
then they do on the game in progress - Well done Psygnosis!
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Well
after all is said and done everything mentioned above isn't worth a thing unless
the game is both playable and will keep you entertained for a while. To help
matters the number of various options available is mind blowing:
4 PITCH SURFACES, OVER 70 TEAMS, FRIENDLY/TOURNAMENT/LEAGUE MATCHES, GAME
LENGTH FROM 4 - 20 MINUTES, REFEREES RANGING FROM "BLIND" TO "SEVERE",
OFFSIDE SELECTABLE, UP TO 4 PLAYERS VIA MULTI-TAP, 7 TEAM FORMATIONS and
more........
Once the game has been configured and options saved for later use, the
game can begin. Again "Variety" is the word to use when mentioning the
in game player moves:
STANDARD KICKS AND TACKLES, BICYCLE KICK, PUSH OPPONENT, HAND BALL, JUGGLE
BALL, HIGH KICK, FLICK, BACKHEEL, HEADER, VOLLEY, PREDATOR MEGASHOT, PULL
OPPONENTS SHIRT and more....
The game is played at a moderate speed, faster than FIFA96 but far
slower than STRIKER for example. The computer opponents provide a challenge for
a while and the League option allows for extended play, but as always, its the
multiplayer option that keeps the game interesting over the long term. The
goalkeepers are reasonably intelligent, but have the annoying habit of Punching
the ball straight into the path of the approaching attackers for an easy goal.
With practice you can jump over incoming tackles, swerve your shots,
volley the ball and just occasionally touch the ball into the net with your hand
(a la Marradona). When you get tired of playing serious FOOTBALL, you can change
the game from a "Simulation" into a crazy "Arcade" game
using one of the in game options. Suddenly the whole thing starts to look like a
WWF Wrestling match, with players kicking each other all over the pitch ,
fireball shots and more....
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The
Intro is the best yet on the PlayStation. The in-game graphics and F.X are
rather more average. Loads of options and player moves allow you to set-up the
game to your personal preference. Up to 4 Players can play at any one time via
the Multi-Tap. The Arcade and Simulation modes add a refreshing new angle to
this genre, but after a few days of playing I am still not convinced that this
is a "Classic".
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JIM |
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GRAPHICS: |
Good |
After
a week of playing friendly matches and tournaments, to practice the various
maneuvers, I feel adequately prepared for a full blown season. Playing Power
Soccer initially in a full season presented a reasonable challenge.
Unfortunately by the time I reached half way, the challenge was greatly reduced
by the fact that I found it difficult to get BEAT.Only a few teams raised their
game enough to become adequate opposition.I did not complete the full season for
this reason. |
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SOUND: |
Average |
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PLAYABILITY: |
Good |
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VALUE: |
Good |
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OVERALL
7/10 |
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MARTIN |
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GRAPHICS: |
Good |
This
game can now be picked up for a few Dollars making it a fantastic introduction
to the world of computerised soccer. The pace of the gameplay is slow enough to
aid newer players and with the addition of the special moves available in the
arcade mode, this makes for brilliant value for money if bought at a reduced
price. |
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SOUND: |
Average |
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PLAYABILITY: |
Good |
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VALUE: |
Brilliant |
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OVERALL
8/10 |
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