Reviews / previews
What is one to expect from a sports title that begins
with the word Sensible? Sensible Soccer '98 is a
European import from GT Interactive, apparently
so-named because of its down-to-business,
coach-centric gameplay. And, come to think of it, I'm
hard-pressed to find a better adjective to describe this
soccer game. It's sensible.
The meat and potatoes of SS98 are the deep and
extensive coaching and customizability options.
Represented are fully customizable leagues for every
major world pro league, as well as international
squads for Cup competition (no licenses, though, and
no real players until you customize them). The level of
tailoring is remarkable, right down to the kit colors
and physical appearance of each player.
This is wonderful stuff for gamers who like to be in
godlike control of their computer sports teams. There
are no multiseason elements, unfortunately, which
was a wasted opportunity. But you can organize all
manner of league championship races and
international tournaments, with your choice of how
teams advance: single elimination or best of three,
and you can turn on or off golden-goal elimination.
Gameplay itself doesn't even pretend to be at the
brilliant level of Road to the World Cup or World Cup
98, but for what it's meant to do, it's serviceable. The
game stresses realism, which almost assures that
the games are hard-fought, methodical, low-scoring
affairs. It's best enjoyed from the bird's-eye
perspective, giving you the coach's more authoritative
sensibility as opposed to the more visceral EA-style
presentation.
The games are often
very accurately
portrayed, with
highly realistic
playsets,
organization, and
defensive breakdowns. Particularly thrilling
are the goalie animations, which are really
convincing in the in-close scrambles. Careful
and elaborate passing will be required to gain
ground, and you'll need to develop perfect
touch on your shots to score anything-which
is as it should be.
Where Sensible Soccer '98 really shines is in its coaching mode. You can
play as Coach only and steer your team from the sidelines, changing
formations and making decisions about aggressiveness and defensive
posture. The decisions translate nicely onto the pitch. And it's a pleasure to
watch the computer opponent react to your coaching moves and force you
into the chess-match of warring coachdom that any real-life soccer game
actually becomes. Multiplayer options add this nice coaching dimension to
head-to-head play.
But as endearing as the game's accuracy
and coaching options are, SS98 is
constantly reminding you that it's not in EA's
league. The on-field 3D graphics are a notch
below, with blocky players. The interface is
very crude and unfriendly-it's never simple
doing anything. You'll spend a lot of time
arranging things the way you want them, and
simple errors can undo minutes of work.
Ultimately, there's no dazzling finish to
anything in the game. Plowing your way to a
championship is not the stunning triumph it seems to be in EA's FIFA games;
rather, here it just seems like the logical tacked-on conclusion. The game
suffers from a definite lack of presence and immediacy.
What it's got going for it is a bargain price and a coaching mode for
convincingly realistic soccer games. I can't say it got me much worked up,
though. The fact is that EA has spoiled us silly with its FIFA series, and
Sensible Soccer '98 looks, by comparison, like-well, like sensible shoes,
especially when we've got some blue suede ones sitting right next to them.-- Daniel Morris / GamePro
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