| Playstation Review | |
| Category | Sports |
| Players | 1-8 |
| Difficulty | Adjustable |
| Review Date | 6/98 |
| Publisher | EA Sports |
World Cup '98 by EA Sports is definitely one of the top futbol game currently
available. It matches up very well with FIFA '98 and blows Goal Storm out of
the water. Visually fluid and lacking those faceted polygonal players,
World Cup '98 is graphically excellent. Although the players are a little
small (no matter what view you choose), they move smoothly and without any
jerky motions or glitches. Each player moves with ease and does not at all
resemble the dot racing of Goal Storm (kick...run...kick...run...). I was
rather disappointed by the lack of venues for the matches; specifically, all
the pitches (that's 'field' for the uninitiated) look exactly alike, despite
the myriad choices of stadiums to play in. Even the billboards are
identical in all the pitches with the omnipresent Snickers advertisement
standing out the most. Despite the lack of variety, the overall quality of
the playing field is good; it's consistent all the way through.
The fans in the stands are another matter completely. I think it's about time that developers of video games take the time and effort to actually create 3-D fans with depth and substance. Sure, it would be a bitch to load, but at least it will be a whole lot more realistic. The fans look like television static with the occasional flash of a camera. The lack of fans and variety in stadiums notwithstanding, the graphics in World Cup '98 are superb.
Adding to the whole futbol ambiance are the announcers/color commentators John Watson and Chris Dawdle(?). John is an English guy and Chris is an English guy with a failed contrived Scottish accent (why is there always one Brit and one Scot?). At the beginning of the match, they set up the two teams and give a pregame analysis and predictions for the match. Sometimes, they talk about the local culture and the fans. Eventually though, they get around to calling the game. Their comments are well-placed and non-repetitive, except they call for the replay after every goal. One thing I liked was the way they could keep up with who had the ball no matter how fast I passed it around. Beware though, if you should foul up or miss a tackle, John and Chris are as ready with the biting insults as they are with the praising comments. In other words, you get the full range of comments from, "What a spectacular goal!!!" and "Superb tackle!" to "I don't know what he was thinking with that play. He must have taken too many headers off the noggin!!" and "Is the keeper insane? He must have left his brain in his kit bag!!"
Also, for your listening enjoyment you are treated to the sounds of Chumbawamba and that "Pissing the night away" song, a song I found oddly appropriate for futbol (don't ask me why). I don't have any complaints about the audio effects. The announcers are funny, the fans boo and cheer at the right places and occasionally break into a fight song, and who can resist a roaring, bloody good drinking song? Not I (hic!).
World Cup '98 truly puts you in the driver's seat and gives you full and
absolute control over the match. From the broadest game strategies to the
most specific of moves during the game, you are responsible for your own
fate. Every conceivable offensive move and defensive move is covered, from
jumping a slide tackle, to faking, to rainbow kicking, to flip overs, to
nutmegs, to step-overs, to sliding tackles, and to my personal favorite - the
intentional foul. You even get to control the distance and loft of free
kicks and corner kicks. This is a far cry from the limitations of Goal
Storm and as good if not better than FIFA '98.
During the game, you can use the in-game management option to select a tactic or specific play. Using the right plays at an opportune time will result in you sticking one in the net. If you are worried that you can't handle all the controls, fear not - you can basically go through the amateur mode using only pass and shoot on the offense and slide tackle on the defense. Once you have mastered the basics, you can move on to a harder setting. For those of you who really lack confidence, you can use the very helpful Training mode to scrimmage as the offense or defense or practice different scenarios such as corner and free kicks from anywhere on the pitch. You can even play a Penalty Shootout (boring after a while once you realize you have about a one in nine chance of stopping a goal). When you are done practicing to your heart's content, play the World Cup mode and pit yourself against the best teams in the world. Gameplay gets a big plus in my book because of the ease of the controls, the fast reactions from the computer, and the constant challenge.
There are one or two glitches in the game that you should be aware about. When passing, make sure the receiver receives the ball before trying to control him with the D-pad, otherwise you will boot the ball into an empty open field or out of bounds( this kept happening in the Championship match for some reason). Also, the ref will also call you offsides for no particular reason even if you are not offsides. Finally, you are robbed of viewing a close-up of a replay of a spectacular play. The replay mode only has the views from the existing cameras and you can't pan in or out and move the angle around. I hate not being able to watch my beautiful goal scoring headers off corner kicks. Oh well, C'est la vie.
If you want a great futbol game, play World Cup '98. With all the reins in your hands, you can coach and play simultaneously. The game plays like it a real live match. This effect is further heightened by the great graphics and those hilarious commentators. World Cup '98 is definitely a goal.
Revolution Report Card |
A- |
|
Excellent Graphics Satirical Announcers You're In Total Control Tons of Moves What, No Riots or Fighting? |