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ISS 2 Review
Mark Simons
00/12/0000
Major-A make their second outing on PlayStation2 we see if it manages to improve on their previous effort.
We were rather looking forward to International Superstar Soccer 2, as it is the latest in the series of football games from Konamiâs Major-A development team. They have been responsible for the ISS games that have appeared on the N64 and on the PlayStation2. These games were very different from the ISS games that have appeared on the PlayStation and are now known as Pro Evolution Soccer. We always loved the N64 versions of ISS but the first version to be released on the PlayStation2 was a disappointment it felt slightly unfinished and rough around the edges, but we put that down to it being rushed out for the launch. Now however we get to sample the fruits of a longer development period and see if Major-A can make a great football game that really harnesses the power of todayâs consoles.
First impressions are positive, the graphics are rather nice, player models are very detailed and animation is of the highest order. The stadiums also look pretty good but not spectacular, the crowd is still disappointing and there are not many people dotted around the outside of the pitch, making those who are appear rather lonely. Some special effects such as flares, balloons and tickertape add to the atmosphere but donât look that impressive. Once you have kicked off all of the peripheral details become unimportant, the only thing that really matters are the 22 players and the football.
When you get down to it you will find that ISS2 plays quite a good game of football, the basics, that a vast number of games get wrong, are implemented well. You need to spend time passing the ball around in midfield and spend a little bit of time thinking about your attacks rather than mindlessly heading towards goal. You need to learn how to pull the defence shattering one-twoâs and through balls that form a large part of the attacking repertoire of any ISS player.
The through ball system works rather well, the triangle button simply being used rather than the standard pass button â“ X â“ and you direct it with the analogue stick, double tap the button and you perform a lobbed through ball. This has been a key feature of the ISS forever and this is nicely implemented, however there is one slight problem with it. By using a double tap on the through ball button two perform a lobbed pass it is impossible to set the power for the pass, meaning that performing deftly weighted balls that float over defenders is nigh on impossible. However we only recognise this as a deficiency because of the amazing through ball system of Pro Evolution Soccer.
The lack of real fine control in some of the moves is also apparent with the lobbed pass which is, like the lobbed through ball, not really controllable from a power point of view. When you are in possession you lock onto a player to pass two and this is represented by a box that appears around your teammate on the radar. When a player is locked on to any pass will go towards him, this makes things simpler, but it can be frustrating if you want to pass into space. Again this is a gameplay style choice, ISS2 is a simpler game than Pro Evolution and as such you cannot perhaps do all of the things you wish to. This is not necessarily a bad thing as there is still a lot to learn in ISS2 but you have to learn to play the game, rather than try to play a game of football, or you will end up making your players do some odd things.
One of the major oddities of ISS2 is the new system for free kicks and corners, rather than using an arrow to show the trajectory of the ball or keeping it simple and just having a power bar Major-A have implemented a system reminiscent of a golf game. This system is tricky at first, but with a bit of time you can become rather proficient but the choice of this system strikes us as rather odd and is bit out of synch with the emphasis on pure football that the ISS series prides itself on.
The core of ISS2 is solid, the game is fun and there is a large amount that needs to be learnt in order to become proficient. It is not as deep and realistic as Pro Evolution, but it is not intended to be. However in some respects as a videogame ISS2 is rather lacking. The main problem is whatâs on offer; the only game modes are friendly, international cup, international league and custom league. This covers all the basics but itâs a shame that that there is only one cup and league on offer. It would be interesting to offer regional cups that force you to play with a wide variety of teams to collect all the trophies.
Also the enjoyable scenario mode that saw you try to win matches from precarious situations against the clock has been dumped. This is annoying as it was a highly enjoyable aspect of the previous ISS games and forced you to be on top of your game. Likewise the rather odd role-playing mode that appeared in ISS 2000 has been dropped. Even the training mode is rather bare and does not do much in the way of teaching you the various aspects of the game. This lack of gameplay options is annoying if you really want to get stuck into some serious one-player gaming. Given the comparative lack of depth to the gameplay it would have been nice if Major-A had made up for that by giving you a wide range of gameplay modes and things to complete. As it stands ISS2 offers a rather shallow videogame experience that could get rather stale if the multi-player mode is not your main way of playing.
