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Sensible Soccer Review

Chris Leyton

08/06/2006

It's been 40 years since England won the World Cup, and it seems that long since we last saw banana shots like this...

Before FIFA and Pro Evolution Soccer conquered the football market with a firm stranglehold on authenticity, both in terms of presentation and actual gameplay, there was one football title that rose above all others.

That game should need no introduction, but for those that have grown up on EA Sports, a little recap to bring you up to speed. Throughout the late 80's and early 90's UK gamers couldn't get enough of football games, with the charts continuously dominated by them at a time when ever poor attempts often performed well.

The sorely missed Sensible Software first put themselves on the gaming map with the release of Microprose Soccer for the Commodore64 and later Amiga; a football title that this ageing reviewer fondly recalled for breaking umpteen joysticks in an attempt to master the joys of Aftertouch. Yes before the likes of Kick Off and Sensible Soccer it was indeed a game titled after Sid Meier's now obsolete publishing outfit, which introduced the concepts of Aftertouch and a top-down perspective to a gaming audience in 1988.

A year later Dino Dini and Anco moved the goalposts further with the release of Kick Off; intensifying the pace and removing the ball's uncanny ability to get stuck to a player's foot, Kick Off rightfully became the new standard in football games... until a few years later. Some will argue the merits of Kick Off 2, however many will look at the 1992 release of Sensible Soccer as the next seminal moment in football gaming history. Providing a greater viewpoint of the pitch and reducing the size of the players to characteristic Sensible proportions, Sensible Soccer (or Sensi as it quickly became known) intensified the pace of football to frightening proportions, removed the need to trap the ball before laying it on, and more importantly introduced imitations of real-life players for the first time. The hugely anticipated release of Sensible World of Soccer in 1995 was truly the last of an era, before a glutton of titles attempted to grab a share of the market ahead of EA and Konami effectively turning it into a two-horse race with the FIFA and Pro Evolution Soccer series.

Undeterred Sensible Soccer is back, aiming to reignite gamers and football fans alike passion for quick, pick-up-and-play football; does the formula still stand the test of time, do miniature characters hold up against fully motion-captured, licensed superstars; more importantly can KuJu Entertainment under the supervision of Jon Hare, do the game justice eight years after Sensible Software shut up shop?

Initially Sensible Soccer appears to be somewhat anaemic on the substance front, with a basic selection of international and domestic cups, leagues and tournaments, all styled after real-life competitions. The theme of simplicity runs throughout Sensible Soccer, with immediate rewards in the shape of a huge range of unlockables which can then be used in the game's Custom Team feature.

The bulk of the game lies in the Custom Team mode, which challenges players to create a team, design a kit and modify every aspect of the players' attributes, before embarking on the many different competitions available. Rewards for successfully completing the various tournaments come in the form of increased attributes for a specific player in your side, so eventually your team can become a squad of superstars. To its credit Sensible Soccer does contain a large number of cups, leagues and tournaments from across the world. Each country offers both a primary and secondary league to compete in along with the full selection of domestic cups, plus European and International competitions (no Wales or Scotland though), with rewards coming in the shape of new Pitch types, new Balls, or Player haircuts, shirts, shorts and boots to customise your team with in the Custom Team mode. Sensi fans will probably cry out for more depth to the Custom Team mode, with some of the aspects of Sensible World of Soccer sorely missed; however, dependant on this game's success, we wouldn't be too surprised to discover a slightly more "substantial" Sensi on the cards.

Onto the pitch and Sensible Soccer instantly feels like the classic from which it's based. The top-down perspective, the heightened pace, the instant control, immediately presents an altogether different football experience from what we've got used to in the last few years, and will bring back fond memories for the long-waiting Sensi fanatic.

Using just two buttons players have a great degree of control over the ball, which, again, feels unlike any other football game around thanks largely to the fluidity of the control system. Before Aftertouch began to get toned down towards more realistic proportions, it was this feature that became the defining aspect in a football game; thankfully 30-yard screamers and unbelievable banana shots make a return in Sensible Soccer, instantly helping to mark Codemasters and KuJu's offering out from the crowd. Aftertouch is, however, much more then just scoring great looking goals, it's also the method to gain pinpoint precision with your long passes, slotting a Beckham-esque ball over the defence for Michael Owen to burst through on. This level of control and precision over long-ball passing is unheard of with other football games, and becomes the key aspect of the game, the deciding factor between being good and very good.

Because Sensi employs the traditional overhead view you can see a lot more of the pitch, and as a result the passing system is very different to the competition. Heavily automated passes that travel directly to your teammates have been replaced with a 360 degrees manual system, which allows you to ping balls around with speed and precision like its 1992 all over again.

KuJu have also introduced a number of techniques designed to bring Sensi up to date, with the inclusion of sprinting and stamina bars; increased motions such as volleys and players jostling for the ball; and a greater variety of positions compared to the traditional defence, midfield and strikers. Such introductions suit the game well, and it's testament to the respect the developers have shown to the game that they slot in seamlessly to the classic gameplay. Perhaps to ease the frustrations that newcomers would likely experience, the ball appears to stick closer to the player's foot then we all seem to recall; however, that could just be age playing tricks on us again.

Unfortunately not everything is meticulously perfect in the way you'd expect if Sensible Software were still around. Goalkeepers in particular range from stupendously brilliant to making David James looking good; whilst replays indicate split-second jumps in animations, when a player all of a sudden gains possession of the ball without being in its close proximity. Whilst I'm on the subject of a certain England No.2, Sensible Soccer also throws up some strange team selections with David James, Wayne Bridge and Kieron Dyer all making the England First XI - isn't Sensi meant to be the football lovers footie game, occasionally it feels as though the people behind some areas didn't have much of a clue! Thankfully there's nothing that ruins the game, and little beyond a few niggles and questionable areas that a little more time would have ironed out.

One slightly more contentious issue surrounding the game, however, is the lack of online multiplayer modes. Given the uncertainty surrounding the title and the success it's likely to meet we can understand Codemasters and KuJu providing a barebones first attempt; however, Sensible Soccer is all about the multiplayer, and what better way to enjoy this then online - surely it wouldn't have taken that much effort???

Understandably KuJu Entertainment have thrown conventional footie visuals out of the window, replacing them with cell-shaded graphics that do a good job of capturing the essence of old Sensi; walking a fine line between presenting highly distinctive players that also bear a slight recognition to their real-life counterparts - though for some reason David Beckham (sorry Backhem) looks closer to the Bee Gees Barry Gibb then the product-endorsing style-icon that he should be. There are also some neat animations as players fall onto their knees after being fouled, perform crafty little backheels or celebrate a goal in classic Shearer pose. But, unfortunately the visual style is likely to be overlooked by the mainstream, who'll take one look at Sensible Soccer and instantly overlook it compared to FIFA and Pro Evo - just don't do it!

On the sound front Sensible Soccer continues the theme of bucking recent trends, leaving the commentators to FIFA and Pro Evo, whilst making do with fairly uninspiring crowd effects that fail to create any sense of atmosphere - though Sensi fans will fondly recall the remixed "Goal-Scoring Superstar Hero" theme tune.