The simplest footie game on the PC (Sensible World of Soccer)

Member Name: bigdgaff

Product:	Sensible World of Soccer
Date:	19/06/01 (659 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Simple to learn, Blisteringly fast and furious gameplay, Will run on any system

Disadvantages: Graphics are extremely dated, You need to know your soundcard IRQ and DMA settings as there is only a rudimentary auto detect feature

I got this game way back in the dark ages of 1996 and as of June 2001, it is still next to my desk in the pile of 20 or so of my regular play games.

The first thing you will notice when loading the game up is how primitive (literally) the graphics are, which is understandable considering it is optimised for MsDos. However I urge you to look past the graphics and sample the addictiveness of the gameplay. As far as I'm concerned, all the latest footie games need you to press three or four buttons just to pass the ball, so you spend all of your time concentrating on the basics rather than enjoying the game.

SWOS has a great interface. The arrow keys move the selected player in the desired direction, you view the screen from a top down, 2d perspective, and I have customised the shift key as a pass/shoot button. That's it. The player is selected by the computer when the ball is fairly close to him and all you have to do is pass the ball into the area of one of your players and he will run onto the ball and then come under your control. The difference between passing and shooting is down to how long you hold the shoot button for. If you tap it you will get a pass in the direction you are facing but the player will intuitively aim up to 30 degrees either side to ensure it goes to a team mate unless your opponent intercepts the pass. If you hold the button down, the player will punt it down the pitch. By touch the left or right arrow just after kicking the ball, you can make it swerve, which really gives you an advantage over human players.

You can also use a game pad if you have one, but I have always felt more comfortable on the keys, which is helpful on two player matches as one can use the keyboard and one can use the game pad.

The best way to play this game is to get a few mates round, set up a tournament, which is very easy to do, and crack open a few beers (if you are old enough).

Due to the simplicity of
the game and low graphic burden, the game runs like lightning on virtually any system.

You can't honestly say that you are a true sport game fanatic until you play this game and I bet it will find it's way into your most played selection as well.

By the way, if anyone knows where to find any new season updates, please leave a comment

Summary: