Preview: Sociable Soccer
A sporting legend laces up its boots again
In these times when FIFA and Pro Evolution Soccer dominate, it can be easy to forget that at one time soccer games were numerous and diverse, from home computer classics like Microprose Soccer and Kick Off, to arcade hits like Tehkan World Cup, Soccer Brawl and Virtua Striker.
Few were as successful and widely-loved as Sensible Software’s Sensible Soccer (or ‘Sensi’ for short), which debuted on the Commodore Amiga and, over the course of numerous sequels, eventually made its way to pretty much every device that could conceivably play games in the 90s. Childhoods were built upon its gameplay, which combined fast, accessible action with semi-realistic ball handling and a quirky sense of humour.
Sadly, the 3D renaissance eventually spoiled the party, with the flashy polygons of PC and PlayStation making Sensi’s humble little sprite men look quaint at best, and downright uncool at worst. With an effective 3D update eluding Sensible Software, the franchise was eventually mothballed.
Thankfully, Sensi creator Jon Hare also believes that there’s still a place for arcade soccer and has rebooted the classic for the modern age — well, as far as you can call essentially the same game with polygons a ‘reboot’. Don’t take this as a criticism, however. In fact, it’s exactly as it should be, as the unadorned, pick-up-and-play nature of Sensi is a huge factor in its enduring popularity. The only major change is in the name which has, for licensing reasons, been changed to Sociable Soccer, a kind of archaic reference to being able to be played online. Make no mistake, however — this is a Sensible Soccer game, ‘Goal Scoring Superstar Hero’ theme tune and all.
You get the expected range of leagues and tournaments to play, with traditionally garbled competition and player names, playable solo or in local or online multiplayer. Also included is Boss Mode, a kind of campaign mode that lets you play out a managerial career. It’s not especially deep, but at least provides a little structure for the solo player and is something that will hopefully get expanded further as the game develops.
Thankfully, Sociable Soccer nails it where it counts — the gameplay. Sensible Soccer has always been celebrated for the way it combined simple controls with just enough touches of realism to reward skill and Sociable replicates the same scheme. Passing utilizes a touch of aim assist but still requires care, and there is no dedicated shoot button. While in the FIFA age the idea of using a pass button to shoot sounds awkward it, in combination with the generous bend mechanic (Another Sensi hallmark), allows for some spectacular goals.
Dribbling also works differently, with the ball semi-stuck to the player’s feet, yet easy to lose if you turn too sharply. Similar care in aiming is crucial with long passes being fairly risky, but it works in that it encourages tight, brisk play with lots of short passing and situational awareness. While the game defaults, in what feels like a move to appease the FIFA crowd, to a side-on camera, the traditional top-down view is recommended as it allows for better aiming, especially when pulling off the kind of ridiculous banana shots upon which Sensi built a lifelong fanbase.
While the game is fun in single-player, the AI does feel a little too easy to beat. Though it’s good that it’s not as brutally difficult as in previous entries in the series (I still have nightmares about getting repeatedly pasted by Latvia in the Xbox 360 version of Sensible World of Soccer), it also lowers the challenge level to an extent that could impede long-term play. Hopefully this is something that will get a good tweaking as development continues, as gradually mastering the subtleties of the controls was always one of the most rewarding aspects of Sensible Soccer.
Final thoughts:
Sensible Soccer veterans, or indeed anyone looking for a good kickabout free of the labyrinthine mechanics of the big franchises, will have a lot of fun with Sociable Soccer. It may be a little thin on modes at the moment and the AI is a bit of a pushover, but local multiplayer is just as addictively hectic as ever. If it can develop in all the right places, Sociable Soccer has lots of potential to secure a special place in modern sports videogaming.
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