Sensible Soccer 2006 (PC)

Sensible Soccer 2006 doesn't quite cut it

As much as you want something to be true, you often can't delude yourself forever. I believe that Spurs will make the Champions League next season and finally become a force in European football. I'm really hoping it turns out like that, but chances are that reality will come crashing down on me mid-way through the season. This is Spurs after all. Anyway, this rambling has a point. Sensible Soccer 2006 is exactly like Spurs: you'll think it's great and then some stupid plonker will go and ruin it for everyone.

When you first start playing Sensible Soccer 2006 it takes a while to get into the swing of it. It simply plays nothing like football games that we're used to, with every kick's direction being 100 per cent under your control. Passes don't just land at the feet of your team-mates and shots will say hi to the corner flag as the ball lands somewhere deep in the stands. There's a definite learning curve, but once the likes of PES and FIFA are out of your head you'll settle into things.

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If you haven't gotten into football games in the past, Sensible Soccer 2006 probably offers the path of least resistance of any modern football game. It really couldn't be much simpler, with one button controlling short kicks, another controlling long kicks, plus a run button. That's it. Each kick can work as a pass or a shot, and tackling can be performed by simply running into the player with the ball - although a slide tackle can also be performed.

This simplicity will probably feel like a breath of fresh air for some people, and for the first few hours with the game I felt the same. Sadly, chinks in the game will start to appear, with a number of problems being severe enough to really put you off. What you'll probably notice first is the inability to select the player you wish to control. Player switching is something that you simply expect to be present, and after a while the computer's decisions over who is under your control start to baffle. The ball will often be in the open, so you and an opposing player run after it to gain control; except your player, who had a head start over the other player, isn't under your control. As this AI-controlled bot ambles towards the ball, the other player steam rollers past you and that opportunity is lost - infuriating to say the least.

The computer changes its mind over which player you're controlling so frequently that players on both teams appear to be performing a kind of ritualistic dance around the ball.

That's not the worst of it either. Occasionally players will simply refuse to move towards the ball. The computer changes its mind over which player you're controlling so frequently that players on both teams appear to be performing a kind of ritualistic dance around the ball. As you're unable to manually handle things, you just have to wait for the computer to sort itself out. To add insult to injury, if a weak shot is struck from some distance, the goalkeeper often refuses to acknowledge the ball. He'll either let it roll in, or a defender will take it upon himself to inadvertently knock the ball into the net. Brilliant.

Next you'll notice the magic teleporting ball. The goalies seem to possess an unearthly power that lets them conjure the ball into their possession. There'll be a goal mouth scramble and then the ball will magically be in the goalie's hands. They also like to make saves when there's absolutely no need. Watch in horror as your keeper makes a spectacular diving save for a ball that had more chance of hitting the corner flag than going between the posts.

But, despite these problems, games can be wonderfully frantic. You have next to no time on the ball, with defenders always hacking away at your heels, and running with the ball is recipe for disaster, so quick passing is the correct way forward. Short passing becomes incredibly natural, but long curling crosses are much harder to master. Dwelling on the ball for an extra half second will result in the opposition being half way to scoring a goal themselves, so games tend to have a real ebb and flow to them. Scoring goals is actually pretty simple. Even the best teams in the game don't take much beating, and multiplayer matches can easily end up with more than a dozen goals being scored.

It's a charming game, but problems get in the way of gameplay

Assuming you can see past the flaws in the gameplay that seem to crop up in every game, there's a decent amount to sink your teeth into. You can enter just about every tournament and cup you can think of, although none carry the official name, and multiplayer could last you for months if the gameplay is to your liking. A number of items can be unlocked for the completists out there, but sadly an original version of Sensi isn't included, unless it requires a bizarre unlock method.

From a presentation point of view things are about as basic as you'd expect. Player models have a certain big-headed charm to them, and their goal celebrations look genuinely euphoric, but other than that there's little to get excited about. Players don't even try to resemble their real-life counterparts, although some of the faked names are amusing. The 'create a player' tools are incredibly basic and the audio lacks the polish of a modern football title. Crowd effects are perfectly adequate, but the lack of commentary, even though many games fail to get this right, is disappointing.

Sensible Soccer 2006 is a game that you want to love, but frequently find yourself hating. Simple controls and fast paced gameplay make it great fun, but numerous problems will leave you scratching your head. Sensi fans will undoubtedly forgive its sins, but anyone who's schooled on PES (or even FIFA) will find a game that's a little too rough around the edges. As a budget title it's worth a look, but it's far from the new dawn of football games that many had expected.