PlayStation

Actua Soccer 3

De mensen van Gremlin die voor deze voetbaltrilogie verantwoordelijk zijn, claimen true football fans te zijn, en na het spelen van Actua Soccer moet ik ze daar toch echt gelijk in geven. It's the bomb, baby! Of zoals de commentator het in het tweede deel al zei: 'This has all the makings of a classic.'

This probably won't surprise you but Actua Soccer 3 is very similar to Actua Soccer 2. My only concern is that it maybe a little too close for comfort. The Actua Soccer series takes a little more time to get to grips with than other immediately accessible games. They don't instantly appeal... but they do eventually grow on you. If you want a pick-up-and-play style of game then go for FIFA 99. However, if you would rather invest in a game that will provide a genuine thrill when a goal is your reward for practice, graft and skill... then Actua Soccer 3 should be your preference. It certainly offers greater longevity.

The Actua Soccer games have always been good, but never had the complete feel to them to take them into the classic league. This third version is the closest yet, and is certainly the best of the three. It's an immensely playable game and is a lot easier to pick up than the second game. The controls aren't over complicated and yet still have enough diversity to make for an intricate game. But there are a couple of flaws which become let this down. For a start, you hardly ever need to header the ball. Huge punts upfield always bounce unchallenged in the middle of the pitch. And the AI on some of the players isn't always up to scratch. When you're running with the ball, you expect teammates to overlap on the wings, but you have to wait an age for them to get there. But, Actua 3 is a very impressive game and has loads to keep fans occupied for months to come. Excellent.