World Tour Soccer 06
Gameplay:
World Tour Soccer 06 uses a point based system. In each match you try to get as many points as possible to unlock access to other matches, modes of play, special all-star teams, and obtaining trophies to add to your collection. The point system works by awarding various points (depending on mode of game play) for scoring goals, successful passes, ball interceptions, being fouled etc. On the flipside, you lose points for fouling the opposition, making bad passes, being scored on, etc. The goal with the point system in each match is to try to pass a certain threshold. There are always three different thresholds, which may get you a bronze, silver, or goal medal for the match.
The single player modes include exhibition, world tour, and medal mode. The exhibition mode is essentially a quick play, which allows you to select the opposing teams, time length of the halves, stadium, and difficulty level. It is your pathway to a classic soccer match where the number one concern is scoring goals. World tour mode sets you on a variety of challenges facing nations in Africa, Asia & Oceania, North America, South America, and Europe. Each continent has five different rounds you need to complete to advance to the next continent. However, there are more than five possible matches to compete in. For instance, Asia & Oceania round three has a classic challenge against Uzbekistan, totally outnumbered against Bahrain, the zone against Saudi Arabia. You can pick any one of the three to advance to round four. Of course, if you want to unlock the continent's all-star team, you'll need to get at least a bronze medal in all of the matches. Medal mode is the final single player mode, which features all ten game modes, each with eight rounds to complete.
The game modes you can compete in while playing world tour mode and medal mode includes classic challenge, all rounder, shot clock, the zone, totally outnumbered, time attack, challenge plus, pass clock, check point challenge, and player tag. In each of the modes, how points are awarded varies, as some have different restrictions enforced in game play that make soccer a little more challenging and exciting.
Here are descriptions of what each game mode entails:
1. Classic Play: The game play is as basic as soccer gets. Following the normal rules of soccer you are awarded points for scoring goals, making good passes, intercepting the other team's passes, slide tackles, etc. On the flipside side, you lose points for bad passes, fouls, poor tackles, etc. You need to make solid plays, as well as score goals!
2. All Rounder: The idea is the same as classic challenge, except that the ball must be passed around to all eleven of your players before a scored goal will count!
3. Shot Clock: This mode is like classic challenge, except when you get control of the ball you have a certain number seconds to score a goal (time varies by match). If time expires, the other team takes possession. Sometimes you have to turn the ball over on purpose and steal it back quickly!
4. The Zone: In this mode where you make a play determines how many points the act is worth. The field is colored differently, and in the colored areas a point multiplier is in effect. Some areas gets a 0x multiplier while others may see 1x, 2x, 3x, etc. It is an interesting way to play that will definitely change your strategy.
5. Totally Outnumbered: Totally might be a bad way to describe this mode, because you are not always totally outnumbered. Still, you are outnumbered. This mode does just that and removes a certain number of players from the field. You play with a man or two or more short!
6. Time Attack: You are given a limited amount of time and when you reach a certain amount of points, you get more time to get more points! You must continually get enough points and bonus time to last the entire match to reach the target score.
7. Challenge Plus: This mode is the same as classic challenge, except there are additional special rules in play. They vary from match to match.
8. Pass Clock: Similar in concept to shot clock, but you have to pass frequently and quickly to reset the clock.
9. Check Point Challenge: Check point challenge uses the concept of a multiplier. Having continuous possession of the ball and reaching various check points on the field will increase the multiplier and make actions worth a lot more points. Of course, if the opposition gets possession, the multiplier decreases.
10. Player Tag: Player tag is a lot like all rounder in that the ball must fall into possession of a certain set of players before scored goals are counted. It differs because the marked players reset with each turnover!
Overall, the single player modes offer some solid game play. It represents soccer in a pretty good manner. The ten different modes keep you on your toes and they can be quite fun sometimes (especially when you are racking in the points). I personally had reservations with anything other than classic challenge, but modes like the zone and shot clock really test your abilities and make somewhat redundant game play diverse. The games controls are also relatively easy to figure out, but they take some time getting adjusted to. I had some complaints with the sensitivity in the demo version, which is, thankfully, not a problem in this full version.
Some disappoints I had with this game was the lack of a career/season mode and the replay engine. First of all, as fun as the world tour and medal modes can be, sometimes they are not enough. One of the things I love most about team sports games is successfully driving a team through an entire season and finishing with a nearly perfect record, players with mind blowing statistics for the season, etc. World Tour Soccer 06 lacks a career or season mode and it is very disappointing for such a promising game. The replay engine is also a disappointment. I love soccer and enjoy seeing replays of incredible plays. The replay engine in this game is limited. After scoring goals, near misses, fouls, and other big moments, an animation replay takes into affect that shows the play in three different angles. The problem is, however, when it is done, you cannot watch it again. In addition, plays the game does not think are significant are ignored as well. I would have loved to have seen a replay engine with more user control.
In addition to the single player modes, World Tour Soccer 06 features multiplayer modes via ad-hoc and infrastructure wireless, and game sharing. In an ad-hoc wireless match, you can connect with a friend within the same physical vicinity and play a head-to-head match. The infrastructure mode allows you to play people across the nation. While online, you can chat with other players, view the current game list, create matches, and view player rankings. The unfortunate news is that there are not many people online waiting to play. The most people I have seen online at once is eight. For both ad-hoc and infrastructure wireless the types of game you can play include all ten modes and exhibition. The last mode of multiplayer is game sharing, which is not really a multi-player option. With this option you can provide a friend with the demo version of the game.
Overall, World Tour Soccer 06 hurts because it lacks a strong replay engine and a career/season mode. The game is still quite fun and offers a fairly strong multiplayer mode (unfortunately not many folk online) to keep you busy. If you enjoy a good team sports game, then World Tour Soccer 06 should be at the top of your list. If you want to try before you buy, give World Tour Soccer 06 (demo version) a whirl.
Graphics:
Visually this game looks okay. It is clear there was not a lot of time invested in the development of how the game looks. The models are not overly detailed and somewhat rough in appearance. The models during the replay animations offer slightly better detail. The environments are decent in appearance. There is an acceptable level of detail.
Audio:
The audio in this game includes play-by-play commentary, unobtrusive background music, and very little sound effects. You will hear the crowd cheer, the referee's whistle, and a few other assorted sound effects. Overall, the audio suits the needs of the game, delivery clear and concise play-by-play commentary.
Conclusion:
My experience with World Tour Soccer 06 started with the demo version. After getting the demo setup, I was hooked! I spend every free minute for several days playing. I found it to be addictive (despite some control sensitivity issues and limited play) and I was really looking forward to the full version. When I got the full version for review, I found my impression only got better. I enjoyed the game's other modes like the zone. These additional modes made the game play more challenging and helped diversify the somewhat redundant game play. In addition, I found the online head-to-head action to be fun. Playing against a live person can be a lot more challenging than playing the computer. In the end, I found World Tour Soccer 06 to be an overall solid game with enough features to keep you busy for weeks.
If you are interested in trying this game out first hand, take a look at my review of the World Tour Soccer 06 (demo version), which includes a link to a downloadable demo version of the game.