World Soccer Winning Eleven 6 International

"The best soccer game available right now, period."

OK, so I\'m not exactly a huge soccer fan. When it comes to playing soccer video games, my only experience is with Super Soccer for the SNES. So, this is really the first modern soccer game I\'ve played. With that, I have to say that this is one of the best games I\'ve played in awhile. I actually won this game in a contest, so I was planning on selling it to make some money. But now, there\'s no way I\'ll be selling this game anytime soon...

Gameplay:

The first thing I noticed about this game is the vast amount of options there are. You can customize just about everything, and there are many different modes of play. I haven\'t even tried them all yet. The controls are superb, it gives you a genuine soccer-like feel. They do take some getting used to; however, as there are many different pass and shot variations depending on how you press the buttons, what order you press them in, etc. The shot meter also takes some getting used to. That shouldn\'t be a major problem though, as I adjusted to the controls in only a couple days of playing.

Graphics/Sound:

The graphics are great, and the player models are very realistic. The replays are generally good, giving a few different angles of the play. The music is just standard for sports games, nothing particularly noteworthy, but also not annoying. The in-game sound effects are good, and the chanting of the crowd gives you a feeling of watching a soccer game.

Winning Eleven 6 is probably the most accurate recreation of the soccer world available. All the major clubs and many countries around the world have been included. There are also a large amount of accurately recreated real-life stadiums. As I said before, the player models are realistic, and all you die-hard soccer fans will be able to tell who\'s who just by seeing their faces.

Innovation:

It\'s a sports game, so you can\'t expect much in this area. However, there are a few practice modes that make this game unique. You can practice your passing or shooting by aiming for bull\'s-eyes on the field or in the net, respectively. You can also improve your dribbling skills by maneuvering around cones and trying to get the best time. Modes like these make Winning Eleven 6 easier to get the hang of and are definitely a good addition to the game.

Presentation:

This is my only real problem with this game. The commentary is probably the worst I\'ve heard on any sports game. There are only about 20-25 phrases that the commentator says. These get very, very repetitive, very fast. I heard the same phrases multiple times in my FIRST game. Also, the commentator and analyst say basically the same things at the beginning and end of each game. Many times, they contradict each other by what they say, and sometimes make random comments about the most recent play that don\'t seem to be true at all. This is obviously not a major problem, it can just be a bit annoying. I usually leave it on anyway, but it can be turned off if you can\'t bear it.

Bottom Line:

Forgetting this minor problem, Winning Eleven 6 is the best soccer game available right now. If you love soccer, you NEED to pick this game up. If you\'re not a huge fan of soccer, you should still rent it. It\'s a ton of fun, and it just might change your opinion about soccer games. I know it changed mine.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 08/08/03