World Championship Pool 2004

"This game is just downright AWESOME!"

This is the only game I have ever rented more than once (three times to be exact).. This game is so awesome that words are almost at a loss. I am a professional pool player and in my opinion, this game is so accurate and so realistic there is nothing better besides actually going down to a pool hall and playing on a table there. Let's get down to the official review.....

Graphics 10 out of 10 - So amazingly real... These graphics couldn't possibly be any better. It is almost as if you were watching a pool game on TV! The graphics are sharp and nothing looks out of place. The characters act like they should and they look like they should.. There are so many people you can play as in multiplayer who have their appearances. All the character models look realistic and these graphics are just great.. what else could I possibly say...

Sound 9 out of 10 - The only reason that this gets a 9 is because it didn't have any catchy tunes.. I really wanted something good to listen to as I play pool, but it doesn't hurt the game much as there is alot of commentary. Commentary is a plus because he'll usually give you subtle hints for example when you break and you sink a ball on break, the commentary will sometimes recommend playing solids or stripes.. Now commentary is good but sometimes it gets on my nerves, but thats no problem since it's easy to turn off if you want. The sound of the balls banking, sinking into pockets, or hitting eachother sounds just like it should. Everything is good here.

gameplay 9 out of 10 - I gave this a 9 mainly because it doesn't have alot of different kind of pool games and only 2 Career modes.. I personally would've liked to see rotational ball to be added at least... but the modes are okay. The 2 career modes (9 ball and 8 ball) are both basically the same. You create your player (which is a big plus!) and go through a career and you have to get a decent rank to successfully complete career mode. You get money for winning matches and tournaments.. You can spend money on clothes, pool sticks, tables, balls, and so on. The other thing is that there is a trick shot mode (which I love to play in). There are so many trick shots you can complete and it shows you how.. this is also cool because you can do all these tricks on a real pool table yourself if you learn how to do it right ( I learned how to do the butterfly shot in real life from this game) Also apart from career, multiplayer, and trickshot mode... you have a ton of mini-games which most are cool, but I really haven't played them alot because I like to stick to the realistic pool. Also about realism, this game is as real as you can get to the real thing! I mean you can even jump balls with correct english! Overall gameplay is stunning for a pool game.

Control 10 out of 10 - Control is actually pretty good for a pool game. You can get all the right angles and you can do english and everything. The buttons are pretty much basic. I wish you could control the power with the right or left thumb stick, but the power meter is okay too. Control is what you'd expect for a pool game.

Multiplayer 10 out of 10. It can be challenging if you play against a friend. The AI itself is pretty challenging at times, but when you get into the multiplayer with friends, it can be fun and competitive. Multiplayer adds an additional replay value on the game because its always fun and very entertaining...

Replay value 7 out of 10 - The only reason I gave it a 7 is because this game can get pretty boring at times and you may want to put it on your shelf for awhile, but you'll always want to come back to it. This game is just one where you can get tired of it if you play it too often and I gauruntee it is one that you will be playing often.

Overall 9 out of 10 - This game is one for huge pool people and even if your not a pool person and one who goes and shoots pool occassionally... this game is for everyone. It's fun, it's entertaining, and it's just everything you would want to look for in a pool game. There is always the question.. Should I buy or rent? Well if you actually see it in a store, then I would buy it right then and there because the only reason I have rented this numerous times is because I cannot find it in a store anywhere.. I don't know why maybe it's a rare title to come across.... If your hesitant then by all means rent it..

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 10/20/04