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 Pure
Futbol (Playstation 3)
Ubisoft's attempt at bringing
action/arcade style soccer to current platforms has arrived in the form of
Pure Futbol. This is a streamlined sports title that throws out many of
the complex rules in favor of a simpler five-on-five game. There's no
off-sides rule to worry about and refs only come out in the most egregious
fouls. This makes for a faster-paced soccer game that flows very quickly
through each match. Additional special moves, such as Pure shots make the
game even more exciting. It's a bit simplistic in its controls, too but
this makes for a more accessible game. While it probably won't appeal to
purists, Pure Futbol is a fun, accessible title that delivers an
entertaining experience. |
Soccer isn't the easiest sport to play if
you really aren't familiar with the rules. Ubisoft looks to make the game
more accessible with their latest action-sports release, Pure Futbol.
Instead of the more complex and crowded fields you'll find in most soccer
games, the title strips the gameplay down to its bare-bones. There are
only five players on the pitch on each side and many of the more esoteric
rules such as off-sides aren't included. This makes for a much
faster-flowing game that emphasizes speed and style or skill. Pure
Futbol's controls are likewise very simple, with most actions assigned to
a single button. Using this interface makes tasks such as passing the ball
between players and shooting much simpler. Adding to its arcade feel are
the power-meters that appear below each player when its time to shoot. If
you hit the button as it hits the Pure white section, the shot is much
more likely to reach the goal. However, all is not lost if you fail, since
shooting with these sections increases your overall team pure meter. When
this is full, you'll be able to shoot a single shot that's almost
unstoppable for your opponent's goalkeeper. This makes for a generally
fast-paced and high scoring match each time. Another ability is the sprint
move which allows you to give your selected player a quick burst of speed
to run down the pitch or field with incredible speed. The games are played
on fantasy courses around Europe and their smaller size leaves less room
for error and momentum stopping off-sides or kick-outs. In addition to the
main score, you earn Pure points for various actions on the field, such as
passing and possession time, but can also lose points if you foul an
opponent or lose your match. These points can be traded in for player
upgrades and other unlockable content, so its important to keep this in
mind when playing.
One of the more entertaining aspects of
Pure Futbol's gameplay comes in its approach to fouls and cards. Instead
of the traditional method of a ref giving out red cards, your team's total
foul level moves up on the meter when you play too aggressively. When this
meter is filled up, your team will give its opponent a free penalty kick.
Given the game's arcade physics, its pretty much a given that they'll
score, so you have to be careful not to let this get you. During each
match, you really don't have the ability to perform very complicated
passing moves or create set pieces, but players can perform super-pure
attacks utilizing a quicktime press of a button which allows for a fairly
effective pass most of the time. Chasing after the ball can be a little
bit problematic, since the players don't automatically change, making the
manual selection up to the player. This can be aggravating if you see a
nearby player fail to challenge a charging opponent and can lead to some
frustrating goals you know you could have blocked. However, it also works
the other way around since the opponent AI isn't nearly as sophisticated
as you think it might be. Players looking for a realistic soccer game will
probably have to make some adjustments, but the game's ease of play more
than compensates for these gameplay flaws. The good news is that the
game's nicely tuned-control engine which is both intuitive and also easy
to learn in most ways. There are a few things that aren't clear at first,
but a quick run through of the tutorial levels should help most players.
This approach is very good for an arcade-style soccer title, but there are
a few drawbacks as well.
While the game offers quick action,
there isn't as much depth as you'd get in a full-fledged soccer sim. There
are only about a dozen teams available to play, and they all have limited
rosters. Most of the most well-known stars are selectable; this only goes
about 6 or 7 players deep for each side. Pure Futbol's fantasy pitches
take players to a variety of locations like Madrid and London, but here
too, the selection is surprisingly limited. The game does offer several
modes of play, with a quick-play mode where teams are selected at random
to more organized career modes that give you the chance to play through an
entire series of matches on your way to the world championship, but these
are somewhat quick and don't really add much to the basic match play
mechanics. You can unlock additional players in this mode, so it can be
considered worthwhile from that standpoint. Additionally, you can create
and use custom players in the game as well, which is a nice touch if you
want to see a rough approximation of yourself on the field. Visually, the
game looks decent, but its cartoonish renderings of the players and
pitches is somewhat odd considering it's supposed to be a more authentic
street-style soccer experience. The music is fairly decent for what it is,
but don't expect a speaker-rattling soundtrack. Overall, the game has a
decent level of polish for its ambitions, but don't expect FIFA-quality
player models or full-scale production values. The emphasis is clearly on
creating a fun, if somewhat shallow arcade-style game of soccer and in
this area is where Pure Futbol delivers on its promise.
 Those
expecting a sim along the lines of FIFA or PES will more than likely not
be all that impressed with the simplistic controls and gameplay action in
Pure Futbol. It has some licensed players, but nothing like a full roster.
There's a limited number of countries available to play and its career
mode is actually really slender as well. This makes this a simple arcade
game, that brings a much faster, more cartoony style of soccer to players.
Its relatively easy to play, though the higher scoring matches can be a
little off-putting. The special moves are fun to use and give the game
some flair. Pure Futbol is a fun game, but its lack of depth and challenge
means it will probably not last very long in your console. However, it's
relatively low price, easy to understand gameplay and simple controls make
it more accessible than most soccer titles, so those who don't want to
master all the nuances of the sport will probably enjoy this modestly
entertaining pick-up-and-play title.
-
Michael Palisano
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