Arcade-style soccer fun
The nineties saw a rash of soccer games flooding the market, with classics like Kick Off 2 and Actua Soccer proving immensely popular. Empire Soccer is one of the lesser known examples, and while not quite up to the standards of some of the competition, it remains a fun, albeit unrealistic title. The game features the usual array of tournaments and options, with a wide range of international teams to take control of, although they are not licensed. Once you hit the field, a slightly unusual approach is taken, with only a small portion of the pitch visible at any time and with the players taking up a lot of space on-screen. Controls-wise, Empire Soccer scores over its rivals in that it is very simple to pick up, with ball control, passing and dribbling much more straightforward. The downside to this is that, in conjunction with the low AI of the opponents, it soon becomes easy to get some ridiculously high scores, especially against the lower ranked teams. Graphically, Empire Soccer is nice enough, with large colourful sprites presented in a cartoon-like fashion and which are well animated. Although the game offers nothing new, and is certainly not a soccer game for those looking for depth and realism, it is fast-paced and fun enough to satisfy anyone in the mood for a quick kick-around.
