15-Aug-2001 Get your kicks with Actua 3 It's make or break time. Actua 2 was a big improvement over the original and with Gremlin flying high at the moment, Actua Soccer 3 needs to deliver the goods. When Gremlin released their much anticipated Actua Soccer 2 back in November of '97, the face of their game Alan Shearer had obtain a serious ankle injury in a pre-season friendly and as a result he wasn't fit enough to even do the motion capture. The ironic thing is that they got in an unknown striker from Liverpool to do the animation for them. One Michael Owen. Now he is the potential spoiler waiting in the wings with Eidos and World League Soccer. But what has Actua got to offer then? That's what we're here to tell you about. Those of you having a little trouble finding the net may want to have a quick peek at this goal that we have found most reliable for getting those crucial goals. Basically, you need to work the ball to your winger, or have on of the strikers dribble the ball out wide. Run until you're about level with the penalty spot and you should see the other striker unmarked in the box. Hit triangle once (don't hold it down) and the player will whip a low cross into his path where an empty net awaits. 1-0, pick that out! The weather effects in Actua 3 have a very dramatic effect on the way the game plays. All sorts of variants are utilised and most of the time these are completely random selections. The teams you are playing against also helps the computer to make a decision. If you draw an away game against Ukraine for instance, the chances of getting a snowy game are very high whereas English teams will usually be playing in the rain. The pitch is affected by these conditions too. During the rainy games, the ground will cut up a lot more and the ball will hold up in the mud. We touched on it briefly last month, but now the Player Editor section has been completely finished and you have the chance to make up your own teams. First you need to change the team name, kit and playing styles. Then start editing the players. You're given £150 million to customise players in six categories. Control, passing, shooting, speed, tackling and heading. Each time you increase the bar for a particular skill, the players cash rating improves and your total comes down. You have to be realistic with the stats, as it's impossible to make a dream team. You can import players from other clubs, with the best costing a fair old wedge. Height and weight will affect the physical appearance of players with fat pie men looking like they really have eaten them all. The programmers have added a couple of new moves into the game too giving the player a greater range of skills to try and best the last defender. Hitting R2 will now cause the player to drop his shoulder to try and sell the defender into making a tackle Holding L1 or R1 will also bring up a second arrow on your control icon at the players feet, and passing will switch the play in the direction of this arrow. These cross field balls and reverse passes now mean that defences can be pulled all over the place, creating more chances. Another cool little trick is that in the training mode, R2 will call up a fake wall to let you practise free kicks!
The Actua Soccer games have always been good, but never had the complete feel to them to take them into the classic league. This third version is the closest yet, and is certainly the best of the three. It's an immensely playable game and is a lot easier to pick up than the second game. The controls aren't over complicated and yet still have enough diversity to make for an intricate game. But there are a couple of flaws which become let this down. For a start, you hardly ever need to header the ball. Huge punts upfield always bounce unchallenged in the middle of the pitch. And the AI on some of the players isn't always up to scratch. When you're running with the ball, you expect teammates to overlap on the wings, but you have to wait an age for them to get there. But, Actua 3 is a very impressive game and has loads to keep fans occupied for months to come. Excellent.
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