Mike Bantick
Wednesday, 20 June 2007 05:25
Opinion and Analysis
Page 2 of 3
There are some problems however, despite an improvement in control responsiveness, the dual use of the X button for tackling (when you don’t have the ball) and kicking (when you do) can cause confusion in the heat of a player pack.
The AI, both friendly and opponents, can go a little haywire from time to time, doing some inexplicable things on field. But I can easily forgive this, coding AI for this game must be a daunting task, no other game has such 360 field of play, with players given so many options.
In AFL football, a player must turn on the spot, can kick, or hand-ball, take a mark, short pass, or tap off the ground, tackle, bump, evade and allow for wind and or rain when lining up the big sticks. Couple this with injuries and the game code has a lot to think about. It is a tribute to the programmers that they were able to pull this off to come up with a competent single player game.
There are comprehensive statistics, awards and good commentary accompanying each game with the preseason competition (including quirky rules), night and day matches catered for.
AFL premeirship is not for everyone, but it mirrors quite successfully this ‘strange’ wonderful game, there is obviously much work that has gone into the guts of the game that makes it fun, nostalgic and a great addition to any fans collections.
An example of the dedication and research that has gone into the games creation comes in these words (on the next page) from IR Gurus' Mark Houareau as he comments on the historic Guernseys that appear in the game;
