Sensible Soccer '98

Release Date: August 25, 1998

Sports, football, 2D, for 2 players, top-down, splitscreen, multiplayer, singleplayer

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The first attempt to refresh the formula of the cult Sensible Soccer series, combining the magic of the original with modernised 3D graphics. The game offers typical series elements such as a top view and a simple and intuitive control model. However, due to the lack of appropriate licences, the number of available teams has been limited and the names of players have been slightly twisted.

Mechanics
Game modes
Other

Sensible Soccer '98, released on PC, was the first attempt to refresh the Sensible Soccer series formula, which - besides other series like KickOff and Goal! - was one of the most popular football titles of the early 90's. The game was developed by Sensible Software, and its main designers were the creators of the original - John Hare and Chris Chapman.

Mechanics

Sensible Soccer '98 was designed to combine the magic of the previous parts of the cycle with modernized graphics, which in practice means that the game is now 3D. Despite this, the developers tried not to abuse the capabilities of the new graphics engine, offering a familiar camera hanging high above the pitch. The modern 3D perspective and the ability to change the camera angle, known from competitive titles, are used only during replays. However, the characters are no longer made out of pixels - the players' models are now done in full 3D.

Sensible Soccer '98 once again uses a simple and intuitive control model, which, despite using only two buttons, gives players a lot of possibilities for dribbling, tricks or spinning the ball. Unlike in the previous games from this series, the ball in Sensible Soccer '98 doesn't "stick to the leg" of the players.

Game modes

Due to the changes taking place in the video game market and the huge money needed to obtain all the necessary licenses, Sensible Soccer '98 for the PC was unfortunately deprived of one of the greatest advantages of its direct predecessor, which was a rich database of existing clubs and players from all over the world. The names of the players have therefore been slightly changed, and the number of the available teams has been decreased. These inconveniences are only slightly compensated for by the built-in editor, which allows you to change the names of teams and players, as well as to create your own tournaments.

Other

A few months after the release of Sensible Soccer '98, the developer has released Sensible Soccer '98: European Club Editon offering more teams and updated line-ups. The updated version was released on PC and PlayStation.

Last updated on January 28, 2020

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