.co.uk Review

Available at the time of writing in 17 different guises, Club Football is a commendable new entry into the world of console football games that proves itself to be a good deal more than the marketing gimmick it first appears.

The principles, whichever team-branded version you opt for, are inherently the same. You take the club you've picked through a domestic season, with the clear intention of filling up some of the empty spaces in the trophy cabinet. In doing this, you can use the game's player generator to put yourself into the midst of this team, and then it's down to action.

And the action is good. Backed by strong in-game graphics, Club Football offers an enjoyable rendition of the beautiful game, which endears itself to a healthy, long term challenge. There are a couple of quibbles that temper things a little. The fluidity of the gameplay, for instance, is sometimes hampered by an over-insistence on a good animation instead of a quick pass for example, and there are other mild issues that slightly break up the flow of things.

Yet considering the healthy state of the competition, with both FIFA 2004 and Pro Evolution Soccer 3 putting in strong performances, it's to the credit of Club Football that it does enough to make it well worth considering. As it stands, it's not the best title of its ilk on the market, but it's a good, promising debut. --Simon Brew

Manufacturer's Description

Codemasters have put together a range of different Club Football games, each centred on one of Europe's top teams. UK club editions include Arsenal, Aston Villa, Chelsea, Leeds United, Liverpool FC, Manchester United and Rangers. The Club Football development team has been busy digitally building some of Europe's greatest football landmarks: the home stadium of each team. In the game, matches will be played in an exact replica of each club's stadium, recreated using architectural detail and photographic reference.

Playing a game will be just like experiencing the genuine match day atmosphere in the ground--with you as part of the team. During a home match, you and your team will walk out onto the hallowed turf through the players' tunnel. The stadium, packed with supporters in the teams' colours, will fill with the sound of chants, songs and crowd atmospherics taken from real match days, specific to each club. Ten different in-game camera views, in addition to replay cameras, will relay the on-pitch action in televisual style.