World League Soccer '98

Do you remember the times you wanted to play soccer on your Genesis? Basically, you had only two decent games to choose from. You could plug in FIFA Soccer or Sensible Soccer. The first one gave you - for the time - a feeling of 'true' soccer simulation, but was a bit slow and sometimes a little hard to control. The latter definitely didn't pretend to be a perfect simulation: it was all about fast-paced, direct control, arcade action. Well, I don't know which game you liked most, but I found myself playing Sensible Soccer most of the time.

World League Soccer '98 is like FIFA Soccer on the Genesis. It wants to be a professional, mature, soccer game. The game is loaded with options, statistics and extensive controls. For such a game it's a big letdown that it isn't official licensed: the players have names which are 'close' to the actual players (e.g. Dennis Bergkamp is now D. Berger, David Beckham is now D. Becker, and so on). My opinion is that if you release a professional soccer simulation, the least you can do is try to acquire the official rights, but alas, they didn't.

If World League Soccer '98 is FIFA Soccer for the Saturn, than Sega Worldwide Soccer definitely is Sensible Soccer. That game is so much more fun, easier to control, faster, and it looks a lot better too. On the Genesis FIFA surely surpassed Sensible Soccer graphically, but that isn't the case if you compare World League Soccer to Sega Worldwide Soccer. World League Soccer's players look a bit blocky and pixelated and they seem to move a bit stiffly. The audio of World League Soccer has been done well enough, with commentary by Peter Brackley and Ray Wilkins.

As I said, the control of World League Soccer is very elaborate with more possible moves than in Sega Worldwide Soccer, and with a pointing arrow and the usual 'professional' stuff when taking free (and corner) kicks.

World League Soccer '98 isn't a bad game. A lot of effort has been put into it, and the range of available options is excellent, the presentation is done very well and the game play is alright - especially if you compare it to a horrific awful game like UEFA Euro '96/Actua Soccer. If you're into "true" soccer simulations I would even advise you to check this game out. But I really can't get excited about World League Soccer. If I want to play soccer on a gaming console, it has to be fun, fast and accessible. Sega Worldwide Soccer fulfills my demands, while World League Soccer doesn't. This is only worthwhile for those hardcore soccer lunatics out there; the rest of them should definitely get Sega Worldwide Soccer.