PC Gamer Showdown: Roundup Review

PC Gamer Showdown: Roundup

There were quite a few games on display that we didn't get a chance to really explore properly, some of which have been out for a while.

Thankfully, a couple were worthy of an extended look, the first of which is Pure, Disney's just-released racing title.

Thanks to Pure keeping the traditional Right Trigger = Go, Left Trigger = Stop control method, we were happily racing like mad buggers.

Even David, with his aversion to all things pad-controlled, was enjoying himself. There were plenty of alternate routes to keep things interesting, ensuring that no lap plays quite the same twice. As is the key for racing games, everything just felt natural.

The graphics were of a good standard too, with little touches like the driver getting progressively muddier as the race went on adding to the impressive vistas.

We were a little disappointed that crashes didn't show the messy death of the driver (this is a Disney game after all), but otherwise fun was definitely had by all.

Pulling off tricks was difficult yet doable (reminding us of that old classic, Motocross Madness) and either resulted in a boost or a messy crash - either way, score!

FIFA 09

FIFA 09 is a strange beast, annoying and exciting in equal measures. Sometimes you feel like it flows brilliantly, with everything you try coming off and the football feeling realistic and satisfying.

However, at other times it just feels stilted and unresponsive, still feeling like the animations are getting in the way of smooth play.

This is just a matter of opinion and there are definite improvements on the well-trodden template. Heading is much better than it is in Pro Evo, with genuine tussles and jostling allowing for unpredictable outcomes whenever the ball goes in the air.

Patience is the name of the game too, with more of an emphasis on probing attacks than dribbling and fancy flicks. These are still prevalent, but won't earn you consistent victories against organised opponents.

We only managed one game at the Showdown, a 1-0 victory for David, although the levels of skill shown were amateurish at best, although a few more plays of the demo available online have confirmed our initial impressions.

As usual, there doesn't seem to be much between Pro Evo and FIFA this year, so it will be down to which game your personal playing style suits the most.

FIFA does have by far the better online modes, though. Probably more stable, too.