by Andrew Hockenbroch

Created on: December 11, 2008   Last Updated: November 24, 2011

New Star Soccer 4 claims to be a detailed soccer simulation.

GAME PLAY - 1/5

New Star Soccer 4 is indeed detailed. Your player can develop a gambling addiction, take part in horse races, train in the gym, and even gets messages from the other players. About the only thing that your player cannot really do is play a half decent game of soccer.

Clearly a great deal of effort was put into the finer points of soccer club management. Unfortunately, this is one of those games that was a lot more fun to create than to actually play. The actual soccer games are difficult to control and hard to follow. The many menus sound interesting, but often provide too much information to actually be useful.

GRAPHICS - 1/5

Most of the graphics in New Star Soccer 4 are menus. The soccer games themselves look like groups of pegs following a very small square object around the screen. In fact, if you are not careful it is not hard to accidentally start games where the pegs on both teams look the same. Even the gambling and horse racing, which are otherwise the high point of the game, appear heavily pixelated.

SOUND - 3/5

The music in New Star Soccer 4 is a series of upbeat tracks providing a little bit of energy to a game that is otherwise bogged down in details. It does get tiresome after a while though.

CREATIVITY - 4/5

New Star Soccer 4's approach to soccer simulation is something that is rarely attempted. The detail of the information available on you and your team is quite impressive and could probably work if the interface was streamlined significantly. The addition of the ability to gamble and use alcohol to improve your performance, with appropriate consequences, is nearly unique.

INNOVATION - 5/5

New Star Soccer 4 is one of the most detailed soccer simulators ever created. If this detail could be reigned in a little to make the game playable it could be a really great soccer career simulator.

OVERALL - 2/5

If you enjoy soccer a lot including every excruciating details at least download the free demo and try it for yourself. For the average casual player, even the casual sports simulator player, though, Soccer Simulator 4 is in a way too much for the $19.95 price tag currently on the full version. If you like details it is worth well more than that, however.

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