Soccer games tend to be either serious simulations of the sport, or more light-hearted affairs that fans of all ages can get stuck into. While Striker Soccer 2 falls into the latter category, it also features an impressive number of leagues, as well as other popular elements of the sport.
The Good
Striker Soccer 2 plays pretty well, thanks to a solid, easy-to-grasp control scheme. With passing, shooting, tackling and stealing, control of the ball isn't too tricky at all. There's plenty to do in the game too, with lots of matches, competitions and challenges to get stuck into. Even when you run out of games to play, there are loads of challenges to try, and plenty of opportunities to increase your players' skills. While the graphics aren't exactly amazing, the replay scenes are a lot of fun to watch.
The Bad
Striker Soccer 2 is held back somewhat by its freemium services. You can only play so many games before your energy meter runs out - at which point you'll either have to wait for it to refill, or paying real cash to do so. The constant ads don't help either. Collision detection can also be a little off, with defensive teams stealing balls that, roles reversed, would have you playing straight through them. Passing is also iffy, and the ball-physics has its own share problem.
Finally, the player models start out looking rather plain. You can edit uniforms in the Team Edit mode, but you'll need to cough up a buck to do so.
The Verdict
Had Striker Soccer 2 charged a flat fee instead of going down the freemium route - and done away with a handful of problems at the same time - it would've been an unbeatable champion. As it stands, it's still worth a look, but don't be surprised if you return to FIFA pretty quickly afterwards.
The Good
Striker Soccer 2 plays pretty well, thanks to a solid, easy-to-grasp control scheme. With passing, shooting, tackling and stealing, control of the ball isn't too tricky at all. There's plenty to do in the game too, with lots of matches, competitions and challenges to get stuck into. Even when you run out of games to play, there are loads of challenges to try, and plenty of opportunities to increase your players' skills. While the graphics aren't exactly amazing, the replay scenes are a lot of fun to watch.
The Bad
Striker Soccer 2 is held back somewhat by its freemium services. You can only play so many games before your energy meter runs out - at which point you'll either have to wait for it to refill, or paying real cash to do so. The constant ads don't help either. Collision detection can also be a little off, with defensive teams stealing balls that, roles reversed, would have you playing straight through them. Passing is also iffy, and the ball-physics has its own share problem.
Finally, the player models start out looking rather plain. You can edit uniforms in the Team Edit mode, but you'll need to cough up a buck to do so.
The Verdict
Had Striker Soccer 2 charged a flat fee instead of going down the freemium route - and done away with a handful of problems at the same time - it would've been an unbeatable champion. As it stands, it's still worth a look, but don't be surprised if you return to FIFA pretty quickly afterwards.
