SIM FAILS TO MATCH THE COMPETITION
SPIKE VOLLEYBALL
THE last time I saw a volleyball was 20 years ago in the school gym.
So why would I want to play the game on console at home?
Spike Volleyball is a game that can be enjoyable in parts – but a sports simulation veteran games player will more likely have you thinking: “Is it time to put FIFA on yet?”
The game tries desperately to be a great sports sim and, to be fair, has a lot of traits that gamers will love, such as the power bar on serve.
But, by the looks of it, the budget hasn’t been great – as evidenced by the broken graphics – and it actually looks like it could be getting played on an older console.
Obviously the more popular beach version of volleyball has been cast in games in the past, in an arcade style of play which has worked well, but the simulation style in Spike can feel heavy and button lag comes into play at times.
Choosing between your players after having set them up in formation and pressing a button as the ball drops lets the player knock the ball up in the air. Then you select your next player to be on the move to “spike” the ball into the opposition half.
Obviously there is a whole lot more to the game but it’s a strategy that worked greatly during my time playing it. There is a clear feeling of satisfaction when the point is won but a problem lies in the player animations and how they never really seem to be in sync as the movement of the ball.
It’s hard to watch sometimes, as players who have played any sports sims over the last five to six years will testify.
That being said, I did have a lot of fun playing it and the gameplay kept me interested and had me playing to win – which is the most important thing, as opposed to just going through the motions.
STEPHEN McKEOWN