Pure Pool on PS4 review

 

There's nothing to beat a round or two of pool when you're out with friends having a few jars at the pub and game developers have from time to time tried to recreate that sense of fun and competition on consoles and PC.

The latest incarnation is Pure Pool from indie developers VooFoo Studios who also gave us Pure Chess and Hustle Kings and their emphasis is on creating as realistic an experience of the game as possible.

 

The first impression that strikes you is how photo-realistic the table and the balls are, with high definition sharpness, accurate colours and shadowing, plus a high gloss on the balls that reflects the bright lights in the venue.

The background music score is convivial without being obtrusive (although lengthy exposure proves irritating) and the background images are similarly blurred to keep the focus on the table while suggesting a variety of settings. In-game sound effects receive the same authentic treatment as the graphics, ranging from the soft smack of ball on ball to the satisfying clunk when you pot a shot.

 

Single player action offers four game modes - American 8-Ball, 9-Ball, Killer (where you can forfeit lives) and Accumulator (points grow depending on which balls you hit). In addition, there are four challenges which include speed potting and potting all the balls which will increase your skill level.

The AI is pretty demanding at first but as soon as you pass your 'apprenticeship' you can throw yourself into multiplayer contests where the so-called 'DNA profiling' is designed to match you against similar opponents.

 

Controls on the PS4 are pretty simple - three buttons for placing, fine tuning and adding spin to a shot as well as pausing to stand up and walk round the table. Aiming and striking the cue plus elevation are handled by the two sticks and there are guide lines to help you line up the perfect shot (which sensibly become less visible the further you are from the target ball).

The gameplay is effortless and the great thing about Pure Pool is you can tailor your involvement according to your ability - go full-on for the career tournaments (with over 100 matches) or just dip in and out for a leisurely friendly with a pal. As a non-pool expert, the idea of shelling out about £8  for this kind of classy casual entertainment strikes me as a good deal.

 

Score: 4/5