Game Review: Indoor Sports World (PS Vita)

Indoor Sports World, from SuperIcon Games, is a sports sim that caters for the types of ‘sports’ you would find down your local pub or club. The indoor sports included are Darts, Pool, Snooker and Air Hockey. Brought to you in one package that is available to download for your PS Vita through the PSN store.

The game starts out asking you for a picture of yourself using the PS Vita’s camera. It’s a gimmick that may not please all, but it’s nice to see someone using some of the Vita’s features at least. This picture will then represent you throughout your playtime. Then you will be greeted by the main hub which contains options of an Exhibition match, Arcade mode, Season mode, Practice and Multiplayer. There are also options for your profile, Game options and an in-game shop. Exhibition mode allows you to play a one-off game or tournament of the sport you choose, and then allows you to choose from a variety of rules available before you start. Arcade mode has you take on A.I. opponents in one-off matches of varying games and with varying difficulty settings. Season Mode is where the real fun begins! You partake in a variety of different games one after another in a variety of formats ranging from tournaments, leagues and one-off matches against various A.I. opponents. One minute you will be playing a standard Air Hockey match, next you will be taking part in a game of around the clock darts, and it is here that you will be tested in all aspects of the games sports that are available. Season mode actually requires you to be proficient at all the main sports involved, and at the very least have an understanding of the games many rule sets for each. Practice mode allows you to learn, hone and perfect your skills at any of the games sports and rule sets and you WILL need to use this mode before tackling season mode to understand some of the different rules that you WILL be faced with in season mode. Multiplayer is available and I will cover that further on. Overall there is some seriously impressive depth to the title and the season mode brings this to the fore.

My only concerns are that the Air Hockey can feel extremely frustrating at higher difficulties as the A.I. rarely makes any mistakes and this can lead to very long and boring rallies waiting for you or the A.I. to make a mistake, and usually it will be you. You will also notice that you will have access to an aim function in the Snooker and Pool sports, which is very helpful for lining up your shots, however this can be unexpectedly taken away from you for certain games and you suddenly realise how much you relied upon it for help as you get trounced by the A.I.

Controls are all touch based and work well, and I would advise you to seek out the Help section in the options menu first to get you started. Darts is easy to pick up but can be harder to master. Snooker and Pool are pretty straightforward to play using the touchscreen but you can also use the D-pad for precision aiming if you need it. Air Hockey is easy to pick up but it can be harder to make the puck go exactly where you want it to go sometimes and it feels less precise compared to the other sports in the game.

Graphics are of a very good standard for a PSN title, even more so when you notice just how shiny everything is (and I do mean everything!). The venues themselves are extremely well presented but lack a certain atmosphere to them. This becomes even more apparent when either you or the A.I. does something of note as an invisible crowd cheers you on.

Sound is pleasant enough but the background music can become very repetitive. Sound effects on the other hand fare much better and lend the game a realistic feeling and lend a certain weight to your actions whether it be potting a ball off a cushion in pool or hearing that slight thud of a dart hitting the board, which certainly feels good.

As I mentioned above the game does contain a multiplayer mode which allows you to take on a human opponent at any game of your choosing. You also have access to the same comprehensive rule sets that you have in the other modes and this certainly helps keep multiplayer interesting. There are also functions for you to record your actions for posterity on Facebook and Twitter if you like that sort of thing. As this is a PSN game there are trophies to be had for all you trophy hunters out there, 12 to be exact and they cover the range of games on offer. There is also DLC at this time and this is mostly cosmetic changes to your equipment. This can be purchased through the in-game store if required.

It’s fair to say that I enjoyed Indoor Sports World and in particular the snooker and pool games. Darts is also an extremely enjoyable distraction which is easy to pick up but hard to master. The weakest game for me is the Air Hockey. However the games season and arcade modes are comprehensive and add longevity to the title as well as the multiplayer mode.

Overall then, Indoor Sports World is an impressive take on not one but four Indoor sports, that has longevity in its variety, not just through the four different games that are available, but in the amount of variations and play modes that are also available to you. There is also a surprising amount of depth in the season mode that will test your skills with all the games offered and really will keep you amused for hours and keep you coming back months into the future, and all at a bargain price through the PSN Store. If you enjoy any of the games mentioned above then this is definitely worthy of your time.

Ben Gove

At A Glance