Amazon.co.uk Review
If you are a footy-loving Dreamcast owner you are not exactly spoilt for choice on Sega's otherwise exemplary console. Apart from
Virtua Striker the only alternative is the
World Wide Soccer series which sees its third incarnation in
UEFA Dream Soccer. If you own either of the previous versions you will find this game very familiar with a few graphical bells and whistles and some gimmicky additions such as female teams (who play no differently to their male counterparts).
The moment you kick off, it is obvious that there are some major flaws with UEFA Dream Soccer: the players AI is very suspect: you can play an inch-perfect pass to your striker and he will stand with the ball at his feet waiting to be dispossessed. It is possible, however, to score by walking the ball into the back of the net, with the goalie stuck in the scenery, which doesn't happen very often in the Premiership.
Some of the animation is very dubious too: a simple defensive header can send the ball rocketing into the other half and the players glide over the pitch in a very unconvincing manner. The UEFA licence doesn't extend to real player's names and the random commentary often doesn't reflect the actual on-field action.
As a two-player pick-up-and-play, though, it has its moments and its possible to have some exciting high-scoring end-to-end games with some spectacular, if unconvincing, action. The varied Arcade options ensure extended play as well.
Unfortunately this game is not the killer football title that Dreamcast has been waiting for. If you are a true sports fan then the best advice would be to try Virtua Tennis instead. Not football admittedly, but possibly the best sports game on any console. --Michael Bartley
Manufacturer's Description
With over 200 international and club teams playing in stadia from all over the world, Sega's latest soccer game has a host of new features. Superb new player animation and artificial intelligence are allied to a wide range of new modes including a multi-player mode allowing simultaneous four-player action. With commentary from Alan Green, Barry Venison and Helen Chamberlain, this plays and sounds just like the real thing!
