Whoohoo! – At last a volleyball game that actually plays like volleyball, Certainly there have been some noble efforts at the game, but OV really makes you move the ball around the court like you really have to in the 2 on 2 game, and so you really come to rely on your team mate. This "Remixed" version includes some "exclusive" PS2 features including network play, two courts borrowed from Outlaw Tennis and a character (Trixie) that was a free download on the Xbox.
Whilst it’s a very good representation of the game itself, it also knows what people want and has more breasts than a bumper edition of “The Sunday Sport”. It takes the Outlaw principal, previously used in Outlaw Golf, and drops it directly into a different sport. However it’s much more suited to Volleyball – bouncing boobies feel more at home on the beach than on the fairway (although I bet more would watch golf if they were there).
So first things first, a game is not a game these days unless it has extra game modes to increase the longevity and OV is no exception. I found it best (as is often the case) to skip the manual and jump into the in-game tutorial which will soon get you up to speed with how to play the game and show you just how “different” a sports game with the Outlaw brand can be. Not only do you learn how to bump and spike like the best, but also how to punch and kick like the worst.
The actual volleyball plays surprisingly well – the controls are fluid and easy to pick up and this being a team sport your computer controlled partner seems to keep up well with the action (although you can control both if you wish). You hold one of the three ‘shot’ (X, Square & Circle) buttons down for a length of time and the longer you’re under where the ball is going to pitch then the better your shot will be, and the longer you have to aim it – it’s a system that’s been used in many a tennis or volleyball game but never implemented better. You can even block shots by getting close to the net and timing a press of Triangle just right. The game seems to flow really well and you can get some quite competitive and lengthy rallies going (some over 60 shots, which is insane).
Even a beginner can feel like they are actually doing something and it’s refreshing for a sports game to not make you fight the controls or force you to learn tons of finger-twisting combos in order to get the best out of it. The better you play and the longer you last the more you get rewarded, be it by a meter which increases to give you a turbo speed and power boost (R1) or even the ability to get down and dirty and beat your opponents with fists instead of the ball. Extra game modes hot potato, time bombs, game and team clocks and casino scoring (these modes can be very odd as due to the nature of the scoring systems you can “win” the game but lose, or “lose” the game but win). The difficulty, as with the other Outlaw game I played, Outlaw Golf, is pretty demanding after a gentle start, but the tour mode and practice drills combine well to improve both your play and your player’s abilities.
OV is also helped by its visuals – the game does look rather nice – the graphics are crisp and clear and move really smoothly – again this aids the actual playing of the game. This being an Outlaw game the characters have a unique and bizarre feel and look about them and the graphics really make these come to life (in a cartoon like way) – the Women have a “Jessica Rabbit” sex appeal whilst being possibly the MOST under-dressed in a video game ever – One of Summer’s outfits is actually see-through (what there is of it) - the replay mode will get quite a workout for a while, I guarantee. Time bombs and turbo shots are also accompanied by eye-popping explosions and trails.
OV soon comes to rely on its flashy effects (some of which can be quite distracting) and sexy girls, and I can’t help but feel that it could have been a much better game if it was slightly more of a sim and relied on its solid core gameplay, and had even more Virtua Tennis-style mini games to test your skill and accuracy. Online play certainly improves its appeal, but other players are hard to find at the moment, and in two games I did find the other player quit when it looked like I was going to win - aaarrrgh!
Good but not great, it should be remembered that this game arrives at a budget price, and as such is a bit of a cracker when compared to some other over-publicised and overrated sports games that we've all been daft enough to buy in the past.
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