Snooker 19

Reading Time: 4 minutes

Title: Snooker 19
Developer: Lab42
Publisher: Ripstone
Website: https://ripstone.com/game/snooker19/
Genre: Simulation, Sports
Platform: Xbox One
Audience: PEGI 3
Release Date: 16/04/2019
Price: £29.99 – Rapid Reviews UK were very kindly provided with a review code for this title.

What the Developers say

Snooker 19 – The official video game of World Snooker.

THE BIGGEST STARS IN WORLD SNOOKER

Play in every officially licensed tournament as any of the top 128 players in the world including: Mark Selby, Ronnie O’Sullivan, Ding Junhui and legends of the sport like Ken Doherty and Jimmy White.

UNPRECEDENTED REALISM

This is the most authentic simulation of the sport ever created, with TV-style presentation and commentary, true-to-life physics and advanced artificial intelligence.

BECOME A LEGEND

Make history and break records as you assume the career of your favourite snooker pro, or start a brand new journey fresh from the Q-School academy.

ONLINE & OFFLINE MULTIPLAYER

Choose from a full suite of offline and online modes, from quick play online match-making to global online tournaments that link in real-time with the live World Snooker calendar.

Plus fully customised matches of full snooker, 6-red and Shoot Out for both online and offline competition.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/p/snooker-19/9p9v13mzqz41?activetab=pivot%3Aoverviewtab

Introduction

If you’re like me, you watch snooker a couple of times a year, and when you do, you think to yourself “I can do that, it looks easy!” Then you head to your local Snooker Hall for a game. When there, you realise just how large the tables are, and after a couple of shots, the harsh reality becomes clear that you’re rubbish at it. With this in mind, I was intrigued to review Snooker 19. Read on to find out if Snooker 19 cleared up or if it left me snookered.

Audio & Visual

Snooker 19 looks excellent. The TV style presentation gives the game an authentic feel. The team at Lab42 have got this game down to a fine art, from the way the arena lights reflect of the balls, to the camera angles when the players address the ball.

This is a polished game and the attention to detail is admirable. This includes the player models, the arenas, the tournaments and the loading screens.

David Hendon and Neal Foulds provide commentary and on the whole, adds a level of authenticity. As with most sports titles, there’s the odd random statement, but thankfully, it’s never enough to detract from the whole experience. The audience feels alive, and the sound effects of the ball striking are pleasantly accurate, again giving a feel of realism.

Gameplay and Replayability

For me, Snooker 19 is a great game. However, just as in real life, I’m useless at it. The good thing is, this didn’t put me off the game at all! I was always inclined to return to the table, in the hope that I would have improved. Most times, this wasn’t the case. I think my highest break so far has been in the low 20s!

All of the game modes that you would expect to find are here. Online play, offline play and career mode. I spent most of my time in head-to-head mode, trying to improve my skills. Frustratingly, I spent most of my time with the game watching my opponent pot ball after ball, amassing massive breaks. Even on the lowest difficulty setting, I found the AI to be very good.

As you can see in the video above, you can change the power and angle of the shot, as well as the spin you put on the ball. There are also markers that show you the predicted path of the ball. This is very useful, although I have found it not to be an exact science.

In terms of replayability, hardcore snooker fans will find everything they need in this title. You will want to climb to the top of the rankings, fill your trophy cabinet and feature in the Hall of Fame. However, for me, it will be a game that I return to from time to time.

Conclusion

For me, Snooker 19 is one of those games that you will play when you can’t decide what to play if that makes sense? Snooker 19 is an excellent sports simulation. If you’ve been looking for a snooker game to scratch your ball-potting itch, I would recommend this game. It offers online and offline play, lots of venues and the chance to play as top professionals or up and coming amateurs. For the price of £29.99, Snooker 19 is well worth playing.

Rapid Reviews UK Rating

You can purchase Snooker 19 for Xbox at the Microsoft Store on the following link, https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/p/snooker-19/9p9v13mzqz41