The best pool simulator to date?
Pure Pool is a simulation of the popular pub pastime, pool. You can play a variety of modes like 8-ball, 9-ball as well as others like Killer where you are given 3 lives and lose one life each time you miss a ball, accumulator which adds up the points of the balls potted but give the points to the opponent if the wrong ball is potted in a sequence, as well as Perfect Potter where you try and pot as many balls in a row without missing.
There’s a decent career mode that pits you against tough AI opponents, but they will make mistakes from time to time like potting the 8-ball early. The game handles well for the most part, taking shots and aiming is fun and rewarding…but the viewing angles are limited and may result in a lot of frustration. The AI can also be relentless, even on the Amateur career…I lost a number of games by only missing 1 ball. There is a lot of luck and skill involved in pool, as well as strategy but it’s not always the easiest to pull off.
You can play online as well, although the servers aren’t the most stable. Hopefully they will be improved over time, while the other game modes serve as a nice addition to the experience. Playing Speed Pool against the clock is fast-paced fun, while Perfect Potter is tough and rewarding. I’ve managed to pot all 15 without missing only once, mostly because of a trophy that you get from it. As a whole, the game is a nice bargain for the price tag of only £7.99.
It also looks pretty, the menus aren’t the best if I’m honest and sometimes hitting the retry button on a challenge results in a long pause. But other than that, the game looks decent enough and runs smoothly. Music in the background is always calm and relaxing, while the game slows down on the last ball by adding a heartbeat sound and going dark to increase the pressure.
The Verdict
Pure Pool is a great simulation of the game with a good variety of modes to choose from. Small niggles like viewing angles and online issues hold it back somewhat, but overall it’s a decent game and one any pool fan should try.
