| New Star Software - New Star Soccer 3 review Games reviews Sports sim reviews New Star Software New Star Soccer 3 cheap , cheerful and compelling football game ( 25/04/2006 ) If you 're a little tired of your football menu consisting of a mixture of Pro Evolution Soccer , FIFA , Football Manager et al , then help is at hand . Yet , as is increasingly the case in the PC software market , you wo n't find the antidote to brand dominance on the shelves of your local software emporium , nor by spending five minutes in the company of Amazon . No , instead you 've got a teeny weeny bit of work to do . It 's worth it though . What you need to do is navigate over to www . n ewstarsoccer . c om and download the trial version of New Star Soccer 3. At first glance it 's as rudimentary and out of date a football game as you can probably think up , mixing in graphics that Sensible Soccer was rivalling back in the mid-90s and an interface that 's lacking much in the way of visual punch . Yet in the same way that Sensible Soccer , and Kick Off before it , prioritised playability above all other factors , so New Star Soccer gets its house firmly in order , resulting in a supremely playable and fresh football extravaganza . The twist to it is that you take the role of one player . You set him up , choose a position you want to play , toggle appearance , favoured foot , that kind of stuff . Then as a youngster it 's off to a trial , to try to get a contract with a club . A trial involves completing certain challenges , such as dribbling , passing and shooting , and how well you fare determines any contract offer . Then , once you 've found a club , it 's down to business . As a young player there are plenty of influences to consider . You want to keep your friends and family happy by spending time and money with them , and likewise it 's worth keeping the fans and gaffer pleased too . You 'll need to get your confidence up and there 's also training to consider . Training , which forms a major part of the game , uses up energy ( you have a finite amount each week and you need to save some for match day ) , but boosts your player across numerous skills . Some training has instant benefits with no effort required , but if you want to improve your set pieces , shooting , passing , dribbling or tackling , you need to take on one of 30 training exercises in each discipline . Succeed and the relevant attribute is boosted . Fail and you 've just wasted energy . You also have temptations such as drink , drugs and gambling to distract you , but each of these naturally comes with consequences . All this though , ultimately plays second fiddle to the matches themselves , which are extremely compulsive . As one player on the pitch , you always need to be aware of your positioning , when to call for the ball , when to pass to a team-mate and when to carry on yourself . And it 's no pushover either , with three difficulty levels to keep you on your toes . In the early days you can expect a striker to find goals very hard to come by , and a defender to constantly be caught out of position . Practice makes perfect , of course , but this is a game with real , tangible appeal that 'll take some time to master on the top level . Fortunately , with transfers , new contracts , sponsorship deals and internationals to consider , there 's plenty of incentive to keep going . At a price tag just north of £ 12 , it 's also an astounding bargain . With playability that rivals much of the competition , what it lacks in spit and polish it compensates for in the sheer amount there is to do . And , given that we 've had the game for several weeks now with no sign of it being uninstalled on our test machine , we 're confident it scores well in the long term as well as the short . New Star Software - New Star Soccer 3 features - Verdict You can only buy it online , yet football game fans really should make the effort . It 's not without a few problems , but New Star Soccer 3 is the most interesting footie game we 've played in ages . At the very least it 's worth giving the demo a try . New Star Software - New Star Soccer 3 price Buy New Star Soccer 3 securely online at a bargain price $ 19.99 ( approx £ 12 inc . VAT ) Reviewed on : PC |