There's something to be said for simplicity in sports titles. Successful baseball titles, for example, usually opt to concentrate on the relationship between the batter and pitcher--which represents the sport's most direct form of confrontation. Mforma's Sergei Fedorov Face-Off Hockey certainly subscribes to this philosophy, because it's a pure shoot-out between the center and goalie. The system used to simulate this icy encounter is as unrealistic as it is uninteresting, however. Despite a healthy smattering of humorous, sprite-based representations of Sergei's blond coif--often displayed alone, in lieu of his facial features or body--Sergei Fedorov Face-Off Hockey is an exercise in tedium.
The game is essentially a time trial in which you must score as often as possible within a three-minute period. This is accomplished by first retrieving the puck, which is placed in a random location before each shot. Next, you must build up speed by rapidly pressing the "2" key. Your skating speed while going into a shot directly affects the power of your slap shot. When you are ready to make a goal attempt, you can initiate your shot by pressing the "5" key. At this point, your power meter will begin to charge up to its maximum, which is a value determined by your skate speed at the time of your shot. As your power meter charges, you will be given the opportunity to aim away from the goalie's greedy, little mitt. The goalie will incrementally move to intercept the slap shot. If you score, Sergei's mullet will bounce with enthusiasm. If you miss, his flaxen fibrils will shake with distemper.
Sergei Fedorov Face-Off Hockey's control is slow and unresponsive. Once you find the puck, you may have to double-back several times to retrieve it. When you attempt to shoot, waiting for your power meter to slowly fill up is boring and anticlimactic.
Sergei's lethargic control is mirrored by its jerky animation. The game features a couple of nice drawings of Fedorov in various celebratory poses, but its onscreen action leaves something to be desired.
Sound is practically nonexistent. You will, however, be treated at the game's splash screen to a hokey MIDI version of the classic "Charge!" song that is invariably played at most hockey games. Other than this, you'll be skating in silence.
The game features a variety of power-ups. You'll get three "power shots" at the start of each game. When used, a power shot will charge your shot meter fully, regardless of how fast you skate. You can earn more of these by scoring several consecutive goals. Additionally, the ice is littered with power-ups that decrease the goalie's speed, add power to your shots, or add time to the clock.
There's really no need to go after any of these collectibles, though. Once you learn the trick to scoring, the proverbial floodgates will open, and you'll be likely to score a goal on every shot at the net you take. The game allows you to upload your high scores to an online leaderboard, but it's doubtful that this is enough of an incentive to warrant extended play.
Sergei Fedorov Face-Off Hockey is a mediocre title that has little to do with a real hockey experience, so it's unlikely to provide many with lasting enjoyment.
