Unbalanced card game hides under a mire of in-game advertising.
* Extensive voice-acting
* Er.. it looks alright
Minus:
* Ridiculous commentary
* In-game advertising
* Takes itself VERY seriously
* Slow load times
* It's a card game
So it's a card game for your PS2, exciting eh?!
In short: No, not particularly.
While I'm not an avid Poker-player, I was intrigued by the prospect of this game having enjoyed the Poker minigame in the 'Pirates: World's End' game and also PC-based time-passer's.
In every respect you're better off with those than to waste your money on "World Series of Poker 2008".
The first thing you notice is that the game takes itself extremely seriously. Poker is a big-money pastime and Left Field felt it was imperative to get this point across in this version with fake money. This is a Poker Simulation and it's not to be sniffed-at.
There are people who play cards for a living and apparently exist in reality represented, there are commentators who er.. comment on the excitement of nothing much happening and there are even sponsors and ad's shown during the games.
All the nonsense you'd expect to see if you were watching Poker on TV.
Question. Why would you want to watch Poker on TV?
In an attempt to lighten the mood, the commentators come out with every ridiculous pun you could associate to playing cards. Though all of them are groan-worthy rather than amusing.
And they also make an attempt to make the game gritty by introducing suspense and intrigue for when you're not really sure who's bluffing.
To add to the realism, the game shows you a real-time representation of the player whose turn it is. Presumably this is so that you can watch their expression to figure out if they're bluffing or not. But as far as i can see, there's no way of knowing either way.
Which is the complete opposite for when it's your turn, because the AI players ALWAYS know when you're bluffing. It's like the game is looking over your shoulder and calling out what you're holding for the benefit of everyone else at the table. Or they're psychic.
So it's actually very hard to win at any point unless you happen to have a good hand, but then the moment you raise by any increased amount everyone else folds.
"He's got three King's, bail out, bail out!"
There are obviously some ego's in this game as every player's name must be displayed in full, which takes up a third of the game screen, first names only would've been fine. Then again i think I'd have insecurity issues if i played cards for a living.
The in-game advertising has been integrated in such a way that some might argue it adds to the realism of the experience. It doesn't. Like ALL video game advertising, it's detrimental to the experience and annoying.
"The next card-cam is brought to you by Wrigley's."
"Courtesy of Bluff Magazine hole card-cam."
Even the hotels where the games are held are real places so they're advertised heavily too; each new venue you visit is introduced with a tourist information video.
There is character-creation tool, though don't expect any WWE-levels of customisation. You can either create gormless men or frumpy girls. The best it let me make was a skinny-Arnie complete with shades to wear indoors.
There's no music, or anything to take the edge off of the boredom that will smack you in the face like a wet fish after 30mins play. Once you've got the hang of understanding how the game is cheating then that's all there is to it.
I can't fault the game on presentation and authenticity. Yes, it's just like watching Poker on TV. But just like Poker on TV, you have no say on who's going to win (even if you're playing) and you have to endure ad's and idiotic commentary alongside the "action".
Yes, if you want a simulation of Poker in every regard on the PS2 then this is one. But if you just want a game of Poker that's fair then there are a number of cheap PC-based titles in 2D or 3D that are a million times more fun than this.