Acquista International Snooker

I do enjoy a game of pixel based snooker and pool and have played many different games over the years, from classics such as Jimmy White's Whirlwind Snooker and Archer Maclean's Pool to World Championship Snooker and Virtual Pool 3. Over the past few years I've found my enjoyment from online game iSnooker, but the high price and lack of improvements in that game have meant I've given up on it forever. So, having given International Snooker a couple of long sessions, where does it stand on the scale? Unfortunately, a far, far way from the top.

The interface for thisg ame is just poor beyond words. You can only cycle through frames, for example, by clicking on the field through all the options and if you go past the option yuo want, you have to click all the way through again to get to where you want. An option to just cycle up AND down would have been an obvious choice here. The menus are like this for everything and quickly become frustrating. Furthermore, most game modes are locked from the beginning and can only be unlocked by winning tournaments, so if you're keen to play pool more than snooker, you're going to have to play a lot of snooker for the privilege.

The gameplay itself does not fare much better. The camera options are limited to overhead and table level, which is pretty standard, but during a shot you have no control and the AI picks the most awkward angles to show the shots from. Pots that would be impossible in real life - and would indeed not even be attempted by the top pros - can be pulled off with ease here whilst the AI play is erratic at best. Black off the spot? Not if a thin cut pink to the green pocket that offers worse position for the next red is there for the taking. Of course that doesn't matter, as an equally outrageous red will then be pulled off the AI, who will then miss a simple black off the spot in what is a real Jekyll and Hyde display. Perhaps the pink up to baulk was the right shot after all?

The whole thing just feels like a huge step backwards from the games that have come before it. This is tedious, processional snooker at its most basic and uninspiring, and a game I simply can't find any reason to recommend to anyone.

If you are after a snooker sim, this is the game for you.. Smooth shots, smooth ball movement and very nice environment. Absolutely great in those respects.. However, lazy devs, have completely and utterly failed to produce a two player game that has any kind of reliable multi player. If you want to play vs AI then your laughing, if you want to play against another human? best of luck with that. I have played maybe 5 vs games online in the 30 plus hours of game play on steam and they mean nothing anyhow so people just concede on you mid break.. such a shame, lazy attitude towards multiplayer on a two player game by the dev team means that i cant recommend this title with a clear conscience.

"Quite possibly the most realistic Snooker game to come to any gaming platform"

Well... if I were a betting man I'd wager against that. It most certainly isn't the most fun snooker/pool/billiards game I've ever played.

Snooker games, by default, are always a little bit slow and can be a little boring at times but there are many ways to speed things up considerably and/or create a little more immersion than just looking at a cue and a bunch of balls for the entirety of the game.

Some of those things could be (none of these are implemented in this game but have been in other, earlier games in the same genre):

Immersion
- Showing the players during, but at least before they start the match. They get introduced, wave at the crowd, receive a bit of applause and so forth.
- Showing the players after winning a frame or match: are they affected by that respotted black game?
- Getting a maximum break in a tournament. In real life, you'll see players crying, getting congratulations from everybody including the opponent, receiving paychecks and what not. In this game, you'll get a message once the frame finishes: "You made a maximum break. Brag about it on Facebook". That's it.
- The thrill of winning a tournament. Surely, a bit more than looking at a rotating cup is not too much to ask?

But, since most of its predecessors did not have any immersion like that either, maybe this game will make up for it in the fluid gameplay? Because with fluid, exiting gameplay you'd still have a solid billiards game. Unfortunately, no:

- When playing against the AI, your opponent will have some sort of "I'm going to make a 26 break now" mindset. So what he'll do is make 7 shots in a row, some of them near impossible because his shot selection can be awful at times. Then he'll miss a really simple shot, probably because he reached the quota he was looking for. Not something you'd expect from "the most realistic Snooker game" if you ask me.
- The game should find the ball I most likely will try to pot next. Instead, it will default to some awkwardly placed ball on the cushion, forcing you to do way too much manually.
- Which brings me to the next point: it's too hard to aim. The mouse is too sensitive, and there's no "fine tune aim" button.
- Instead, to fine tune you'll need to adjust the camera. And adjusting the camera will need a click on the camera icon. Why are no shortcut keys implemented? Why not make use of the middle of right mouse button? That is just plain lazy. It's like they never even played their own game.

So because of various reasons, taking a shot will take way too long. Resulting in a very tedious exercise, a single frame will take you a long time. Then take into account that to win a single tournament, you'll need to win a best of 3 games, then two best of 5 games, then a best of 7 game, and last but not least a best of 9 game. Now, after several hours of tedious play you get to claim your reward: the visual of a spinning cup. Rock! Just 11 more tournaments of exactly the same to go! However, I am almost certain most people will not even reach the point of winning a single tournament.

There are some good things about the game, like the stuff you can buy with upgrade points (different chalk to get more spin on the ball, different cues to be able to hit harder etc) but to get to these rewards you'll need to grind endlessly.

Since this is the only Snooker game on Steam, I'll probably end up playing it some more but I cannot recommend it to anyone.
Instead, look for Pool Nation. It's just pool but literally everything has been done better in that game.

- AI is idiot, it always tries the worst chances and miss the easiest ones.
- If AI wants to win he can go straigt 100 or more points with worst shoots could be choosen.
- Worst thing is not AI it is the mouse control!!! sometimes you have to spend 5 minute to find the right aim with mouse.
- There is a big physics problem in this game especially when the balls hit the sides they become much more faster.
- You have to score big if you want to win a tournament otherwise AI never makes mistakes even it chooses the worst and impossiable balls to shoot.


Buy it only you are a fan of Billards and Snooker.

After reading some of the reviews for this title, some of them seem a little unfair.

If you are after a nice little game of snooker and don't care if it has fancy graphics or well known players - its great.

I agree it is a little easy, it's quite simple to make breaks that IRL would be almost impossible. But if you enjoy snooker as a spectator this is a great game.

Although it lacks the humour and feel of old time (Archer Maclean) classics like Jimmy White and Pool, it's still a solid representation of the game of snooker.

Personally, I don't feel that the physics are wrong, the cushions and pockets feel (to me) like they should and are a close approximation of a real "fast" table.

I like that you can drop in and out of tournaments and that you can speed up the play of AI opponents.

I'm not that fond of the woman they got to do the voice overs inbetween frames, but it serves a purpose I suppose.

All in all it's an excellent and very playable snooker game and I'm glad I purchased it.

If you are after a snooker game then this a good game with a fair price and great graphics. But there a few things to note. First off you are probably going to want to leave the aiming guides turned on. This isn't cheating, it just compensates for the lack of depth perception that is inherent in virtual pool games, at least until there is a version that uses the oculus. If you stick to playing in first person it gives a fairly realistic feel and balance to the game. If you turn them off then you end up playing nearly every shot from the overhead camera view which makes if feel like an 8-bit arcade game. Also lining up the shots in the overhead view without the guides is so frustrating that you'll find yourself moving your head to strange angles and spending a few minutes on every shot to try and find the right line, only to miss by an inch or two anyway. Changing to the overhead view at all could be considered cheating but it is the only way to get a overview of the layout since you can't walk around the table while playing, something that I found lacking. There are also shots where the pool cue completely obstructs the view while in first person, which is odd since a little tranparency would have been an easy fix here. Changing to the overhead view is a must in this case.

To play you set the desired spin, cue angle and power level before clicking on a button to fire the shot. A mouse driven cue and power action is sorely missed here. Coupled with the guides it takes nearly all of the interactive feel of the game away. However, since spin, power and cue ball placement are so important in the game of snooker it still has its merits as a tactical game or training aid.

As mentioned in other reviews, the AI is inconsitent because they will play poorly for half a game and then trot out a break of 50 or more at the end. I also feel guilty when snookering the opponent since in many cases they will miss, at least in the early stages of a tournament, and it is so easy to force them to replay the shot and win the frame by default after the third miss. They simply don't change the shot they attempted the first time.

I'd recommend the game to anyone with a passion for snooker but I'd be raving about the game if these points were addressed. As it stands I'll just have to repeat that it is a good game with a fair price and great graphics.

Got a key a little while ago from a bundle i bought over a year ago. I thought i would give it a go as i used to quite like snooker.
Glad i did as it's a very fun and polished little game. It is very easy to pick up and play for someone like me that knows the rules of snooker and have played it a bit but am also a pretty rubbish player:)
There are lots of tournaments to enter and credits to be won. You can then spend them on upgrades, different cues, auto-chalk and the like. The AI is pretty good, doesn't cheat and does make mistakes. Obviously it gets better the further you get in a tourny but the difficutly is nicely curved.
The graphics are good as are the sound effects. A special mention goes to the crowd. They ohh and ahhh when you miss and pot a difficult shot you'll be met with a cheer. You'll even hear them cry 'go on my son' and cough. And too much noise will be met with a shhh from the ref.

If you like snooker even a bit you will enjoy this game. It's addictive and fun. I recommend picking it up on sale at least. Oh and it has pool too.

for me having played the real game and having tried many other so called snooker/pool games have found this version simply brilliant. Yes there are the odd blip, like not being able to move around the table when white is in the 'D' following a foul. so here is my negative list;

Multiplayer very difficult to find players - I would recommend setting up a dedicated data base that shows when people are active that way we could dip in and out. Develop an a web snooker league through steam. I have started a group so if you play snooker please join.

The 3 miss rule, this seems wrong my understanding is player can hit an object ball but chooses not to then miss is called.

not being able to travel around table to see all angles

a change of referree and maybe a comentary?

so not a lot wrong really the points above are basic and could be rectified especially in any new upgrade. I hope that Bighead games do launch the new addition for PC

So for me i love it, great allround play, realistic so anyone not happy remember we are not the Rocket!!!!

This is the best sonooker i've played in a long while , It's a shame there is no local online option like you would get on ipad and I also think the multi player is bit lame ..Never mind if you're not into online then this snooker is sure great fun to play, very realistic. Not bad for the price.

If you are a fan of Snooker, you will appreciate this title, as the physics are fairly true to form. Since this is only a simulation, the game has to be a little forgiving in certain areas...namely that the rounded pockets seem to allow balls to "bank in" more than in real life. It's great that you can unlock other forms of pool simply by completing in-game challenges, rather than having to pay for them. There are no Steam achievements, but the in-game trophies are fun to earn. The best part of this game is the online community; you can learn a lot from your multiplayer partners.


Heroes of Gamers Haven: Forum


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lo_OSQc62WU

A Quite good game for Snooker fans, it does have some control issues that don't effect the game as a whole in playability but can make moving your cue more tedious than it has to be.

Video Review Below:
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=269704499

"Quite possibly the most realistic Snooker game to come to any gaming platform "- I strongly disagree with this statement, in fact it is most misleading and untrue statement you could possibly make about a snooker game. I have played many and this one is the worst of the lot.

It is too easy, the pockets are too large, the cushions and bay are unrealistic, too fast, too bouncy...not to mention spin control is totally off and you dont even get a real player animation. In my opinion the trading standards people would rule this game "not fit for purpose" which i most definately would agree with. DO NOT PURCHASE THIS GAME.

If you are a fan of snooker games then you will probably like this version. The interface is simple and easy to navigate. Controling the cue ball is very good with the various spin options ie top spin back spin and side spin all having a positive effect on positioning so you feel like you're playing snooker having to plan your next shot in advance. The AI can sometimes be inconsistant with your opponent missing easy shots one minuet then the next potting from one end of the table to the other. Their are various unlockables to be had by earning points for competing in tournaments ie different cue's, auto chalk, 8 ball and 9 ball pool. The graphics look decent and the sound effects feel authentic you can hear coughing sounds coming from the audience. Overall i would give this game 7.5 out of ten.

A little easy but good animations, great fun if you like snooker. Probably the best snooker game have ever made. Fake named opponnents is little unrealistic but still its a good game. Lot of tournements, credits, achievements. I hope steam achievements will be available for this game soon.

I got my ♥♥♥ handed by a Mike Wang , gg.

Ok 1st off i am only recommending this game because its the only true full snooker game on steam. Right now to the actual game well 1st off ( IT IS NOT THE MOST REALISTIC SNOOKER GAME TO COME TO ANY PLATFORM ) why you ask well if you have played any snooker game say WSC for instance then this is pritty much the same. Has for the phyisics well they are ok but the balls seam to glide rather than roll the graphics are much the same has any other game. The AI is gonna make you frustrated it will pot balls from any position and i mean any if you have played real snooker and are decent enough player you will understand there are no players in game just a cue no ref just the voice wich sounds like a robot. That said there is still some fun to be had but i cant help feel even in 2014 we are still getting what looks like graphics from the middle of the 2000's

M'kay, I totally and completely admit the reason why I bought this game is because I don't play Snooker and have always been curious. There is no tutorial to hold your hand here, much to my regret. That having been said, the 'difficulty' of this game is considerably higher than that of Pool Nation [edit: corrected by markie].

I won't bother going over the rules for Snooker (if you're seeing this, you have internet) but will comment that the interface in International Snooker allows for a great deal of precision. You also get options for 9-ball and 8-Ball. The practice mode is helpful for getting the initial gameplay down as well. My only gripe here, which is NOT the game's fault, is Snooker's pace-- the game moves a lot slower than 9-Ball.

All in all, this is a fair game... but if you aren't playing it Specifically For Snooker then Pool Nation is the better buy for a number of reasons. You have been warned.

7/10

The controls are rubbish! 9 times out of 10 the balls dont go where theyre aimed!! In short a waste of money!!

International Snooker is a game that fulfills an incredibly niche market, which is the simulation of Snooker, a billiard sport mostly played in the UK and other commonwealth countries. It involves colored balls of various points and the object is to have the most points at the end, not to sink the last ball. If you're used to International Pool, this game might be a bit of a rude awakening since mistakes are far more costly, but if you're a Snooker fan or willing to learn how to play this game can be an enjoyable experience. The presentation is very beautiful and the physics are realistic, all the way down to chalking cues.

It should be noted that International Snooker has more than just Snooker. After completing your first tournament you can easily unlock 8-Ball, UK 8-Ball and 9-Ball modes to play with which gives you more modes and ways to play with than Pool Nation. Speaking of Pool Nation, a Snooker DLC is said to be in the works for that game, but if you can't wait for that, this game is most definitely worth picking up.

great game,, recommended