Deftones, what would you recommend for a dual-core 3.2GHz with a GeForce 6800? Only I've downloaded your High Detail with modded LOD file and the gameplay framerate still seems to be absolutely awful, even on 800x600 (especially when the camera has to move, it's less than 30fps, more like 10-20fps).
As for the game itself, I think it's magnificent, especially in multiplayer. It's a huge, huge shame about the difficulty levels (and to unlock the highest one you have to complete TWO PAGES of challenges, which is ridiculous - please dear God say there's a cheat). But saying that, if you're a crap team versus a good team, it's alright. For example, last night, I experienced one of the best virtual games of football I've ever, ever had. Twice.
First one; Liverpool vs Watford. Some good passes lead to Riise getting the ball on the left of the box. The ball bounces a bit and he hits a half-volley. The keeper stretches for it and you can see from the way his body is stretched, he's GAGGING to get the ball, but he can't. It hits the back of the post and goes in. Later on he gets the ball on the wing, does a cross, the keeper comes way too close to the left side of his goal (which happens a lot, leaving totally open goals, unfortunately) and in comes a volley from Gerrard. 2-0.
So then I start passing it around, just trying to keep the scoreline the same. 70 minutes gone, a bad pass is intercepted, straight away the Watford player does a through-ball over the top and the guy beats the offside trap. He goes to the right and sends the ball cheekily across the floor to the keeper's left. 2-1. 90 minutes, the crowd are whistling for the game to end. One of the Watford players does a fantastic tackle, inch-perfect, and the ball runs free. This guy comes from nowhere and twats the ball to within an inch of it's life. The spin is massive, curling it from left to right. It hits the crossbar, bounces out, the keeper still stunned, but before a defender can get to it (I was still in shock) a guy runs in and heads it. 2-2, and then shortly after the final whistle goes. Absolutely brilliant game that punished me for being lax.
But the best game...
Tranmere vs Bolton, (the new) Wembley Stadium. In the first half, Bolton ping it round like nobody's business. Anelka beat the offside trap twice and scored twice, then got his hat trick with 35 minutes gone with a blaster from outside the area. At half time I was going to pack in but I thought, no, I'll fiddle with the tactics. I changed to five in the middle and just three defenders, but we were 3-0 down so it was worth a go. We pressed a bit more as well.
Within the first five minutes, the extra man in midfield is giving us more possession. There's a back-pass to their keeper, he runs out to hit it but mistimes the kick. It goes to Greenacre (hate the way he's got blonde hair and a blonde beard by the way - in other words "can't be arsed doing research, press the random button'). He chips the goalkeeper, and the goalkeeper animation was spectacular. He looked panicked, desperately jumped and fell over backwards, thumping the ground when the ball went in the net. We kept possession for the next ten minutes, passing and passing and passing, until a pass fell into the box. Zola gets the ball, shoots, hits the post, comes back out, Greenacre with a diving header... Hits the foot of the post... Cleared. With ten minutes to go every man was forward, it was desperate stakes. Deflection. Corner. Cross comes in, Stockdale (the defender) rises, heads it... Back of the net. 3-2.
We push, and push, and push. Three minutes are added on, much to the surprise of the commentator (nice touch). But Bolton started defending very very deeply after the second goal, and we just can't do it. I was so angry at the end of the match, I could have throttled every virtual player on the pitch. But it was the most immersive experience in a football game I've ever had (bar Football Manager which I don't think will ever be beaten; I think that the same way that a few Pro fans say FIFA will never be better and would feel physically sick if forced to play it, I'm slightly like that with FM - while I could play FIFA, I could never play another management game).
I absolutely love this game. As far as I'm concerned, as a whole package, Pro Evo is miles behind this (especially the 360 version, the physics and apparently the difficulty level in that are going to be brilliant). Just a shame about the CPU difficulty.
