Snooker 19 | Xbox One | Review

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Let’s be blunt here: snooker hasn’t been in the mainstream since TV’s Big Break, featuring the chauvinistic “charm” of Jim Davidson and trick-shots aplenty from John Virgo. We appreciated our first foray onto Snooker 19’s green baize at this year’s EGX Rezzed, but is the final product “Rocket” Ronnie O’Sullivan quality snooker, or “Rancid” Rob Holt level play?

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by Rob Holt

@acousticmagic

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Developer: Lab42
Publisher: Ripstone Games
Platforms: Xbox One, PS4, Switch, PC
Players: 1-2

We have to start proceedings by highlighting the fact that Snooker 19 isn’t a production that comes close to matching the scale of something from the likes of EA, Konami, or Codemasters. It is, however, comparable with the likes of BigAnt’s Ashes Cricket and Rugby 18 from BigBen Interactive - and while it definitely isn’t anywhere near as bad as the latter, there are a few key design decisions that prevent Snooker 19 from being the breakthrough potsman’s game.

For the uninitiated, snooker is a game played by folks in waistcoats and bow ties, who strike balls into pockets with other balls struck by long sticks of wood, all while utilising rests and spiders. Professionals - as with other pub sports like darts and pool - used to chain smoke and drink pints whilst playing, but unfortunately modern day expectations have exiled these most excellent of skills from the game.

Snooker 19 keeps things suitably modern, then: photorealistic player faces (pretty much every recognisable pro from the men's game is here), all the bigtime venues are accurately represented, the ball physics are solid enough, and it sounds on point. The big question with all sports games, mind, is how does the bugger play?

In this case, decently enough. Left stick aims your strike (apply left trigger for precision aiming) and right stick/right trigger apply spin to the cue ball. From here you’re shown two different camera angles to assist your pot, before moving to a simple pull-back-then-push right stick shot meter, where you’ll need to stop the rising reticle in the middle of the meter for the best contact. Everything else is down to your knowledge of the game and geometry, though, folks, which makes the almost entire lack of tutorials/practice mode very strange indeed.

​These oversights become even more apparent when you get into the career, which is easily the meatiest part of Snooker 19. Take an established pro - think recent champ Judd Trump - or a relatively unknown rookie - we went with Lu Ning - to the top of the rankings, playing across the globe, no fart in nostril. Career provides thee with bags of longevity, but the lack of features such as in-mode practise, or any kind of stat/skill building seem really odd considering that these are basics in every other sports game. I’d have loved to create my own player from scratch and build them up, but no such option is available.

Difficulty in the single-player modes can often feel out of balance, too. We’ve played multiple games with the AI set at the low, middle and high ends of difficult and nothing much seems to change. Making one mistake will definitely lead to a loss in the mid to top tiers, though two mistakes are still enough to see you off at lower rungs. You can change your own aim assists and the like to make tricky pots easier, though we’d advise playing with this enabled to begin with so you can get your eye in.

Multiplayer options are solid, if unspectacular. While there are your standard online 1-on-1s and tournaments, it’s local multiplayer that lifts the trophy for us. Playing in the room with an enemy or good associate is absolutely grand, their fixed gaze making for tense moments which lead to simple pots being bodaciously blundered.

As previously mentioned, Snooker 19 really does look and sound the part. Balls are super shiny, John Higgins’ face is accurately morose-y, and the arenas and tables look superb...y. The thoroughly satisfying sound of cue-on-ball and ball-in-pocket are truly authentic, while the commentary from Neal Foulds and David Hendon follows the action most of the time - a regular slip up for sports games of this budget/niche. There is a lot of silence during gameplay, but that’s befitting of a concentration-based sport like snooker, so we won’t hold that against developer Lab42. 

As we reach the end of the frame, we cannae help but feel a touch disappointed with Snooker 19. Yes, it’s a niche sports title at a competitive price (~£25) but the lack of customisation, modes and training really hurt it. Big snooker fans will love it, that’s for certain, but it doesn’t have enough mainstream appeal to reach a wider audience.

Pros

• Core snooker is spot-on
• Licensed venues, tournaments and players
• Photorealistic graphics
• Authentic cue-on-ball audio
• Local multiplayer is a hoot
• Reasonably priced
• Career mode provides longevity...

Cons
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• … but absolutely lacks the depth of FIFA, Ashes Cricket, etc.
• Not enough gameplay options
• Lack of customisation
• AI feels unbalanced
• Lack of tutorials and practice mode

5/10