PDC World Championship Darts review (PlayStation 2)

Darts is becoming a growing global phenomenon (trust me it is) and its about time somebody finally attempted to take what is a massively exciting sport and place it in the hands of eager gamers. The PDC is arguably the premier league of the darts federations. It entices all the top level professionals with the promise of lucrative television contracts and big attendances. It makes sense that they would be the company to commission a game based on their ever growing franchise featuring such pros as Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor and current world champion Raymond ‘Barney’ Van Barneveld. Oxygen Interactive is the developer assigned to the liberating task of making a game of what many people consider to be purely a pub pastime.

One hundred and eighty

Upon booting up the PS2 you are greeted with a very well put together montage of some of the PDC’s elite and are slowly eased into the games main menu. All the sports title cliché modes are present and correct including quick game, tournament and the ever popular career mode. However PDC darts ace in the hole is the party game mode, but more on that later. I headed straight for a quick match so I could get to grips with the controls and see the game in action. It became quickly apparent that my first match wasn’t going to be as quick as I hoped as the blue loading bar seemed to sloth its way towards completion in manner most undignified for a PS2 title.

When I eventually got under way I was treated to the player introductions. Its at this point I started to get really worried as I threw my first few darts searching for the opening double my chosen pro’s arm seemed to seize up like a broken robot. Its definitely fair to say that graphics and animation aren’t PDC’s strong suit. The player models in particular are lazy and stunted which dents its realism tremendously. All this would be a huge problem if it wasn’t for the absolutely fantastic control system. Taking a page from the EA dictionary of sports titles Oxygen has managed to create such a refined and enjoyable control mechanic suddenly the character graphics become far less of a problem.

Darts of pleasure

The control method is based around the now familiar dual analogue system, the left hand stick dictates where on the board the dart is being aimed and the right hand stick controls both the power and balance of the throw. The game also employs two sets of difficulty controls to help cater for arcade and sim players alike. Amateur mode offers an on screen gauge to help you practice and find your power with the help of a handy line which mimics the point of optimum release for your dart.

As you practice this method the shot timing becomes second nature and then competent players should try to progress to the fully fledged professional mode. Professional mode removes all gauges aside from the on screen target and players then must feel when the best point of release is on each throw. It all equates to a very well balanced and enjoyable control mechanic which can offer massive rewards for persistent gamers.

Despite the character graphics the presentation is excellent mimicking the layout given by Sky TV in the UK (complete with branded advertising) and even including the commentary of Sid Waddell. Scoring is particularly well handled too with Russ Bray announcing the numbers with his satisfying, booming one hundred and eighty call when you hit the maximum. Even the crowd noise changes depending on the tide of the game and who is hitting the big scores. It all adds to a very professional and immersive atmosphere.

One man, two man, three man, four

Where the game really begins to excel is the multiplayer options. The party games option in particular has already given me and a few friends too many post pub laughs to mention. It includes the full range of alternative dartboard games including such discerning classics as around the clock, killer and cricket. But to compensate for not everybody being a regular gamer it simplifies the control method to a level where players of any age or ability are on an even platform.

A cursor revolves around the board which covers the whole of the screen and a quick button press over the desired number then sets the cursor moving up and down between the centre and the edge of the board, a final button press will land your dart in (hopefully) its preferred location. Each game can be played by up to 4 players and only requires one controller which can be passed around the group. It’s a very nice addition to the title and allows both family and friends to play a version of the sport no matter how worried they may be by the twin analogue controls of the main game.

Create your own legend

Many sports games live and die by the career mode unfortunately a lack of real options and worrying repetition buries PDC’s career system before it really begins. Gone is the extensive character customisation we know and love from similar genre titles and its been replaced by a single character model with the option to change his name and shirt. It’s a lazy and rather shocking mode that spoils the integrity of the exhibition matches and the presentation of the other modes. What should have been the jewel in the titles crown suddenly drags it through the mud so badly it almost never recovers.

Shanghai fives

PDC is a valiant effort from Oxygen and if it wasn’t for the brilliant control mechanic the game would be very difficult to recommend. If however you are a darts fan like myself and have the time to invest in perfecting your doubles the game offers a rich and rewarding experience with a confident multiplayer component.

There is hope here for future iterations and with a graphical overhaul, loading optimisation and some finer attention to detail in the career system Oxygen could rival some of the better titles from EA’s sports factory. All that’s left to do is hope and pray that somewhere. Somebody, anybody decides to make a Wii version.