Review: Pure Pool

Back in August I had the opportunity to review Pure Pool on PC. In short it was a beautiful game, yet had several things that took much of the fun away. It was frustrating to me because I grew up playing pool in my basement with friends and family. I have many memories from honing my skills, learning the proper touch on trick shots, and the special memory of the first time I beat my dad (when I felt like he was actually trying his best) when I was 13. There is something to be said about mastering something and beating a rival… or a parent.

With Pure Pool VooFoo Studios looks to expand on well received Hustle Kings released in 2012. Unfortunately, for anyone not on a Play Station platform Hustle Kings was not available to them. Fortunately, Pure Pool is now available on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.

I raved about the graphics of the PC version, so it’s no surprise that the graphics for the Xbox One version are nothing short of amazing. I know it’s just a billiards game, but honestly I’d be hard pressed to name another game out right now that has better graphics. Sure there isn’t as much going on in the game as there is in a game like Assassin’s Creed or Titanfall, but those little attention to detail things really stand out. It’s just flat out a gorgeous looking game.

We all know graphics are not everything in terms of enjoying a game. Sure, they are nice to look at, but when it boils down to it, gameplay is more important. When I reviewed Pure Pool in August, one of the things that stood out to me was the terrible controls. Pressing left made you aim right, and pressing right made you aim left. It made playing the actual game more of a chore than anything else. I was excited and relieved when I first loaded up the game and pressed right, fully expecting my aim to go left, but instead it went the direction I was hoping. It may sound trivial, but it allows for a certain flow and ease to play and set up shots.

The other main complaint I had with the PC version was the brutally difficult AI. Several times playing traditional 8-Ball, missing one shot would mean the AI would run the table and I’d lose. It was extremely frustrating. My first match of 8-Ball on Xbox One I missed a shot and set my controller down, waiting for the inevitable to happen. Yet, it never did. Sure, as I progressed through the career the AI became more challenging but it never felt like it was instant game over when I missed one shot which was nice.

Even with those two major improvements, Pure Pool doesn’t offer a whole lot in terms of substance. You can play 8-Ball or 9-Ball and three mini-games. That’s really about it. You can play others on-line or download their DNA profile, much like Forza’s Drivetar. It’s a nice touch, but relies heavily on your friends having the game, or running into people that have it. There are some customization options such as table felt color and different cues, but aside from different colors there isn’t a lot of reason or substance behind those options they just ‘are’. It’s like a shrug of the shoulders and a little something different just because.

Therein lies the rub with Pure Pool, while this iteration is, in my opinion, better than the PC version there still isn’t a great deal of substance behind it. At best it’s a very good billiards simulation that can offer a brief diversion from all the other games out there. Yet, there isn’t a lot under the hood that will keep you entranced for hours on end. Rather, it’s one of those games that you load up when you’re not sure what you want to play and then put it aside when your friends get online. It’s good in small bites, but too much of it leaves an empty feeling in your stomach. For those people looking for a billiards game, or something different to play, this may be worth a try. Just don’t expect it to consume the majority of your game time. But, is that really a bad thing?

 

Pure Pool was reviewed using a promotional copy of the game on Xbox One, as provided by the developer.