Do you know another main reason why i reviewed NMK's Riot (1992) besides filling my need of gallery shooter game? It's to confuse reader with sport game with name "Riot" which is developed by Beyond Reality and published by Psygnosis for PS1 in 1997.
To make you less confused, the US version for this game is Professional Underground League of Pain (abbreviated as PULP). Riot is the name for Europe version. There's lots of sparks flying around in title screen. It doesn't hint anything to what's sport Riot is. So none is wiser. Here's a quote from the manual: "Riot is a very simple game to play. Two teams compete against each other in a brutal blend of Ice Hockey, basketball, and bare knuckle fighting". That's...really something.
Unfortunately there's no controller setting on option menu. There's video, audio, memory card, and load/save option. Wait! What? Why there's 2 menu for regarding load and save? To be more accurate, memory card option allow you to change memory card you want to use for this game and manage its content. But it's very basic to give player option to see the control configuration! It's mandatory basic on gaming! There's not even practice or tutorial. So my clue regarding the control is this manual...for the Windows version!
Ok. I need to calm down a bit. I pick friendly match because i don't want to push my luck so freaking hard. From these several teams, i immediately pick "Sydney Sentinel" because 1) Australia is my neighbor. To show my goodwill toward my neighbor Australian that happen to read this, i pick this team. 2) There's Red-White flag on the team's flag, i assume that's from flag of our nation, Indonesia.
Then i pick my opponent: "Berlin Breakers" because i like any team with the same first alphabet on their team's name. Before i can enter the match, the game gives me chance to shift control between these two team by pressing left or right on D-Pad. But i stick with my choice with Sydney Sentinels. You can edit team member's or even manager's name. Or you can change statistic of team member but i will leave that as it is.
The match begins with that flying saucer thing in the middle of field, throws plasma ball in random direction. My team is in brown suit while opponent team is in blue suit.
The match only goes for 47 seconds and enemy's team already make goal! Ok, i see. The goal is that same thing that spits the plasma ball. I get it.
The game told me to block enemy's goal shoot by pressing "cross" button. I did that but to no avail. Another goal for the enemy team. :(
Finally, i get my hand on the ball and shoot at the goal thing. What? It's own goal? Sniper_jeers02.wav
Then we're on half time. This is really embarrassing. I keep making own goal and not score any for my team. Scout_negativevocalization03.wav
So here's the control when my team isn't in possession of the ball: D-pad to move the Riot player you control: "Square " button to slide. "Circle" button to punch. When my player bumps into enemy that carries ball. "Cross" button to block goal. "R1" button to hop. They will automatically steal the ball. Naturally, the slide allow you to steal the ball easier from distance.
When my team get the ball, the control change slightly: "Square" button to short pass. "Triangle" button to long pass. "Cross" button to shoot. Plus "L1" button for airhorn if you feel like to taunt everyone including yourself.
Then the match over with enemy team's score: 19. They also manage to score goal after another. I must be missing something.
This time we have friendly match with Tokyo Tornadoes. Sniper_battlecry02.wav
Sniper_negativevocalization02.wav. The tornadoes manage to make a goal within 35 seconds! I don't think Lazuna is legit Japanese name as there's no Japanese's letter with "L", i think.
Turns out i have to charge the ball to that blue panel on enemy team's side before i can shoot the ball into the goal. Otherwise, it will count as on goal. To charge the ball into blue color, i press "square" which also button for passing. So most of the time, i throw the ball to the panel and into enemy's hand instead of charging the ball and make it "legal" for the goal. Not to mention i get surrounded by enemies near the panel. On the other hand, enemy can charge the ball with no problem and there's barely teammate that defend our panel. Soldier_jeers01.wav
It's another goal for the enemy team by J Chan which i doubt they're Jackie Chan because that portrait is nowhere resemble the famous kung-fu actor.
Suddenly one of my teammate have diarrhea on enemy's panel. Really? At this time? Actually, that's not the case. He's exhausted/stunned/crippled because his health bar is depleted. Naturally for all those beating by the enemies makes him knock out for awhile. You can see all of the player's health bar on the top. But the thing is there's no uniform number on who's who. So it's hard to tell which of this numberless player that need attention. But to be fair, i always focus on the field and don't look closely on any of this HUD including the radar. That's perhaps due to undersized game field. It makes the game's pace fast, sure. But it leaves me no room for any strategy measure. Quite a shame.
At long last, i manage to score a goal even though it only worth 1 point. The field is divided into several areas based on score if player manage to make a goal. 1 point area is the closest to goal, 2 point area is intermediate area, and 3 point area is the farthest to goal. You can attempt to shoot at the goal in either your team side or enemy's team side as long as you remember to charge the ball first. Red ball is neutral and either team must charge it first before go for the goal. Blue ball is for home's team. Green ball is for visitor's team. It's pretty obvious that my team is home because of our logo is in the middle of the field.
We reach half time. I can tell from this summary, i'm doing lot better than in previous match. Within full time even. The thing is i can't understand the ball possession statistic. 1: 22? 1: 43? What are they talking about? XI
Another goal for my team! I think the 2-point area is the most ideal area for scoring a goal. You get the perfect distance and angle there. 1-point area has bad aiming angle and if you can make it to goal, it only worth 1 point. 3-point area is definitely too far and your player often miss the shot.
It's so tiring to run across the field. So i figure to do high pass to teammate but instead i make own goal! But the goal shoot supposed to be "cross" button, right? I press "square" button for high pass but it goes to goal! Demoman_sf12_badmagic10.wav
Nothing much happen after that except more enemy's goal. I want to stop but i can't. I don't aim to win. I just want to not make own goal on a match. That's all.
This time, my opponent is Los Angeles Lasers. Their uniform is just slightly different than our team. This can be not good.
I'm getting better at stealing enemy's ball. I usually run to the enemy's panel through "inner" part of the field because i worry that the camera isn't cooperative enough if i run on the side that farther from this camera. There's option to change camera position but i'm too busy to play the game that i forgot about that.
Yes, i would like to block the goal but i was too busy stealing the ball and nowhere near the goal. Also where the heck of my teammates? Why they're nowhere near the goal at this crucial moment right now!
One of my teammate get a power up that triples his punching power. Heavy_sf13_influx_big04.wav
There's power up that randomly thrown by the crowds: 1) Power punch that triples player's punching power, useful for violent play. 2) Speed up that triples player's movement speed. 3) Power shot that makes the player throw the ball faster and harder. The manual claims that it can be used to take down opponent with the ball. 4) Health that refill player's health to maximum. 5) Hawkeye that increase player's accuracy passing or shooting.
The power ups seems interesting idea but unfortunately they spawn very rarely and often off the screen. So i can't pick them in time.
Oh for God's sake. The goal suddenly feels like to close by itself when i'm confident with my aim. I understand because there's no goalkeeper, the goal has right to defend itself. But funny thing is opponent's shoot never been blocked like this. Is that block goal achieved by pressing the "cross" button? But i'm sure i have pressed the goddamn button. Or maybe i have to mash it like crazy? Who know? Developer team maybe and not me. Why not make the goal defenseless like in basketball, huh? Riot is supposed to be mixture of sport including basketball, right?
Good. Davies manage to minimize our loss with his goal. We're still losing but i take it. Especially after that goal block.
So far no own goal. I hope this last until full time then i will quit with satisfied feeling whether we lost or win.
We are draw. I'm so happy! That enemy tries to punch me but to no avail because he's out of reach. How hilarious. If you press "circle" button while neutral (means you don't press or hold any direction button), your player will punches in their facing direction. If you press "circle" button while running, your player will do some kind of shoving away from them. I think it does no different purpose than the regular punch but i feel like i want to tell you that. Punching has short range but it will deplete opponent's health. Only useful to make opponent's crippled, stunned, or whatnot.
I think i know how to charge more efficiently. If i press "square" button while neutral and near -like- very near that i can practically kiss it with my helmet, i charge the ball with more consistency. If i press any direction even a bit while pressing "square" button, i pass the ball instead of charging it.
AAAARGH! My spines! DX
Turns out, i can run in farthest side of the field with no view problem. The camera is cooperative enough. The camera is the only thing that developer get it right.
Yes, we lose. But i'm happy enough not to make some own goal. I consider that a win. I'm done.
GameSpot gave Beyond Reality's Riot (1997) score: 4.5 / 10. That's pretty generous of them because i eant to give it lower score. It's frustrating to play. The developers get pretty much anything wrong. No controller setting although there's one if you play the DOS/Windows version and you can even redefine the buttons. No button to switch player that you control. Thus you have to rely on automatic switch player when defending. It's intuitive enough that your control switches to player that nearest to enemy's ball carrier but it's not fast enough for decent gameplay experience. Switching between 4 teammates should be no problem. There's dozens of soccer or basketball game with obviously more teammates and each and every of those game has manual switching mechanism that is very intuitive. Maybe if the developers had experience making one of those sport game, they could design the game much better. Another big complaint about the main aspect is the ball charging because it use the same button as passing. The goal panel's hitbox feels finicky. Without button to sprint, you have to rely on running around to avoid enemies. As i mentioned before there's no uniform number so i can't keep a track of who's who. I don't have enough time to see any HUD including the radar, because the gameplay is too busy. It gets too bust perhaps because the AI teammates do practically nothing to either help me or engage the enemy's ball carrier. They should reorganize almost everything from the scratch. No tutorial or practice to make you understand the gameplay properly for the first time.
But there's some aspect that feels right. Each round last 5 minutes, feels breeze and not too taxing. The slide is nice and predictable. The sport's basic is creative, solid, and fine but again the implementation is bad overall. The commentator acting is very good. The stage design is nice. The camera's position and move is quite well made. The power up items are welcome extra in the gameplay. The team design is superb. However no music here like at all. I like to mention that there's fake news or interview that happens in future of 2078 on manual. Here's the example:
The interview held the day before my 92th birthday. If i live that long, that is. It's a shame that they thought everything like world-building, presentation, and such but the gameplay is noticeably undercooked. I hate the game's experience but i kind of rooting for the game.
Riot (1997) is ambitious sport game but the execution of the gameplay is bad. Maybe if the developer team get more time (and also maybe budget), they can polish this game into proper game. It's not unplayable. It's just unwinnable if you play with the AI. The computer is much better at playing the game (i.e., passing, shooting, defending). If you play it with your friend, you are more or less in the same level. So the game become more enjoyable. Or maybe don't play this game at all. We're far from bleak future for sports of 2078, afterall.
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