Kick Off 3

Kick Off 3 is the third installment of the football game created by Anco Software. It was released in 1994 for MS-DOS and Amiga, including AGA models.

As we know, the author of this third installment was not Dino Dini, the creator of the first two games, but Steve Screech, as indicated by the game's cover: Kick Off 3 by Steve Screech. Steve had started with Face Off and collaborated in creating the first two Kick Off games, but now all the responsibility was on his shoulders. Wanting (or having) to make changes in this new edition of the game, he decided on a significant change: the transition from the traditional top-down view, typical of the series, to an isometric mode. Needless to say, fans of the original Kick-Off did not appreciate this change. The fact that it was released in AGA version for the Amiga, and therefore - theoretically - with 256-color graphics, did not help improve the reviews.

So comparing Kick Off 3 with its predecessors, or with Sensible Soccer, is of little use. The game is very different and, at most, should be compared to games like Brutal Sports Football (where, however, we are talking about American football) and especially FIFA International Soccer, which was released the same year. In this type of game, the isometric view certainly penalizes the gameplay because you have a narrower field of vision. The benefit, however, is having larger sprites and better graphics and animations. Unfortunately, Kick Off 3 does not hold up against the two titles mentioned above because Brutal Football has much more immediate gameplay, and FIFA, by adopting a very different angle, almost seen from behind, manages to show much more of the playing field.

However, this does not mean that Kick Off 3 is a failure on all fronts: if you like isometric graphics, you will appreciate it, and if you were tired of the "pinball" effect of the classic Kick Off games—a half-hearted attempt, but worth trying.