Actua Soccer

Actua Soccer (a.k.a. VR Soccer ‘96) is a soccer game developed by Gremlin Interactive and published by Greenwood Entertainment Software in 1995 for DOS.

This was one of the first soccer games made with 3D graphics and the first of the Actua series. The game was made with the help of the Sheffield Wednesday football club, whose players provided the motion capture for development.

Actua Soccer did not have the license to use actual players’ names or league stats. It still gave you realism in player movement and even sports commentary by Barry Davies. The use of multiple camera angles also enhanced the overall experience. At the time, it was developed in a rivalry with EA’s FIFA series and definitely gave them a run for their money. Actua Soccer is a little more challenging to play in that FIFA only had pass and shoot as options, while Actua features 3 different moves a player can make to gain control of the ball and score. Actua will take some practice to get good, but it is a rewarding experience when you can make admirable goals.

Actua Soccer did well in its own right, even with stiff competition. However, beaten out as the first 3D soccer game on the market since other games had 3D fields with 2D sprites. Actua was still the first to offer true 3D gameplay using polygonal players.