Overview
Academy of Champions
By Jorge Figueiredo - November 16th, 2009
Recently I had the opportunity to sit down with Carsten Myhill from Ubisoft Vancouver to take a look at that studio’s very first title, a fantasy soccer game called Academy of Champions. I was intrigued to see how this game would play, especially considering that while the game is good for all ages, it seems to be targeted at the ‘tween’ demographic. In an industry that often strives for realism (read: FIFA series), how would a cartoon-y soccer (Carsten: “Football!”) game turn out? Surprisingly well, actually.
In the game you portray a young soccer player (your choice of male or female) attending soccer legend Pélé’s Brightfield Academy, a soccer university of sorts (many comparisons were made to Hogwarts from the Harry Potter series). Here you will take your character on a journey that will lead him or her to become a great soccer player. Through a series of training, conversations, and actual soccer matches, you will provide your character with loads of experience and special tokens that allow you to unlock goodies in the store. The 16-hour single-player campaign (20 or so hours if you want to unlock everything) seems to be a good mix of hands-on and observation.
This game does not claim to be an accurate sports simulator. But I believe that it’s good because of this fact. While not as intense as other sports games, Academy of Champions has a decent physics engine. It’s caricatured and feels like an arcade title, for certain, but the engine replicates the feeling of a great soccer match. The training exercises are mini-games and are cleverly disguised soccer drills that allow you to hone your skills while ultimately bringing a smile to your face (some of the mini-games actually allow you to use the balance board, too). The actual matches are also real enough, but concentrate on the essence of the game, and remove the trappings of penalties, throw-ins, and corner kicks which, while authentic, ultimately slow down play.
One of the main goals of your time at Brightfield is to assemble the best team that you can. As matches are five on five, this presents its own challenge, as there are 30 potential recruits throughout the campaign, each with different special powers. As you make your way through the story, you also gain experience, which you can use to increase your team’s skills. Also, the in-game store has items that improve the performance of your players.
You will need all the skill you can muster, too, as your rival academy (you knew there had to be a rival academy), Scythmore, are a bunch of over-powered ruthless cheaters. In true cartoon form, their evil nature is reflected in their visual characterizations. A nice twist is that your character will actually get to spend some time at the rival academy as part of a subplot. It allows you to view the contrast between Pélé’s school and one with dark motives.
This is a feel-good game with a positive message. Pélé himself was involved with the development, and as a principal character stresses the importance of practice and teamwork to achieve your goals (whether soccer or other aspirations). A younger version of another legend, Mia Hamm, acts as a guide and one of your peers, as she is also a student at Brightfield Academy. Her character is one of the principal characters that you will interact with between “classes.” Other characters make appearances too, whether they are a normal part of Brightfield or part of an exchange program. Early teen versions of Altair from Assassin’s Creed, Sam Fisher from Splinter Cell, and the Prince from Prince of Persia are some of the characters who you will encounter and get a chance to recruit. You will love their special powers on the field.
One of my favourite things about this game is the actual match component. Take the pitch, for instance. Each side has a distinct feel, right down to the goalposts (which are alive). As each side scores goals, the backgrounds behind the team’s goalpost changes. By the end of the game the field looks very different from the way it did when you started. Characters have either offensive or defensive special powers that are very creative. Whether it’s a special dodge and kick, or some sort of defensive manoeuvre that will leave your opponents dazzled, the moves are hilarious and awesome. There is also a mini-game when you tangle with another player for the ball: you are prompted to hit a series of buttons or you will lose the ball. Great pains have been made to keep this accessible and fun while not sacrificing the great gameplay that drives people insane during soccer matches. The game’s AI is actually really good and you will find yourself pleasantly challenged.
Academy of Champions is currently out in North America. This game scores a definite goal!
