Total Control Football - PC Review - Gamecenter

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Total Control Football

continued
Woody Hayes or Don Shula?
Total Control has some impressive (and some not-so-impressive) coaching features. Each coach has a style that fits into predefined categories, such as West Coast, Daylight, Scrape, and Platoon--none of which are explained in the manual. An aggressiveness factor from 1 (least) to 7 (most) is also included.
Total The type of coach determines the type of players the G.M. should recruit. Coaches also have play-calling tendencies, which are displayed in an excellent chart format that details which plays might be called in specific yardage situations. However, problems arise on game day. Computer coaches tend to be very repetitive in their play calling, and calling your own plays can be a chore. The coach suggests 12 plays, 3 of which you can see at once. If you want to make your own choice, you must scroll through the playbook a play at a time. A hard-copy playbook would be helpful, and a better menu system would be ideal. Also, contrary to what is pictured on the box, you cannot create your own plays.
run Forrest, run!
Total Control Football will not appeal to those looking for an action-oriented football game, although it certainly gives the old college try (assuming the college is Prairie View). The original version (1.0), which is what I found in the store, is barely playable. If you must have this game, be sure to apply the latest patch immediately. But even with the patch, this game has serious problems.
On my first series, I ran my quarterback 20 yards backward, stood in the end zone, and waited. I waited for nearly 15 minutes without a single defensive lineman chasing me. This doesn't happen all the time, but the AI needs work. The computer is especially dumb as time is running out--the coach won't modify his game plan to conserve time. On offense, I can't perceive any benefit from pressing the speed-burst (Alt) key, and after several seasons of play, I never saw one fumble.
Total Control's most basic flaw is that two people can't play against each other. I don't mean there isn't a modem or Internet option--this is a one-player game. Another annoyance is that manual substitutions can only be made at the end of the quarter or half. Injured players are automatically substituted during the game, but since player numbers are unreadable and their names are never announced, it's impossible to know exactly who's playing.

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Total Control Football

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