Last month, a pool game called Pool Nation FX launched on Xbox One as a free Games with Gold title. Unfortunately, Pool Nation FX actually turned out to be pretty terrible. The menus are so unwieldy and loading times so long, I'd rather be watching people play pool on TV. To be fair, I haven't played it since the recent patch rolled out. Maybe those blights have improved.
Luckily for pool fans, Xbox One and Windows PC already have a great recreation of the game in Pure Pool from Ripstone and VooFoo Studios. Pure Pool currently offers four pool game types: US 8-Ball, 9-Ball, Blackball, and Killer. Soon the popular game of snooker will also be represented, as Ripstone has just announced the impending release of Pure Pool Snooker DLC. Read on for details and the Snooker DLC trailer!
Pure Pool is the best pool
Why would you pay money for a pool game when you might've just gotten one for free through Xbox Live? Because this one doesn't suck; that's why. The menu text is a little small, but you can still navigate menus without much hassle. And the graphics are amazingly lifelike, far better than those of Pool Nation FX.
As a single player game, Pure Pool offers an expansive career mode. Players can earn up to three stars from each match – one simply for beating it, and others for completing side goals such as making specific shots during the game. Challenge games take place between regular tournament matches, requiring different tactics such as speed runs and precision tests.
Pure Pool brings some classy multiplayer features to the pool table. For one, you get head-to-head online play against another player. The experience of chatting with a friend while knocking balls around is very close to the real life pool experience, especially since you're surrounded by a bar filled with patrons within the game. Competition-minded players can even participate in pool leagues, battling it out against a wider variety of competition.
The game also offers asynchronous multiplayer. It builds an AI profile based on your play style, which friends can then match up against it when you're not around. Kind of like the Drivatars in Forza Horizon 2. I understand my AI profile excels at sending the ball flying from the table more often than it makes it into the pocket. I rock at pool, don't you know.
The AI profiles actually make real-time online multiplayer better as well. If an opponent drops out during an online game, the game won't just end. Instead, that jerk's online profile will automatically take his or her place. There's no avoiding the whoopings of your opponents in Pure Pool.
I'm not the biggest pool guy in real life, but I've had a lot of fun playing Pure Pool with friends. If you're into the game of pool, this is the game to get. Perhaps we'll do a weekend Twitch stream for it sometime!
- Pure Pool – Xbox One – 600 MB – $12.99 – Xbox Link
- Pure Pool – Windows PC – $12.99 – Steam Link
About the Snooker DLC
Obviously the main draw of the Snooker DLC is the addition of the snooker game type.
Invented by British soldiers stationed in India during the 19th century, snooker is especially popular in English-speaking countries. The game is played with a cue ball and 21 snooker balls: 15 reds and six differently colored balls. Two players take turns trying to first pocket a red ball, followed by a colored ball. You must hit a red first during every turn.
The Pure Pool Snooker DLC offers the following:
- Snooker Career mode with three difficulty levels: Amateur, pro, and Master
- Two Snooker Challenge modes
- Online snooker leagues
- New Achievements (and Trophies on PlayStation 4)
Ripstone has not announced a release date or price for the Snooker DLC, but I imagine it will be in the five bucks range. They say the DLC is coming soon, so stay tuned.
Do we have any snooker players in the house?
