Casey Powell Lacrosse 16 Review

lacrosse xbox games

When it comes to niche sports video games, lacrosse ranks fairly high up the list. So when Big Ant studios, known locally for their cricket and rugby league titles, teamed up with Crosse Studios to create their first Triple-A attempt at the sport, expectations were naturally somewhat high.

The result, Casey Powell Lacrosse 16, delivers an impressive game of the sport, offering both fans and casual onlookers a taste of the action. The game combines the player movement and passing of basketball with the stick skills, shooting and hitting of hockey to create a fast paced action packed experience that features high scoring and some great highlight reel moments.

Playing control in the game is fairly easy to pick up with the main buttons for moving your player, passing and shooting all located on the face of the controller. The controls are also reminiscent of FIFA or NHL titles, in which the face buttons can be used to execute different types of checks, or to command AI teammates to pass or take shots on goal. The defence system in the game is a little more complex to grasp, but even after some frustrating moments of getting caught offside or being taken down by a powerful check, it slowly becomes second nature to select the correct type of check to use.

There is a surprisingly deep customization suite that lets you tweak almost every aspect of the game to your liking. This extends to both the teams and players, as well as the stadiums and logos that can be chosen. The addition of manual substitutions and enhanced shot selection options is another welcome inclusion. Opponent AI is much improved over the previous game, and on harder difficulties will prove a worthy challenge to even seasoned lacrosse veterans.

It is the gameplay that really sets this game apart though, especially when taking on the career mode. Choosing to play as a specific player gives the game an added depth that you don’t get when playing as a generic team or coach. As you progress through the seasons, your character’s skills are slowly refined and you can see their potential to lead a championship team becoming clearer and clearer.

The biggest selling point of the game however is that it is a fantastic way to introduce the sport of lacrosse to those who have never played it before. It is a great showcase of the raw athleticism and skill that goes into this fascinating game, as well as highlighting the fact that it is a lot more fun to play than the overblown football/soccer/gridiron/basketball titles that flood our gaming shelves.