Pure Pool

 PlayStation 4
User Score
6.9

Mixed or average reviews- based on 85 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 47 out of 85
  2. Mixed: 24 out of 85
  3. Negative: 14 out of 85
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  1. OPD006
    Dec 4, 2017
    5
    Cannot beat perfectly programed bots they seldom scratch or miss a shot. A human has no chance. And the pockets are too tight. I have been playing against Joshua King whose bio lists him as an ammature but when he starts a game he is listed as a master. Ive played 8 ball 45 times and won 12 but was never given credit for using 70% power. Therefore I can't advance in the 8 ball tournament.Cannot beat perfectly programed bots they seldom scratch or miss a shot. A human has no chance. And the pockets are too tight. I have been playing against Joshua King whose bio lists him as an ammature but when he starts a game he is listed as a master. Ive played 8 ball 45 times and won 12 but was never given credit for using 70% power. Therefore I can't advance in the 8 ball tournament. Im upset about it. Im a level 76 player and have advanced to Hustler status. Purepool needs to be fixed a bit.… Expand
  2. system11
    Nov 15, 2014
    7
    Really well polished pool game with a relaxing atmosphere. Best played with friends because the AI players get too difficult too quickly. One miss and you may aswell restart the game even half way through amateur.
  3. DravenRainrix
    Aug 1, 2014
    5
    Showing promise, feels like a paid for demo.
    Firstly, yes, the visuals are as stunning as a pool game probably could be. The balls looks suspiciously like very shiny balls, the table has nicely detailed cloths and decals on them, if you choose to have them on.
    Sound is good, plenty of ambient noise, sounds like you're in a hotel bar and shooting a little pool. Clacking of the balls is    Showing promise, feels like a paid for demo.
    Firstly, yes, the visuals are as stunning as a pool game probably could be. The balls looks suspiciously like very shiny balls, the table has nicely detailed cloths and decals on them, if you choose to have them on.

    Sound is good, plenty of ambient noise, sounds like you're in a hotel bar and shooting a little pool. Clacking of the balls is good and the "thunk" as the cue hits the ball is satisfying.

    BUT < and believe me, that but is so big you could fit 20 PS4s end to end between the B and the T, the lack of game types, customization, career and general options lets the game down horribly.

    It has 3 game modes. US 8 ball, 9 ball, Accumulator....... that's it. Where is Rotation? Straight pool? Killer? 3Ball? let alone even more obscure versions of pool like Golf, 1Pocket or Bank pool.

    There is only one location. It looks nice though. there's a bit of movement in the background but nothing off putting. I wouldn't study it too hard or you will notice that it's not as good as a quick glance would lead you to believe.

    Game play is also a little limited. You can use side, back and top spin. You can also raise your cue butt.
    BUT, don 't be expecting to pull off the type of shots the pros of Youtube make. You can barely swerve the ball, barely jump the ball and when you do either you can't really control where it ends up. The basic controls are enough, however, to play a basic game of pool.

    On the whole.
    For the money they're charging the game isn't bad, but it does feel like you're paying for a limited demo, kind of like there's a really great pool game on the way and this is just to show you what they're working on. For now, if you have a PS3 / X360, Stick to Pool Nation and keep an eye on Pure Pool.... hopefully it will grow up and be a great game.    … Expand
  4. Snerp
    Feb 16, 2015
    7
    The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

    To start "The Good" – the games looks amazing and the physics are very good. Other than the career mode, this game is quite fun. Lots of fun challenges to keep you busy for hours. For online games with friends there are some server glitches every once in awhile, but I expect this with any PS4 game these days. For $10 bucks you get a fairly decent game so I    The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

    To start "The Good" – the games looks amazing and the physics are very good. Other than the career mode, this game is quite fun. Lots of fun challenges to keep you busy for hours. For online games with friends there are some server glitches every once in awhile, but I expect this with any PS4 game these days. For $10 bucks you get a fairly decent game so I really can't complain...but I will LOL!

    "The Bad" –The angles are not perfect in some situations so you will miss several shots until you get used to the wonky view. Also the colour selections of the table felt are too dark and you can't see the far corner pockets very well. I used the slate as this seems to be the best in my opinion. The background music which is 3 or so ambient instrumental lounge songs will get annoying quick, just go to your setting and turn the volume off.

    "The Ugly" – Like most have mentioned here when you start out in the 8 ball amateur career (or any career) the AI seems fairly well balanced, then soon the AI becomes nearly impossible to beat. If you miss one shot your done. Sometimes you won't even get a shot. For purists I guess this ok, for casual players this blows. Too bad there is such un-ballanced AI, because at some point the fun fades and the frustration starts. If there where settings to allow the player to dial down the AI's ability, it would make for a much more enjoyable game for us casual players. Also you will spend way too much time watching the AI take it's sweet time lining up shots, basically if the game is 4 minutes, 3 minutes will be you bored to death watching the AI.

    That's my take on Pure Pool.    … Expand
  5. DaReapa
    Jul 30, 2014
    6
    Pithing, I echo your sentiment exactly. Given the rather mediocre initial lineup of the next gen consoles, believe it or not, this easily became one of my most anticipated titles following last winter's announcement. And considering how great Hustle Kings was last gen, I figured this game could do NO wrong. What a major disappointment I set myself up for. As I was playing, I could notPithing, I echo your sentiment exactly. Given the rather mediocre initial lineup of the next gen consoles, believe it or not, this easily became one of my most anticipated titles following last winter's announcement. And considering how great Hustle Kings was last gen, I figured this game could do NO wrong. What a major disappointment I set myself up for. As I was playing, I could not believe how much of a step back the game had taken from HK. The lack of a more refined shot sensitivity adjustment other than the analog stick, lack of an overhead cam view, no resetting of your shot position, no alternate control options, an assist marker you can't rid yourself of, no custom online lobby,...I could go on and on.
    Who knows. Maybe there's a major update in order to add in features from HK, but I really expected more from VooFoo entering the next gen.    … Expand
  6. RonsonBurner
    Aug 5, 2014
    7
    Overall good game, but is lacking in several areas. Graphics are great, physics are pretty good, and it's cheap. But... The rules are not true to life and take away from strategy, 8 ball is one of the most strategically demanding games in pool. There are no diamonds on the table. The viewing angles are limited, no top view? No gambling like in the demo. No user tournaments? MoreOverall good game, but is lacking in several areas. Graphics are great, physics are pretty good, and it's cheap. But... The rules are not true to life and take away from strategy, 8 ball is one of the most strategically demanding games in pool. There are no diamonds on the table. The viewing angles are limited, no top view? No gambling like in the demo. No user tournaments? More customization would be nice. I like it, but I can't go higher than 7.… Expand
  7. inmh
    Jun 17, 2022
    6
    Fun enough... Until you start playing against the AI opponents in the tournaments.

    An AI that is difficult to compete against is fine; an AI that pockets all the balls before I ever have a chance to take a turn is bull. And this wasn't just a one-off, it happened MULTIPLE times, which was absolutely ridiculous. In that same vein, not being able to fast-forward or skip through the    Fun enough... Until you start playing against the AI opponents in the tournaments.

    An AI that is difficult to compete against is fine; an AI that pockets all the balls before I ever have a chance to take a turn is bull. And this wasn't just a one-off, it happened MULTIPLE times, which was absolutely ridiculous.

    In that same vein, not being able to fast-forward or skip through the AI's gameplay (i.e. they take their turn but I don't have to watch all of it) is particularly frustrating, because it turns the game into Spectating Simulator real fast when you're up against an AI that's just pocketing all the balls. Now I'm just watching a computer play pool for five minutes before losing a match without ever taking a turn.    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

62
#62 Best PS4 Game of 2014
71
#71 Most Discussed PS4 Game of 2014
46
#46 Most Shared PS4 Game of 2014

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
75

Generally favorable reviews - based on 14 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 14
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 14
  3. Negative: 0 out of 14
  1. Playstation Official Magazine UK
    Sep 29, 2014
    80
    Plucky. [Oct 2014, p.92]
  2. Playstation Official Magazine Australia
    Sep 19, 2014
    60
    Pure Pool is as succinct a product as its name suggests. Expect solid ball-on-ball action but little more. [October 2014, p82]
  3. Everyeye.it
    Sep 4, 2014
    70
    A solid start for a pool simulator: the way to catch Hustle Kings is long, but with this physics simulation and an interesting online structure Pure Pool will be appreciated from fans of the genre.
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