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'World Championship Darts' brings together the high drama of major championships with a control method that recreates the skills of a top arrows player. Classic commentary from Sid Waddell and Sky-Sports style presentation make for an enthralling spectacle in both one and two player modes. Meanwhile for those post-pub gaming marathons there are the 13 party games for up to four players.
The game presents the sport of darts in the way you're used to on TV, with dramatic close-ups capturing the excitement of the major competitions. Watch the camera zoom in on the treble twenty when a 180 is in the offing and see how the big moment affects a player's aim.
The first port of call for the beginning is the Quick Game mode. Here a single player, or two players, can set up a match at one of three venues and play using PDC World Championship Darts' innovate control scheme. It's here that you can get to grips with what it takes to become world number one. You'll play the traditional game here, with the winner of each leg being the first to reach zero from 301, 501 or 701 with a double.
Two control methods are offered to players, amateur and professional. In both cases the actual movements required by the player are akin to those used when throwing real darts. To aim, the player places the crosshair over the point he/she hopes to hit on the dart board. Now holding down the left mouse button, the player pulls back the mouse to power up the shot, and then pushes it forward to release the dart towards the board.
In amateur mode the player is guided by an on-screen power meter. Here a marker shows the required power to hit the board where the crosshair is pointing. Too little power and the dart will fall short and land lower on the board, too much power and the dart will hit the board much higher than the aim point. If the mouse movement isn't in a straight line the dart can end up off-target to the left or right. A steady hand is required, just like the real thing.
For budding professionals there's a tougher control often available. Professional mode is just like playing real darts. Once again you'll aim using the crosshair, but there's no power meter to guide you this time. Your skill and judgement are required to decide how far to pull back the dart before releasing it towards the board. Success with this control method requires practice but skilled players will quickly learn to judge how much power to use by watching their character's arm as the throw is made.
For an even greater long term challenge players can enjoy the career mode. Create your own player, choose his entrance music, shirt and control method before embarking on a multi-year career in the world of top-level professional darts. Each season requires you to take part in the available tournaments with the aim being to rise to the very top and become world number one.
Party games come in a variety of forms. At the simplest level you can use these three control methods to player regular 301, 501 and 701 to zero games. Pub classics are featured in the game such as Around the Clock, where doubles in order from one to twenty are required to win the match. Other fun darts variations are featured including Cricket - where one team tries to score before the other team tries to bowl them out by repeatedly hitting the bull's-eye and or Killer, where the idea is to take out your opponent. All in all there are 13 party games to be enjoyed in PDC World Darts Championship.
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