Whats Up: Graphics are absolutely gorgeous, with transition
scenes that make the *game* look like a television-style presentation;
the new passing system gives extra freedom to pass exactly where you
want; plenty of modes, tournaments and teams are included.
Whats down: Some die-hard FIFA fans might be put off by the new
passing system; the default game speed is way too slow, pay a quick
visit to the options screen to make it faster; you still have to wait
for a motion-captured animation to finish before a player can change
direction.
A great addition to the FIFA Soccer series, with a couple of new gameplay
tweaks which should win over the arcade gamers out there (but might
drive away a few others). Still the best of a great series.
The first noticeable control change is in how the player passes. In
previous FIFA games you need only click a button and your player would
pass the ball off to the nearest team-mate in the direction you were
facing. Now you not only have to face in the right direction, you
need to time the ball and get the angle just right, or you'll find
the ball rolling over the sideline, or worse falling to the feet of
your opponents. The developers have also incorporated a power meter
when kicking, so you can poke soft shots around if you so desire,
or you can opt to boot the ball up the field with all your might.
This becomes essential for goal scoring, as a soft shot will be easily
recovered by the keeper, whereas a very hard shot will sail over the
bar for a goal kick. You even have to aim directly at the goal in
order to have a hope of scoring (something which has always been AI-assisted
in the past).
The use of one-two passing is also a big feature of the gameplay,
and can lead to some excellent goal-scoring opportunities, but can
also lead to some disastrous situations if you start passing too close
to your own goal (as you'd be effectively taking two of your defenders
out of the play with a one-two combo). The new passing engine also
prevents a favoured tactic of many FIFA fans, so if you think you're
going to run up the sideline and constantly lob the ball in for a
bicycle kick or header then you've got a big shock on the way. That's
not to say that these tactics aren't possible anymore, but to do them
consistently you'll need plenty of practice.
Like
This is Soccer, EA have gone the worldly route and included teams
from all over the globe in FIFA 2002 (yes even New Zealand is playable).
With 10 tourneys, 16 leagues and well over 500 teams on offer there
should be plenty here to please even the most die-hard of soccer fanatics.
Even more features can be unlocked including new tournaments which
just add to the game's longevity. EA have also made sure that you
can play through any of the World Cup qualification rounds, so you
get a real "road to the World Cup" experience. Add to all
this the ability to edit a team's roster as well as creating your
own players and you can see why this game is good value for money.
