FIFA Soccer 2002

"Best soccer game of the season for PC!"

FIFA 2002 for the PC is a pretty good soccer game, and it's the best (only?) soccer game on the PC this year. Let's get this thing started;

Graphics: 6/10, 9/10

Why the duel score? Well, there's a good reason, the cut scene models are amazing, while the in-game looks are just decent. The first time you have a booking called, and you see the player and the ref arguing, you'll agree that the models are amazing for this game. It is also amazingly fluid too, a guy falling from a slide tackle falls as he should, a guy missing a header and falling after hitting his foe is a very good touch, and the goalie animations are _very_ good.

Gameplay: 8/10

The game is very easy to play and also has a good set of moves. You can pull off a bicycle kick, hit the ball with a header, or volley the ball across field. The team selection is also very good. There are so many teams, that no one will be left out when trying to find a team. A very good part of the gameplay is the way the referees work. They'll call anything that becomes apparent to them, although they drop the ball sometimes, and is a good touch, compared to games that'll have you screaming at the ref for missing calls. You'll find teams for countries you weren't ever aware of! My only gripe is the shoot out controls. It is not only hard to goal tend, it's also kind of hard to get that kick you want. If the controls there were as simple as in game ones, the gameplay would be nearly flawless.

Sound: 10/10

Normally you don't see a score like this for sound in a sports game, but the sound is good for even an RPG! The kicks make good sounds, the crowd boos and cheers at appropriate times, and the commentary sounds like they did each sentence one at a time! It's so streamlined, you just may forget it's a game! This is far unlike most sports games, where the commentary is as fluid as a solid rock. The sound is a great element to this game

Summary: If you want a good soccer game (that'll be going to the bargain bins soon) go to your local computer game shop and pick it up. A good add on is the World cup pack. If you're on a real binge, you might want to pick that pack up, while you're at it.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 09/30/02, Updated 09/30/02