FIFA Soccer 2003

"Well seeing as just about everyone knows someone with a FIFA game or owns one, the big question is, how can they improve on it this time?"

To be perfectly honest, I have only ever OWNED two FIFA games: FIFARTWC98 (N64) and FIFAWC2002 (GC) but had always liked the FIFA games best until PES (PS2) but when I sold my (3 months old) PS2 I was on the look out for a new football game which could compare to the PES magic. I was still on my search until last Saturday and here is why......

Gameplay: If you are an ISS enthusiast, chances are you will be better at this game than a FIFA veteran because the way players move seem eerily familiar to ISS98 (N64) but that in my opinion works well. Now the players take their time when they turn while sprinting with the ball and there is a new meter which limits how long they can run before they get burned out which prevents the super runs of old. As the ball play goes, the through ball system from World Cup 2002 returns but now their are buttons specific for through balls: L to set people up for runs and Y to do the through balls. You can do either separately or combine. As well as the through balls their are the traditional ''Homing'' passes but they do not always hit home (unless you are a cyborg or really good) which brings on allot more counter-attacking play into......play. Also free kicks (within shooting range) are a dream to take. I'm sure than not everyone will like the new system but in my opinion the new system allows for allot of Bechamesque / Gerrardesque/ Murphyesque/ Justaboutanyone Vs David Seamanesque style free kicks. Oh and when your running with the ball, you can do a knock on just by using the C stick. Well anyway onto the defensive style of play, their is nothing much to say about except that for the normal tackles, you can hold down the button to run against the other player and try and get the ball away from them. As said earlier (see homing passes) interceptions are more frequent and finally the sliding tackles bring up much shorter distance. All in all, a great improvement on previous games.

Teams: As usual, allot of club teams, now including those of (I can't remember all of the names so bear with me) the Premiership, Bundesliga, La Ligua, French 1st Div, Serie A, Austrian T Mobile League, Belgian League, Danish League, K-League, USA League, the Brazilian League, ''Rest of the World'' and of course Most of the International squads (and more) from this years World Cup.Oh and a few extras.....

Modes: As usual, Exhibition, League and tournaments as well as the ability to create your own. Oh and Club Championship which is basically the best teams from each league playing in a league to determine the best.

Graphics: Clearer, sharper and better than ever. The collision detection has gotten a lot better as well but you can still make tackles to knock people down without ever touching them.

Audio: A brilliant soundtrack bar a few exceptions (Ms Dynamite springs to mind) and as for the matches, all of the sounds which have become staple to Football games as well as authentic chants for the big clubs, ranging from You'll Never Walk Alone (Liverpool) to Arsenal FC (if you can't work out what team that chant is about you deserve to be shot or forced to watch 50 Al Snow matches a day for life).

Play back value?: Well if you only play this once you must either 1. Be crazy, 2. Not understand Football (or soccer for any American readers) or 3.All of the above. The only way you can get sick of this game is if you play 90min matches like in real life or if the next ISS or FIFA are better.

UPDATE-Problems: Yes this game has problems and I'm just writing this without checking what else I have previously written so bear with me. Ariel maneuvers on this game are so ridiculously hard to pull off that why they are even their is a mystery. Sure you CAN do headers but unlike what the manual may say, offensive headers and volleys require PERFECT timing and even then it might not work so what has happened? It has come to my attention also that you can score from halfway at least once per match, hmm... On a lighter note, their can be slowdown but since I got the game on it's release (ok the next day) it has only done so twice and doesn't affect the gameplay as it is over in a second.

Rent or buy: If football is you thing then this is a must buy, if you have a faint interest, buy and if your neither of these rent it and you shouldn't be disappointed. Only one more thing to say about this game, (other than the best FIFA ever) but this is a British thing, unless you know who Peter Kay is, and that is: 'Ave it!

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 11/04/02, Updated 11/14/02