FIFA Soccer 2004

"Hooked yet? You will be!"

I first played this game at a friend's house, and as soon as I had scored my first goal, I needed to own the game. It's unbelievable.

Graphics: 9/10
Absolutely gorgeous graphics, I was very impressed. The stadiums, lighting, players - all wonderfully rendered and crisp. The players faces are a little strange, with the variation from excellent to totally wrong (Gerard looks more like Rooney, I thought).
The crowd effects are good from close up - the camera angles from the stands add a fantastic touch to the goal replays. Little can be said for the long distance crowd effects - but you don't spend much time looking off the ball!

Sound: 8/10
The commentary to this game was very good, but after playing it for a few hours you notice the repetitions more and more. (Things such as comments about the pitch surface on almost every throw-in). However the crowd once again add wonderfully to the game - all I can say is that it's very realistic and really immerses you into the game. Just how it should be.

Controls: 7/10
I found these quite intuitive at first, but once you start getting used to the game you find that 'off the ball' controls are more and more important. This is quite difficult, as you need to concentrate on the player with the ball, as well as the player you are passing/crossing to all at the same time. It's a bit of a challenge and I'm still trying to get used to it. However the basic controls were a doddle to pick up and are perfectly fine to use until you have a sound understanding of the game. The only complaint I have is the shooting - if you cut across the goal and try to shoot, you will always miss. I'm unsure if it's a control issue, but I'll class it as one for this review.

Gameplay: 8/10
This game, to put it simply, 'flows'.
The physics is brilliant, and ball control is superb. I will complain about passing - if you pass directly to a player then that player stand still until they receive the ball, making them a prime target for a tackle. However if you aim the pass in front of them, this problem is eliminated. If the ball is rolling out of play another small issue occurs, it seems impossible to stop your player chasing it. This often results in the player touching the ball as it goes out, giving your opposition the throw.
However apart from those two things the game is near perfect. I love the 'lay off and shoot' option for free kicks - although a little tricky it is easy to pick up and give many a moment of tension! The player runs, offside replays, corners and free kicks are all brilliantly played and controlled, with some top quality replays. If it wasn't for the issues above, I would give this section 10/10.

Summary
Although this game has a few flaws, they are nothing major. It is a fantastic game that is begging to be played with friends, and is superb in single-player too. As for rent or buy - well I would suggest Renting it first. Since I've started playing console games more I have realised the godsend that is a video rental shop. However if you are anything like me, you will want to buy this game and will have a hard time taking it back!

Final rating: 8/10. Some flaws, but a fantastic game nonetheless.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 06/24/04