FIFA Soccer 2004

"My fav fútbol game"

Ah yes, the first FIFA game I've actually bought rather than played at a friend's house; and I must say, it is a pretty damn good game. With great graphics [ atleast from far away ;) ], awesome sound, and addictive gameplay; this has to be one of my favorite futbol [football/soccer] games ever! So allow me to break it down.

Graphics 8/10
Seeing this game in motion just puts me in awe. It looks just like a soccer game on Telemundo! and well... It just looks great! That is until it zooms in... The players' knees just look...odd. That's the best word I could come up with. You really have to see it to understand what I'm trying to say. Oh and btw, this is just me but I think that the little cinematic for the corner kick is just out of place, but neways!

Sound 10/10
Perfect. That just sums it up right there. The crowd and it's oohs, aahs, and chants [I've yet to hear the Spanish "Ole" chant yet, but i still have hope]. The English commentators are done very well, I guess. I really wouldn't know seeing as how I watch futbol en español ;). Now the Spanish commentators are just friggin' awesome! Sooo just to restate myself, I find the sound to be PERFECT

Gamplay/Controls 8/10
Lil weird if you're just getting into futbol, namely the controls and offsides, Hell I'll talk about the controls now. When you look in the manual the controls look pretty simple, A-pass B-shoot X-lob and Y-through ball, but once you get into the game all you'll prolly do is pass and shoot. You can also do lil tricks to evade with the right joystick but they usually just mess you up. And when you want to lob the ball it's hard to know how long to hold the X-button for a given receiver. When you press the white button you enable this new(?) off-the-ball feature where you basically can pick and guide the receiver you want so you can position him for a goal and what-not, but i usually end up getting off-sides with this :'(. But other than that the gameplay is just fantastic! I even find myself standing up everytime I make a goal. And the feeling you get when you score a free kick with a beautiful spin... awesome. Oh one last thing, there's no world cup in this game *tear*

Buy/Rent: Like all games, you should rent before you buy, just to see if you enjoy it. But in some areas, futbol isn't really popular and can be hard to find @ Blockbuster, Hollywood Video, etc. so you can just buy it and return it if you don't like it.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 07/06/04