Sports (Soccer) / PC Portable / Release Oct 9 2001 / English / Size: 158 MB
Those who hammer the buttons on their gamepads as though they were
synthetic rodents in a whack-a-mole game had best prepare for their. The foremost proponent of willy-nilly button-beating, E@ Sports, has used the latest edition of its vaunted FIFA Soccer
series as a springboard to a more thoughtful and more challenging
control method that genuinely alters the way the game is played.
Penalizing adrenaline-fueled thumb jockeys and rewarding those who
initiate actions only after quick consideration, FIFA Soccer
is quite simply a more grown-up affair than its predecessors. That it
also offers improved passing and player movement and a generally more
credible feel are just two more reasons fans of real-life soccer will
find this the most enjoyable soccer experience on the PC to date.
Since its debut in the mid-1990s, the FIFA series has continually ranked as one of the strongest PC sports
games on the market. If the series had a low point, it was in the
highly stylized FIFA 2000, which focused on graphical prowess and
high-speed button pushing over believable gameplay. In doing so, it
seemed to herald a trend toward even more arcadelike gameplay Fortunately, things got
with last year's FIFA 2001, a game that showcased a renewed commitment
to authenticity and now can be viewed as an obvious stepping-stone to
this year's model.
In FIFA 2002, the gameplay is noticeably slower and more deliberate. Players behave even more like
than they have in the past--taking a few moments to gather in passes,
accelerating slowly, gaining momentum in their first few steps, and
ultimately losing steam toward the end. Rapid and repetitive button
presses only hinder subsequent maneuvers, and manually controlled speed
bursts do not generate the temporary supermen seen in prior editions.
Passes must be delivered with an emphasis on trajectory rather than raw
speed, and shots on the goal should be measured and carefully targeted
if you don't want to miss the net completely.
The art of tackling has undergone a particularly satisfying revision.
No longer do slide tackles carry a player 20 or 30 feet across the
field, razing opponents without fear of punishment. Now, you had best
measure your chances of contacting
first, or you'll risk drawing a yellow or red card. As such, an
aggressive tackle is recommended over a conservative approach only in
the most dire circumstances.
Neither rain nor night prevent games from being played through.
Artificially intelligent players without control of the ball
display newfound canniness in some situations, though they may just as
likely infuriate you in others. It all depends on whether the program
has been coded to recognize the play you want to set up. Normally,
teammates smartly predict strategies and move skillfully to open areas,
setting up for quick one-twos or running at double speed to await
perfectly timed lobs that drift just over the heads of defenders. EA
has added new visual cues such as trailing red streaks to help identify
which of your players is currently making a break for open ground.
Sadly, teammate reaction is less convincing when the human coach leads
his or her ballcarrier on an abnormal crossing pattern or otherwise
atypical maneuver. In such situations, nearby players tend to stop or
shuffle about listlessly rather than adjusting and moving where you
want them to go.
The ebb and flow of the team is especially believable. Offensive forays
are stifled not just with well-timed interceptions or tackles, but also
with appropriate positioning. Watching a computer-controlled side move
toward midfield, only to play the ball
back and regroup when faced with a threatening but as yet uncommitted
wall of defenders is something FIFA veterans have rarely seen before.
Shot and goal totals are still a bit too high, and defenses continue to
possess uncanny skill within the box--often dispossessing ball carriers
and picking up loose balls faster than they do anywhere else--but E@ Sports
has generally done a fine job determining the final tally according to
quality of opportunity and ball possession, total number of shots, and
overall dominance. In short, FIFA 2002 beckons you to play again if just to more effectively implement your strategy and more astutely man the controls.
FIFA Soccer
2002 is not completely void of the series' past problems, some of which
now seem more conspicuous simply because the rest of the game is so
darned good. The most prominent problem is its continuing inability to
properly generate the final scores of simulated contests in league or
tournament play. Whether you've been dominating prior games by scores
of 10-1 or losing them by the same margin, the programming consistently
spits out tight, low scoring results that might just as easily be a
draw as a victory one way or another. On the pitch, players will be
mystified when the referee blows his halftime or fulltime whistle right
in the midst of a breakaway, and they'll be annoyed when their
controllers just don't seem to respond as quickly as they should.
Diving saves are just part of the job for FIFA 2002 goaltenders.
It won't take returning players long to discover that E@ Sports
has paired FIFA's new physics and modeling authenticity with several
measurable graphic innovations. The prior edition, FIFA 2001, was
already one of the prettiest sports games on the market, and FIFA 2002
offers enough new wrinkles to warrant a close inspection even by those
who purchased last year's model. The pitch itself is brighter, sharper,
and far more representative of real grass. Players raise their arms to
call for passes and jostle about even more realistically. The crowd is
more colorful and alive than ever before, flying flags of the
participating nations and waving their arms when they see something
they like. User perspectives are doubled from last year's four to eight
with an extra manual "free cam" available during replays, yet E@ Sports
has curiously continued to confine the number of playable stadiums to
five, each of which is now generic. Fortunately, all five are
impressive.
As is typical for the series, FIFA 2002sports
three variations of playing conditions--day, night, and rain--the
latter of which combines visible droplets, overcast skies, an
appropriately faded color palette, and the roar of distant thunder and
the pitter-patter of precipitation. In addition, the FIFA audio scheme
is a surround-sound delight. Players grunt when they kick the ball, shout when they want the ball,
and howl painfully when hit with it. Returning BBC commentators John
Motsen and Andy Gray once again prove infinitely preferable to FIFA
2000's ESPN pairing of Phil Schoen and Julie Foudy, generally
exhibiting awareness of the play and a typically dry UK wit. Britain's
popular techno and dance purveyor provides the music, much of which is majestically electronic and seriously funkified.
FIFA 2002 is soccer simulation on the PC to date.
Off the pitch, FIFA 2002
is a managerial funhouse. Now, you can generate, edit, and otherwise
customize any number of new teams, then take one of those teams into a
league or tournament involving up to 32 of the game's 500-plus sides or
multiplayer contests via network, direct modem connection, or EA's own
Internet player-matching service. You can construct new players from
scratch, define skill levels in each of eight categories, then assign
such personal as age, nationality, clothing style, height, weight, and facial
features. Controller assignments are now fully adjustable, as are
virtually all other parameters.
Like most E@ Sports series, the FIFA series receives an annual upgrade
that addresses some concerns and leaves others for the next
installment. In this way, FIFA Soccer 2002 is no different from its
predecessors. However, E@ Sports decided to key on gameplay this time
around, and in the process it has successfully propelled the game
dangerously close to reality. This should sit well with anyone who
truly appreciates the nuances, subtlety, and pace of the real-world
sport.
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