EA Sports Scores with FIFA 2002
Written: Nov 13 '01 (Updated Jan 07 '04)
|
Product Rating:
|
|
|
Pros: new control/gameplay elements, graphics, presentation, addicting, almost everything you need in a soccer game
Cons: takes awhile to get comfortable with the new passing system, no practice mode
The Bottom Line: Without a doubt one of EA Sports most revolutionary soccer title to come along since FIFA 98: Road to the World Cup. FIFA 2002 is awesome, nuff said.
|
|
|
| Horhay's Full Review: FIFA Soccer 2002 for PlayStation 2 |
Intro:
The last EA sports game I played was FIFA 2000 on the Playstation. I got my Playstation 2 a couple months ago, and I was debating on whether to buy FIFA 2001, knowing that FIFA 2002 was just around the corner. So instead of shelling out for 2001, I decided to wait for EA Sports? latest addition to the series. FIFA 2002 is probably the best game to come along in the series since FIFA 98: Road to the World Cup. The games following ?98 were good, but all of them were based on ?98?s gameplay. EA has been getting a lot of heat for making their soccer games unrealistic and too much like arcade games. It seems that they have listened to their fans, and as a result has totally redone some major aspects of the series.
Gameplay:
The FIFA series always seems to amaze me when it comes to options and gameplay modes, and 2002 is no different. This year?s version contains 16 leagues, 400 teams, and a handful of tournaments to play. There?s even a Road to 2002 World Cup mode. In this mode you select a team and play various matches in your soccer region and try to qualify for the World Cup. If you beat each region you are awarded with new tournaments. For example if you beat the UEFA (European) region, you will unlock the Euro Cup mode. It?s nice to know that there?s some sort of incentive to play a mode that you normally wouldn?t play.
One thing that bothered me about the qualifying is that once you?re done, you?re not taken to the World Cup, the game just ends right there. At first I thought it was a glitch, but after reading some stuff online the mode was meant to end that way. I think EA did this for two reasons. The first reason is that they would later release World Cup 2002 early next year, and the second being that they didn?t know all the teams that qualified. I found this to be no problem, because FIFA 2002 allows you customize your own tournaments and leagues. You can give the tournament a name, select the teams, and how it is going to be played. If you want the most realistic World Cup feel, go to www.fifa.com, and check out the teams that qualified so far, so you can add them to your customized tournament.
Speaking about customizing, FIFA 2002 lets you do practically anything to the teams and players. You can go the Creation Centre mode of the game and create your own teams, players, and edit existing players. The player creation is much deeper than any of the previous versions. There are more physical options for players, and freedom when it comes to their soccer attributes. The team management feature plays a big part of the game. You can create your lineups, buy/sell players, change strategies, and assign kick takers. Game options are plenty and offer a great amount of freedom. There are 3 difficulties you can choose from: Amateur, Professional, and World Class. You can change the button configuration on the controller, take off computer assistance, change the referee strictness, and change gameplay speed.
Enough details for now, I?ll talk about the game. The first huge improvement, or should I say change, is the passing system. The passing system in the previous games was very automatic. You press the pass button and the ball always landed to the intended player. As a result the games were high scoring and were way too easy. This year?s version gives players more control over the ball. In order to make a successful pass, the player must actually aim at their teammates and pass the ball using a power meter. What really amazed me was that this really changed the whole aspect of the game. It?s more of challenge and gives the game a realistic feeling. There?s even a little tutorial that veterans and first timers can go to for help. I?ve been playing FIFA games since ?94 and usually when I get a new version I put it on the Professional or World Class setting, but not this time. The passing system takes some time to get use to, and it took me about 10 matches on Amateur to really get a feel for the game.
Besides the passing system, EA also changed the shooting system. Again, players must actually aim at the goal and use a power meter to judge the height of their shots. Pressing the meter half way will produce a decent shot, while holding the button too long will cause you to blast the ball into the crowd. Shooting takes practice and a lot of patience. The ability to curve the balls using the R2 and L2 buttons really helps out. This allows you to send wicked centers in the box, or hard to reach shots for the goalie. Curving the ball can also be used when passing. Passes can be curved around your opponents and result into perfect through passes. Other offensive tactics include one touches, volleys, lobs, skill moves, and one-twos.
On the defensive side, players usually just boot the ball out of their side of the field. Skilled players may want to calm things down a bit by passing the ball to other defenders and midfielders. Defense mainly consists of slide tackles and soft tackles. A soft tackle is basically a player sticking their foot out at the opposing player. The slide tackling is more balance than before. Timing and the angle in you tackle are very important. Unlike previous versions, where almost every slide tackle took the ball away, FIFA 2002 tackles are way more realistic. The referee calls fouls whenever you tackle the player from behind. Goalies in FIFA 2002 are solid. They?ll make some pretty tough saves and they cover the goal well.
So how does FIFA 2002 fair against it predecessors? For starters the overall pace of the game is still fast, but at the same time it?s realistic. Games are much more intense and game scores aren?t super high. The focus on passing is a refreshing change for the series. It now requires players to find open men and be creative for once, instead of letting the computer do all the work. Pressure sensitive buttons, smooth analog control, and customizable buttons provide FIFA 2002 with a rock solid control. In terms of replay value you can?t cry about anything. Playing with a friend is great, there are lots of tournaments to play in, and you can pretty much customize everything.
Graphics:
The game looks awesome. Player models are good, and their animations on the field are equally impressive. The game runs very smooth, but on occasion there is some slowdown during certain parts of the game, nothing too big though. The stadiums are massive, the fields are lush, and stadium structure shadows that fall on the fields look cool. Crowds are some of the best I?ve seen in a sports game. They wave flags, jump up and down, and you?ll even see colorful flares glowing in the crowd. The extra details like security guards, cameramen, team benches, and linesmen add a nice touch to the soccer atmosphere. Replays and various cut-scenes demonstrate some eye-catching visuals, as well as nice camera work.
Sound:
The commentary is done by John Matson and Andy Gray. John covers most of the action on field. His comments are up to speed with the action and every once in a while he says some good stuff. Andy Gray does a pretty good job too, although his comments seem sparse throughout the games. Crowd sound effects are great. They will cheer when a goalie makes a save, boo when a foul is committed, and aw at close shots. The music is pretty good too, and you have the option of actually hearing the music while you play the game. Music consists of European dance techno music. So you?re either going to love it or hate it. I found it to fit well with the game, since some soccer programs use this type of music when showing highlights of games.
Overall:
It?s been quite some time since I've played a soccer game as engrossing as FIFA 2002. I?ve been playing it for 2 weeks, and I can?t get enough of it. The new passing system, plethora of modes, awesome graphics, and extra features will keep any fan of the series satisfied, as will as occupied until next year?s game. If you love sports games or soccer games, then I recommend picking FIFA 2002 right now. Even non-soccer fans should give the game a shot.
Recommended:
Yes
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
Horhay
|
 - Top 1000 |
|
Member: Jorge Vazquez
Location: San Francisco, CA
Reviews written: 158
Trusted by: 139 members
About Me:
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.