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If the PFA decided that the footballers are going to strike, then grab yourself a copy of FIFA 2002 and settle down to some virtual action….
The FIFA series for producing football simulation games for the PC has been going since 1995 with their first release, and has kept going ever since with a new version released each year, usually just in time for the Christmas market. Produced by EA sports, (electronic arts), it is consistently one of the best, with rivals like ISS and Actua Soccer coming in behind. Though they may be criticized for each game being a little too similar, like they claim, they are the kings in this game. Will their latest offering be any different?
Ok, so where do you want to begin? Basically the whole idea of the FIFA series is a football based game that you take control of a team, and try to win as much as possible. You physically control the player’s movements, the shots, the passes and tackles go through you. This is not a management sim, though you can change the tactics and substitutions. There are three difficulty settings, amateur, professional, and world class. Armature is the easiest, and very easy, simply for finding your feet at first. The other two are harder, though with time you can master even the top setting. Once you have done this the game loses a lot of its charm, this can be anything from a few days to a few months, depending how much you play it.
Basically the game is split into the competitions that can be found in real life. The main options are to do a full season, a cup competition, friendly or a world cup qualification. All are pretty self-explanatory, a friendly is a one off game to test any two teams, cups include the European Cup, FA Cup, though some need to be unlocked (more on that later). In world cup qualification you guide your chosen team from four qualifying zones to qualification for the FIFA world cup to be held in Japan and S. Korea next summer. A season allows you to play a league calendar, with league tables, but with other cup competitions throughout the duration. The season is a new addition; it allows much more interaction, as you can play over more than one year, with cups added into the same game. You can qualify for Europe if you do well, or face relegation if you do less well. If you do even better an win some things, there are a selection of hidden or locked competitions for you to uncover as the game progresses. For example if you quality a team from the UEFA group in world cup qualifying, then you unlock the European Championships competition. This is a nice little touch, it adds a bit of enjoyment and long lasting action and enjoyment down the line, whist giving you something to aim for.
With each new game that comes out there are certain changes that are made. Some are obvious, some less so, but it takes a good change to make a curial difference to the game overall, and makes me want to buy the game new. For me FIFA 2002 has this, just something extra that takes it above and beyond. The graphics are notably better, not just the new textured pitches, or the smoother animation, but just general advances. For the first time, EA have got the licensing needed to reproduce the players faces. That’s right, in FIFA 2002, you can actually tell the difference between players as they look (reasonably) like their real life counterparts. People also look different sizes, for example Paul Scholes is quite short, while faced against the larger Sol Campbell. Also there are plenty of action off the pitch, from subs warming up, linesmen, advertising hoardings and cameramen. A few things, when you score a goal, the net bulges, but the ball does not go into the bulge, and linesmen leave a lot to be desired. It is all an improvement, though it is not perfect there are big changes and the graphics are quite something, very nice while still giving good, playable speeds.
Other new features include an improvement in the general game play of the game. There is more of a feeling with the players, you have more control over their actions, while adding new commands and skills to the game, as well as general control. A new feature, one of the most useful is the chance to give players runs, and play the ball into space. People can run onto through balls, on the other versions all passes were played to feet. Little coloured blots appear in front of a player just as he sets off on a run, showing where he will run to, you press a button to tell him to make the run and press pass and it you are good or lucky them you will play a perfect through ball. Also an option to play little one-twos with players has been added, as has new ball skills and fakes.
The shooting and passing methods have also been changed in the latest version. In the old games, shots and passes were automatically aimed to the goal, or the nearest player. In 2002 there is much more control over the direction of the ball by the person. It is possible to widely miss the target, and play very sloppy passes. To shoot you hold down the button, and a bar will appear in the bottom on the screen. When it reaches the top end it will turn green for a maximum power shot, release the button and you are off with a screamer into the top corner (allegedly). If you hold it down too long it will go red, and miss by a long way. You can also put curve on the shots, the computer has obviously mastered this, sadly I am some way off this yet. The improvements are for the better, it is much more realistic and I feel better, though some may say it is harder.
The big decision is if it is worth purchasing the new game. If you have not got a recent version of this series, then FIFA 2002 represents new heights of graphics and game play, for others it may be less so, and a waste of £35. The choice is yours, though I strongly recommend this, it is THE best football game at the moment, and great value whatever you pay for it.
The FIFA series for producing football simulation games for the PC has been going since 1995 with their first release, and has kept going ever since with a new version released each year, usually just in time for the Christmas market. Produced by EA sports, (electronic arts), it is consistently one of the best, with rivals like ISS and Actua Soccer coming in behind. Though they may be criticized for each game being a little too similar, like they claim, they are the kings in this game. Will their latest offering be any different?
Ok, so where do you want to begin? Basically the whole idea of the FIFA series is a football based game that you take control of a team, and try to win as much as possible. You physically control the player’s movements, the shots, the passes and tackles go through you. This is not a management sim, though you can change the tactics and substitutions. There are three difficulty settings, amateur, professional, and world class. Armature is the easiest, and very easy, simply for finding your feet at first. The other two are harder, though with time you can master even the top setting. Once you have done this the game loses a lot of its charm, this can be anything from a few days to a few months, depending how much you play it.
Basically the game is split into the competitions that can be found in real life. The main options are to do a full season, a cup competition, friendly or a world cup qualification. All are pretty self-explanatory, a friendly is a one off game to test any two teams, cups include the European Cup, FA Cup, though some need to be unlocked (more on that later). In world cup qualification you guide your chosen team from four qualifying zones to qualification for the FIFA world cup to be held in Japan and S. Korea next summer. A season allows you to play a league calendar, with league tables, but with other cup competitions throughout the duration. The season is a new addition; it allows much more interaction, as you can play over more than one year, with cups added into the same game. You can qualify for Europe if you do well, or face relegation if you do less well. If you do even better an win some things, there are a selection of hidden or locked competitions for you to uncover as the game progresses. For example if you quality a team from the UEFA group in world cup qualifying, then you unlock the European Championships competition. This is a nice little touch, it adds a bit of enjoyment and long lasting action and enjoyment down the line, whist giving you something to aim for.
With each new game that comes out there are certain changes that are made. Some are obvious, some less so, but it takes a good change to make a curial difference to the game overall, and makes me want to buy the game new. For me FIFA 2002 has this, just something extra that takes it above and beyond. The graphics are notably better, not just the new textured pitches, or the smoother animation, but just general advances. For the first time, EA have got the licensing needed to reproduce the players faces. That’s right, in FIFA 2002, you can actually tell the difference between players as they look (reasonably) like their real life counterparts. People also look different sizes, for example Paul Scholes is quite short, while faced against the larger Sol Campbell. Also there are plenty of action off the pitch, from subs warming up, linesmen, advertising hoardings and cameramen. A few things, when you score a goal, the net bulges, but the ball does not go into the bulge, and linesmen leave a lot to be desired. It is all an improvement, though it is not perfect there are big changes and the graphics are quite something, very nice while still giving good, playable speeds.
Other new features include an improvement in the general game play of the game. There is more of a feeling with the players, you have more control over their actions, while adding new commands and skills to the game, as well as general control. A new feature, one of the most useful is the chance to give players runs, and play the ball into space. People can run onto through balls, on the other versions all passes were played to feet. Little coloured blots appear in front of a player just as he sets off on a run, showing where he will run to, you press a button to tell him to make the run and press pass and it you are good or lucky them you will play a perfect through ball. Also an option to play little one-twos with players has been added, as has new ball skills and fakes.
The shooting and passing methods have also been changed in the latest version. In the old games, shots and passes were automatically aimed to the goal, or the nearest player. In 2002 there is much more control over the direction of the ball by the person. It is possible to widely miss the target, and play very sloppy passes. To shoot you hold down the button, and a bar will appear in the bottom on the screen. When it reaches the top end it will turn green for a maximum power shot, release the button and you are off with a screamer into the top corner (allegedly). If you hold it down too long it will go red, and miss by a long way. You can also put curve on the shots, the computer has obviously mastered this, sadly I am some way off this yet. The improvements are for the better, it is much more realistic and I feel better, though some may say it is harder.
The big decision is if it is worth purchasing the new game. If you have not got a recent version of this series, then FIFA 2002 represents new heights of graphics and game play, for others it may be less so, and a waste of £35. The choice is yours, though I strongly recommend this, it is THE best football game at the moment, and great value whatever you pay for it.
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And still no HOLSTEN sponsor on the spurs shirt :(
Well thats down to opinion.
I played it the other day and i have to say, its worse than 2001, how the hell did EA manage that!?
I played it the other day and i have to say, its worse than 2001, how the hell did EA manage that!?
i think he like it, it's not that bad
That was a good post there, now, most people know my thoughts in Fifa, and i have to ask, was that a blatant GAD or do you actually like the game?
Fifa 2002 is different on all the other games it kind of aimed for and on the passes now on this game it envolves alot more skill to shoot and score and to make good passes they even make runs now it has had changes i think it's much better much more skill involved
I didnt have nothing against the FIFA games until last year. The games were very good graphic-wise and were always fun to play. This is why I enjoyed all FIFA games from FIFA 95 to FIFA 99 and even 2000. But then the games just failed to change enough to attract my attention and ISS series have developed a lot in just 3 years. So I mean why a huge company such as EA cannot make a great football game??Because I mean THEY CAN-they are just afraid to experiment with the tested formula
all the fifa games where brilliant i can't understand how people can say there rubbish when there so great and now with Fifa 2002 you need more skill like for scorung and passing you can really see if your good or not because you need skill for this game
Why do you all dis this game it's good, i bet most of you have never played on it i mean i don't dis Pro Evo Soccer do i now
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