FIFA Soccer 2003
Score: 80% ESRB: Everyone Publisher: EA Sports Developer: EA Games Media: DVD/1 Players: 1 - 4 Genre: Sports
Graphics & Sound: It seems EA Sports is refusing to quit with the great appearance of each of their products, no matter what the sport. FIFA Soccer 2003 is no exception. Despite the multiple players, along with large soccer crowds, the player models look very realistic with their graphics and animations. The crowds are even more impressive, and look identical to what we have come to see in soccer stadiums. The venues alone are picturesque, and adding players to the mixture completes the depiction of what soccer truly is all about. I wasn't as impressed with the English speaking fellows of FIFA Soccer 2003. Sure, they called a good game... but how about some excitement from the announcer's booth. That's when I changed the language over to Spanish. The only word I understood was, "GOOOAAAALLLLL!!!!!" Still, I was energized to actually play soccer. For all I know, the announcers could have said they were wearing dresses. So much for four years of Spanish. But who cares? They were exciting to listen to. That's the whole point of commentary. Besides the men in the booth, I really enjoyed the realism that came with FIFA Soccer. The crowds were constantly reacting to the game.
Gameplay: Despite the impressive look of FIFA Soccer 2003, I wasn't all that amazed with the actual game. The biggest problem I had when trying to run my offense was that my passes never went the way I wanted them to. Sometimes, I wanted a touch pass; instead, my guy would drill it at his teammate's head. Other times, I'd try to pass off for a one-timer; the only problem was that my guy would kick it straight into the defender's legs. Defense never really is a big problem, because the two different tackle buttons allow you to strip the ball fairly easily. There are different modes for FIFA 2003. Playing a Friendly Match allows you to play a match between international teams and leagues from around the world. Playing a Club Championship Friendly lets you play with any of the top 18 club teams in the world. Then you can also play through a Club Championship Season, again with one of the top 18 club teams. Or just play through five Seasons with a club team from one of 14 leagues worldwide. If anything else, just head straight to the Tournament, where you can select from one of six different tournaments, each with their own competition structure and invited clubs. Anyone confused?
Difficulty: FIFA Soccer 2003 offers four different degrees of difficulty: Amateur, Semi-Pro, Professional, and World Class. On Amateur, the net seemed to be twice as large. On Semi-Pro, I couldn't get more than five shots on goal. There was just too much of a contrast between difficulties. One thing I did like was if I was either kicking butt, or getting my butt kicked, the computer would ask me during the game if I'd like to go up or down a level. It's nice to know someone cares.
Game Mechanics: Freestyle Control is offered in the controller configuration. However, the problem is you never get a chance to use it because you are constantly being attacked the second you receive the ball. Meanwhile, sometimes I'd press a button to pass it off, and it'd get stolen away. Other times, I'd try to pass, and it'd wait a few seconds until my small window of scoring opportunity passed. The good news is that the loading time is very minimal, as is the amount of space required to save the game. Die hard soccer fans will enjoy FIFA Soccer 2003, simply because it's soccer. However, if you're like me, who plays soccer as a pacer between football and basketball, then consider this a rental.
-Red Dawg, GameVortex Communications AKA Alex Redmann
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