In the video games Premier League the winner in terms of sales has always been EA's FIFA series. Purists prefer Konami's ISS games, which offer a more refined "realistic" approach than FIFA's end-to-end goal-fests, but now, not content with being number one in the market, the latter game has decided it wants to be loved by serious footy fans everywhere and has radically overhauled its gameplay concept. The idea is that no longer can you just ping the ball from end to end with a simple press of a button or sprint down the wing and score from the perfect cross each time. Judicious use of the Dual Shock controller ensures that crosses, passes and shots are defined by the amount of force applied and the left analogue stick determines the direction of the ball. Although this adds a welcome depth, FIFA veterans may find the new control system over-elaborate and fiddly.
Unfortunately, the addition of in-depth gameplay comes at the expense of graphical quality--FIFA Football 2002 is a big step down from last year's version. Even high-profile players like Beckham are virtually unrecognisable and although there are some neat new animations the overall effect is of an enhanced PSone game rather than a genuine next-generation product. But the players are real, all the leagues are present and correct (including the Austrian and Korean leagues for the soccer completists), and the multi-player mode is perfect for after-the-pub footy action. As usual the game will sell in bucketloads but is unlikely to replace ISS (now in the guise of Pro Evolution Soccer) as the cognoscenti's game of choice. --Michael Bartley
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