Platform: GBA, GC, PS2, PC, XB

Developer: EA Sports

Publisher: Electronic Arts

Genre: Sports

ETA: Fall 2002  

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FIFA 2003

If the goal for last year's FIFA game was to change from an arcade style to more of a simulation, this year's game will only build on that enhancement.  Headlining 2003's feature list is a widespread increase in the game play freedom and graphical detail.

The biggest game play difference gamers will notice is dribbling the ball.  In last year's game, dribbling was too automatic.  There were not many errant touches and the only time the ball was ever taken away from you was if you were slide tackled or shoulder charged.  This year dribbling will be more of an unpredictable venture.  Included within this is the incorporation of more deflections from missed headers and players around the goal.  The ball physics in general has been tweaked so more variables can affect it.

The graphics will be improved, but not overhauled.  FIFA 2003 will be working off of last year's graphics engine, but the level of detail of the players, uniforms, and stadiums will be enhanced.  I am not a big graphics freak, so I don't mind that the game won't feature a revamped engine as long as the problems with last year's game are corrected.  FIFA 2002 was subject to slowdowns and I hope this is taken care of.

I wasn't able to see much difference from last year's graphics in the few screenshots I looked at, but the game will probably look much different in live action.

One game feature that interests me is the promise of on-the-fly AI strategy.  I guess the CPU will adjust their style of play depending on how you play.  It will be interesting to see to what extent it is implemented.  Behind the fancy PR fluff, how impressive is it for a game to be coded to neutralize something you continually do?  If you try the same lob pass to the same area the entire game, I would think the engine should be smart enough to take that away.

FIFA will have over 175 licensed entities covering 16 leagues, 450 teams and 10,000 players.  The Club Championship Mode also returns.  I was a little disappointed to find out there would be no online play offered for the PS2 and Xbox versions.  NBA Live, a series that is much less successful, somehow managed to get online play, whereas FIFA, probably the most successful sports series EA has outside of Madden, is neglected.

The play-by-play will be about the same, the announcing will again be done by John Motson, but there will be more crowd cheers.  The PC version is scheduled to release in late October with all other versions coming in early November.

- Tim Martin

(October 25, 2002)