The latest version of the PSone's most popular football game is sure to have many gamers eager in anticipation. Unfortunately, with
FIFA Football 2002, they're going to be severely disappointed. It's instantly clear when you get into the game proper that the resources notoriously ploughed into the
FIFA series are sadly lacking here, with alternative formats benefiting from EA Sports' usual attention to detail. That leaves first-generation PlayStation owners with a tatty game that suffers from jerky scrolling, poor graphics and disappointing gameplay.
The infamous new passing method, making its debut in the 2002 edition, suffers from the lack of flow in the game. It's that too that makes sliding tackles very tricky to judge, and, ultimately, makes FIFA Football 2002 a chore to play. It's a shame, as the front end is the usual sleek affair, and the intro cut scenes are a great deal more professional. You can't help feeling that there is a playable game buried in there somewhere, and there are certainly plenty of league and cup options to keep you busy. Yet when games such as ISS Pro Evolution 2 manage to squeeze so much out of the original PlayStation technology, it's hard to find a compelling reason to fork out for this tepid, lazy update that's a step backwards for the FIFA series. --Simon Brew