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THE CROWD ROARS AS the players spill out onto the field. Grunts and glares of intimidation are exchanged as they position themselves accordingly. The whistle blows: game on! This is FIFA. A franchise so potent that it takes a truly awesome game to capture all the glammer and charisma that proffessional football has to offer. It must be said that Electronic Arts have done a fine job once again.

Nipping at the heals of last years effort, FIFA returns with the 2002 edition correcting various issues that plagued FIFA 2001. The general speed of the game has been lowered greatly in order to return a realistic feel to the game, as with special moves being dulled down and general difficulty increased. In essence, its safe to say that FIFA 2002 is an entirely different game of sorts. Sure, its still soccer, but this is easily the greatest evolution of the FIFA series to date.

With Henry Thierry, French born Arsenal striker, addorning the box you cant go wrong. Obviously EA Sports went to a lot of effort to get FIFA 2002 fully licensed and endorsed, and it certainly shows. The game boasts "the most licensed content ever in a football game" with over 450 player-accurate teams including 125 international sides. With full FIFPro licensing the proverbial icing on the cake. Then again, many a game has tried this approach and fallen short With fantastic statistics and full licenses but slumping when it comes to what really counts: Gameplay.

So how does it play?
Those used to console soccer may be daunted by the keyboard controls, though essentially, it is the same basic Pass/Lob/Shoot interface. The tricky part is combining these with the ball spin keys and special move key. Once mastered, these quickly bring a whole new level of gameplay to the field, and one will find oneself relying greatly on these to help sink that vital match deciding goal. Of course, FIFA 2002 supports a wide range of peripherals for those not willing to be governed by the chunky confines of the keyboard. These include 360 degree analog controllers allowing players to define movements and aim shots beyond the standard 8 directional method.

Though EA have removed much of the arcade style play of FIFA 2001, the 2002 edition is still packed with features and moves, with a few extras thrown in to boot. For example: The new 'through-run' indicator gives you another weapon for your already potent arsenal... excuse the pun. Players occasionally make a straight run through a gap in the defense with the path lit up on the playing field. This allows you to send the pass the ball ahead of the reciever and into his path. With luck, he will collect the ball without breaking stride and be well ahead of any defenders. Its difficult to pull off, but certainly pays.

Other stock-standard moves from previous FIFA games are featured in FIFA 2002, such as the double step-over and bicycle kick. Though according to EA, these have been made a little more difficult to pull off in an attempt to make the game more realistic. This is a great decision on the part of EA, as it means that when something spectacular is pulled off in the midst of a game, it'll be all the more worth while. Be prepared for some amazing last minute kamakaze plays and incredible match deciding goals!