Trigger

I recently rented FIFA 2002 for the PS2 and really dug it alot, so I figured I'd pick up the Xbox version since I figured the graphics would be alot better etc etc...

Well, the games are totally different. It's hard to believe they are even the same game. What's going on? Which one is more like the PC version? Why does the XBox version have only the World Cup finals or Friendly games? Why does the PS2 version not take you all the way to the World Cup? Why can't they make a good FIFA game? The Road To The World Cup '97 FIFA game for PC was kickass - good music, good gameplay, nice graphics, great controls, more options that you could shake a stick at, dynamic player monitoring/controlling, team management that had no rivals, and you could play as any club or national team and play any type of game you wanted - even up to and including a world cup series. Have they just gone downhill from there? Is it because this is a console version and not a PC version?

The PS2 version of 2002 FIFA has better music (techno) and is more exciting. The XBox version is a bit easier to beat and allows you to compete for the World Cup which is the point really. The Xbox version is disappointing because you can't use your own music, you can't play league games or play with club teams, you can only have one save, you have to pause the game at the beginning of when you start so your friend can pick a team - every time - it won't even remember that there's more than one person playing! - and you can't micro manage anything.

On the plus side, the XBox version sports way better graphics and player animation and it just works alot smoother. Adding a second player slows it down just a hair but not so you would notice... you also have the opportunity to play for the World Cup. The PS2 version lacks this (that's what I read and as far as I could tell from playing it, you can't go all the way to Korea/Japan 2002)... The PS2 version also has really chunky graphics and the controls aren't quite as good (even though they are more or less the same, the XBox just works out a bit better). Another bonus for the XBox version is they utilize player attributes far better than the PS2 version does... the actual players that kick ass in real life kick ass in the XBox version of the game - in the PS2 version, the players have names and they all look like different people, but they all play about the same.

The PS2 version has way better music and the commentary sounds alot more interesting (even though it's roughly the same as the Xbox). The PS2 version also has better goal celebrations than the Xbox version. I feel like I should buy the PS2 version also because together they almost make up a full FIFA game.

Anyone play the GCN or PC version of this game? Anyone super-excited for World Cup Soccer coming soon?

AgtFox

You have confused yourself with two totally different games.

You played FIFA 2002 on the PS2, you played FIFA - Road to the World Cup 2002 on your X-Box. GC and PS2 got the former and ALL the systems got the latter one. World Cup has different play mechanics than FIFA 2002, but has less options. So they both have their pluses and minuses.

EA only does World Cup games on the World Cup games. They exist outside of the FIFA line, although they share the same game mechanics usually (not in this case though).

Look at the boxes and you will see they are vastly different from each other. Also go to different sites and look at reviews, you will see you played two totally different games. Blame this on EA for bringing two FIFA titles out in a year (this only happens every 4 years).

Trigger

Yeah - I figured this out last night going through review sites... I had rented the PS2 version of Fifa world cup 2002, but they handed me FIFA 2002 instead... they messed up. They also gave us Spiderman for PS2 when we had handed them the XBox cover for it. That video store was never that inefficient when I worked there.

Anyway though - I still would like to know why FIFA World Cup Soccer 2002 is so vanilla. RTWC98 had tons and tons of options and was an excellent game. I had VR Soccer 96 before that and the thing I really loved about that game was how brutal the sliding tackles were - this was mechanically very similar to the FIFA stuff - except you could slide tackle the goalie again and again until you had him behind his goal and then just have another player kick the ball in. You had to turn off the offsides and foul stuff, but it was mass fun. So why is WC2002 so lame? Is there going to be another one this year after the actual cup games? Will it be way better? RTWC is supposed to have way more teams to play with etc...

AgtFox

From what I understand FIFA 2003 will incorporate the changes in gameplay in World Cup 2002 along with the massive number of options that were included in FIFA 2002. I really do not know why they stripped it down and I think a lot of people will get suckered in to buying this and they should just wait for FIFA 2003.

Trigger

Will 2003 have a way to go to the Cup? I've avoided all the FIFA games that weren't cup related. Also - I'd like to see harsher sliding tackles.

AgtFox

Your guess is as good as mine until after E3. I would venture to say they will not have a Cup race in 2003, but who knows. I think there may be licensing issues and that is why they bring out a straight WC game outside of mainstream FIFA.

Trigger

Could be... I'll be at E3 - perhaps I'll ask the source. Thanks for the info though. Again - too bad they can't do a proper FIFA game. I'm kinda getting excited for Beckham Soccer.

ipkevin

I've never played any of the next gen FIFA games. Are the players' faces recognizable? And do they have all the stars like Figo, Nakata, etc?

Trigger

At E3, the Exhibitors informed me that everything I loved about RTWC98 will be present in FIFA 2003... they didn't have a demo up for it, but told me it would be just what I wanted after telling him what I liked and disliked about the last few games they rolled out. Very nice people... they didn't get alot of attention since Soccer isn't so big here and they were eager to get feedback.

Trigger

Yeah - the faces are somewhat recognizable - more of a hair thing to distinguish... I'm told that FIFA 2003 will feature better faces and far more accurate features. FIFA World Cup 2002 has stars and I don't think FIFA 2002 had them.

ipkevin

Thanks for the lowdown, Trigger.

Josh H

EGM pretty much bashed Road to the World Cup and reccommended picking up Fifa 2002 instead as it plays better, according to their review. Plus it's only $19.95 at Wal-mart.