Keeping up with EA's FIFA series is becoming quite a costly pastime. The amount of titles on the Playstation alone is almost in double figures, but as each release brings with it improved gameplay and new features, who can resist? The latest instalment does just this and also delivers the usual wealth of officially licensed teams and players. That's 450 teams and 10.000 players - intense stuff.

As well as featuring this high level of statistical detail, FIFA 2003 has at its core a comp ... more >>

Keeping up with EA's FIFA series is becoming quite a costly pastime. The amount of titles on the Playstation alone is almost in double figures, but as each release brings with it improved gameplay and new features, who can resist? The latest instalment does just this and also delivers the usual wealth of officially licensed teams and players. That's 450 teams and 10.000 players - intense stuff.

As well as featuring this high level of statistical detail, FIFA 2003 has at its core a completely re-worked AI engine, which focuses on three new enhancements: team play, team tactics and real player attributes. The emphasis here being on recreating a much more natural look to the on-screen action. This can also be seen in the control mechanic, with more realistic results providing such events as deflections, missed headers and scrambled goals.

All you budding young Beckhams out there will be pleased to learn that a new set-piece dynamic has been implemented, which provides the player with complete control over the power and swerve of free kicks. Line it up, set the spin, stick your toe out and it might go in.

As usual there are options a-plenty. All the teams and players mentioned before, all their kits, stadiums, weather conditions...you name it, it's in there. And let's not forget the accompanying commentary from the great John Motson and Ally McCoist.

As it's on the ageing PlayStation, this FIFA 2003 obviously doesn't compare visually to the versions released for the other formats. With the PS2 now the current placeholder under the average TV set, this can reflect badly on the older machine. But let's not forget this either: graphics alone do not a great game make.

On the whole, this is not, as you might expect, a typical FIFA update. EA have clearly re-worked a great deal of the game, resulting in an extremely different feel from the usual proceedings. Subscribers to the annual update may well be in for a pleasant surprise. << less