"Difficult to learn, fun once you get it down"

• Introduction – I've been a soccer fan for most of my life, but I've never played a soccer based console game before. This year's World Cup in Germany has provided a number of very exciting moments, and international play is always exciting, so I picked this up to take a look at it. Basically, you choose from 127 international squads and put them through qualifying play, or you can pick one of the 32 teams that actually made it through the qualifiers and just play the main tournament itself. If you do qualify with one of the other teams, you will get to play them in the tournament as if they had qualified. There are other game modes, including online and a variety of multiplayer options, but since I generally play solo, this review will mostly cover the single player game.

• Gameplay – The gameplay is difficult to grasp at first, but practice makes (sort of) perfect. I highly recommend that all new players ramp down the difficulty to “Amateur” (the game starts off on “Semi-Pro”, basically a medium difficulty). I was actually impressed by the variety of options you have: any team can be run in a number of different formations, additionally, you have options for different tactics on both offense and defense. The biggest problem is interpreting the instructions and what the buttons actually do. The instruction manual is very non-specific, as are the button designations when you do the custom controller. One thing you should be aware of is that a sliding tackle is a yellow/red card waiting to happen, almost always. It can be done cleanly, but the computer somehow seems to anticipate it and turn at the worst possible moment, making your previously clean hit into a penalty and possibly making you a man down.

Shooting is also difficult to learn, and I still haven't mastered it. When you shoot, you press the circle button and it starts to fill up power. The two options you have are to either just pop it easily to the keeper or thunder it way over the goal. Until you get used to this, I highly recommend that you do some form of combo: use a high cross from the outside and head it in, because headers are pretty much always the same strength and generally on target. Be prepared to be somewhat frustrated while you learn what the controls actually do, but once you get them down you'll enjoy the game a lot more. I just feel that some of the buttons are so limited in when you should use them that they might as well not even exist.

Additionally, there are multiple historic scenarios to complete. This is a mode that I have not played to its fullest extent, but it is a great way to challenge your skills. Most of these start with your team down by a goal or two and a variable amount of time to pull off a win. Remember that the clock runs up (not down) in soccer! Keeping that in mind will help you pick an appropriate scenario for your skill level.

• Graphics/Sound – The graphics are great, with a lot of player detail. The opening of each game is exciting, and I don't get sick of watching the confetti come down around my players standing, waiting for the action. My only complaint graphically is that it is difficult to figure out where your teammates further up/downfield are, so sometimes you'll find yourself passing into dead space. I've heard that some have experienced slowdown from the graphics, I have not. The sound is a mixed bag: while in the game, the commentary is generally good (if a touch repetitive), but the menu music is atrocious. That's a good thing, though. It makes you want to get right into playing.

• Play Time/Replayability – I found that matches generally took me about 20-30 minutes, and if you qualify and play the entire tournament, that'll be something like 10-15 matches. It doesn't take long at all. The replayability is very good, with many unlockables and custom scenarios. Also, there are 127 teams. You'll no doubt want to not only use perennial cup contenders such as Brazil but also bring San Marino the soccer glory it so richly deserves. Create a player can also add to replayability, however, this is a feature I tend not to use because it's too easy to make uber players.

• Final Recommendation – If you like soccer and the excitement of the World Cup and don't mind having to practice for a while to figure out how to actually play, this game is for you. If you're looking for something to pick up and play with friends, it might be somewhat frustrating. I'd highly recommend a rental if you're a casual World Cup fan and a purchase (at a reasonable price point) if you're a die hard fan.

Reviewer's Score: 6/10, Originally Posted: 07/05/06