EASports has taken a solid PlayStation title and fiddled with it.

It has messed with (read that as changed) the passing system, the player movement and shooting system of its stalwart FIFA Soccer series. The result is a much more realistic brand of football in FIFA Soccer 2002.

In previous editions, the players would pinpoint pass, directing the ball with deadly accuracy to teammates. That has changed. Now gamers can engineer through balls, or pass into space and have their players run on to the ball. A two-touch game is much easier to accomplish under this system. But while it means the pace of the game can be picked up, it also means that players must have a better understanding of the control elements, or else they will find themselves on the downside of the final score.

In previous versions, players moved quicker, and the sprint key spurred them on to better speeds. In 2002, players move at a slower, deliberate pace. It isn’t all run, run, run. It is control, stop the ball, move it slightly back, or walk or jog it up the field. If you have ever watched, played or coached a soccer match, you will immediately recognize this as the way the game is really played.

The shooting system has undergone some renovations. Before you simply angled your player, then blasted the shot. Under the new system, you can rely on that (if you are less experienced) or you can put a touch shot into the low side, far post. The analog controllers help aim the shot, and the pass button, or shot button – the amount of time you keep one of the buttons depressed is how the power of the shot is controlled; a tap on the shot button produces a chip shot – trigger the goal-scoring attempt.

What all this translates into is a game where mastering control elements bypass the ‘lucky guess’ variety of key bashing, and venture into the ‘necessary’ category. Newcomers to the game will have to allow time to get these elements down.

The game offers players the opportunity to control one of more than 400 teams, representing 16 leagues. You can play a training game, a “friendly” (non-counting single match), a season, tournaments (both prebuilt and customized), or try to qualify for the World Cup.

Graphically, this game is excellent. Player animation is quite realistic, and the environments are rendered in a lush fashion. The sound, which includes the music and play-by-play, is sterling.

Ok, so EASports messed around with the game – what they have delivered is every bit as sweet and triumphant as a “golden goal.”

This program is rated for Everyone.

Install: N/A
This game uses three blocks of memory on a PlayStation memory card.

Gameplay: 9
This is easiest some of the best sports action rendered for the PlayStation. The games move smoothly from opening touch to final whistle.

Graphics: 9.3
The animations are excellent, and the environments are very well rendered.

Sound: 9
From the musical score to game sounds and play-by-play commentary, this game is excellent.

Difficulty: 8.5
The control elements will take gamers a little while to get a handle on, and the computer AI is based on each team’s skill rankings.

Concept: 8.5
Though EASports has been in the soccer game biz for a while, when you can improve on an already-solid product, you have accomplished something.

Multiplayer: 8.5
This game is set up so that one or two players can easily find challenge and enjoyment. Each team is rated on skills, enabling matchups in either the single or multiplayer settings to be challenging.

Overall: 9
This is the best PlayStation soccer game currently on the market. The gameplay, graphics and audio tracks are all superb. EASports has taken a great game and made it better.