This is Soccer 2002: Web Wombat: Games

You know who they are - Electronic Arts' FIFA and Konami's well-liked International Superstar Soccer series are the top dogs at the moment, but now you can add a third serious competitor.

Being an avid fan of the English Premier League and the Italian Lega Calcio, with my German World Cup 2006 tickets already booked, you can imagine how excited I was at the prospect of Sony's first in-house soccer game for the PS2.

The intro sets the scene nicely, showcasing in-game goals, saves, fouls and so forth. It is here that you come to the realisation of how advanced the visuals are in TiS2k2.

When the PS2 was first experienced, seen running first generation titles, many people complained about "jaggies" and flickering and how badly Sony stuffed up its graphics synthesiser.

Well, if this game doesn't put those complaints to rest, nothing will.

Team SoHo wanted to make a big splash with its second "This is Soccer" title (known as "This is Football" in other regions), but far from the new competitions, seasons, leagues and other new options, the graphics are what will draw the crowds.

This is the best-looking soccer game available today. The visuals are rock solid - I've seen possibly one or two glitches and they've been based on collision detection between the player and the ball. Otherwise, things are pretty damn peachy.

The motion capture is the most efficient yet, offering digital players that move with an unparalleled fluidity. A simple way to get to the crux of how good the graphics are - score a goal and then replay it using the super-slow-mo option. You won't just see a foot hitting a ball - the entire body makes corresponding movements and counter-movements, such as hips swinging, and the effect is mesmerising.

The game moves at a remarkable pace and the anti-aliasing (which the PS2 can't do, according to me about six months ago) is better than most GeForce 2 cards offer.

Even the stadia look authentic

The texture resolution is extraordinary, the weather effects über-realistic but wait until you see the player's faces. James "Leeds United" Anthony, upon first seeing Rio Ferdinand up close, almost creamed his lederhosen (after which he went on to beat me 2-1, the swine). Truly, this is an evolution.

The stadia look splendid, making the players look like little ants; such is their massive size. The crowds aren't up to the standard that will take sports games to the next level of involvement, but they come agonisingly close.

Each member of the crowd is an individual sprite, capable of a few different animations, such as happiness, sadness and hooligan-ness. That's right, you'll even see flares going off in the crowd!

While the crowd bitmaps are of a grainy quality, the sounds coming from the sports-mad supporters are definitely not. Supporters will chant their own songs, specific to certain regions. Team SoHo actually recorded the different chants, reactions and songs of supporters from all around the world and the end result is a more passionate and satisfying package.

Getting into the game was a tough prospect. At first, the game seemed too slow. As there's no option to alter game speed, things weren't looking good. If you were to put FIFA and TiS2k2 side-by-side, speed would be the main difference.

A slower game means a more realistic game, in my mind, but with that realism comes a higher level of difficulty. Scoring goals in TiS2k2 is even more rewarding because it's harder. You'll have to pass deeper, cross longer and tackle harder. Even on the amateur setting (the lowest of four) the game isn't a pushover.

The AI is quite good, both in terms of opposition and your team mates. For instance, through-passes are very effective and the AI drones (your team mates) will use their digital initiative to break away and chase the ball. Passing in general is pretty good and goal-keeping should also be commended.

After a time, however, players will be able to outclass the opposition in almost all situations. Inviting a friend over and taking on a more unpredictable human player can remedy this. In fact, if you have access to multiple mutli-taps, you can even set up eight-player games. As far as the multiplayer aspect goes - the more the merrier.

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Vital statistics are very important in a game like this. TiS2k2 contains slightly more than 320 club and international teams, 33 different competitions, a custom team option, full commentary from Peter Drury, classic club teams from the 20th century in the Timewarp league and realistic, changing weather effects.

There were little niggles with the gameplay that really grated at times, but on the whole, TiS2k2 is an entirely enjoyable and very satisfying experience.

Using turbo can be a godsend, but also a good way to lose the ball. Often, after a long sprint, you'd close in on the 18-yard box, having let go of the sprint button long before this approach, only to have your player decide he's going to keep sprinting ahead.

All of sudden it's a goal kick and Mister Barker has flown into another temper tantrum.

Apart from dodgy turbo input, most of the problem areas are fine. The goal-keepers rarely bungle, the pacing of the game seems slow - but will grow on you - and the tackling, while difficult at first, makes more sense as times wears on - it's not as easy as in most soccer games.

Sony's take on soccer is much more realistic than EA's FIFA games, but remember that means it is harder, too. While I personally reckon this game is the best soccer title out at the moment, I guess it comes down to a couple of things.

If you found FIFA too easy - this should be just the ticket. The graphics are simply stunning and, in combination with a gritty, satisfying game engine, This is Soccer 2002 is one of the best ball games money can buy.

Game: This is Soccer 2002
System: Playstation 2
Players: 1-2
Memory Card: Yes
Developer: Team SoHo
Distributor: Sony

Rating: 90%

(Ratings Key/Explantion)

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