Well, times change. So has EA Sports' FIFA series. FIFA 2002 marks a serious change in the gameplay tactics of yesteryear. No more picture perfect passes no matter the positioning. That pinball feeling? Gone...and FIFA 2002 is the better for it.

The installation process is easy, with support from Win95 through XP (no NT support, though). Control can be established with the keyboard, Gravis Gamepad pro, Microsoft Sidewinder, or Logitech Wingman (!). Once installed and booted, you're treated to an outstanding intro movie utilizing the game models, albeit with the typical Euro-pop soundtrack. The range of options available has always been over the top in the FIFA series, and FIFA 2002 doesn't come up short in this regard either. There are 16 leagues with over 500 teams in game, including over 175 International teams. If you like the American Major League Soccer, they’re in there as well. There is a World Cup Qualification Mode which allows you to select an international team and start the journey towards Korea/Japan 2002. Achieving success in the World Cup Qualification Mode allow you to unlock up to five bonus tournaments. All of these options are very nice, but there is something new in FIFA 2002 which sets itself apart from the previous versions: the passing system.

The new passing system in FIFA 2002 is completely open-ended. In the old games, no matter where your passing target was, all you had to do was press in his general direction and hit the button to get the ball to him. This aforementioned "pinball" model, which while proving fun, certainly wasn't realistic or anything near real soccer gameplay. In FIFA 2002, you have to earn the right of way to get your passes through - by passing the ball into open space where your target is going to be, not where he is. In practice, it takes getting used to, especially for those who are used to the old passing system, and it isn't easy. Once you work past the learning curve, you wonder why EA never did this before. No, passes aren't guaranteed to get through automatically anymore - and that's exactly the way it should be. FIFA 2002 definitely feels more like soccer than any of the previous versions and is finally catching up with Konami's ISS series in the gameplay department.

Referees call fouls much more closely in FIFA 2002, paying special attention to how players attack the ball as opposed to their opponent's foot. Make a slide tackle from the front or side, your chances of earning a yellow card are much lower. Nail a guy from behind, pay the price. While this has always been part and parcel of the FIFA series, there are much greater nuances in this year's version. Angles are taken into account, player space versus initial contact - it just feels better and more accurate.

The graphics in FIFA 2002 are outstanding. On a GeForce 3, the pitch looks real, with shadows of players and the stadium setting the mood. Security officers are present to keep the hooligans in line, and the crowd is the best looking one that EA Sports has ever put together, at least in the long camera view. The player models themselves are quite nice, although the faces and necks have a weird shiny plastic look about them - maybe FIFA should ask Madden and NHL for some pointers on getting the heads right. The uniforms are sharp. Don't like the kit of your particular team? Change it! You can edit any of the current players and teams, or create your own. A multitude of smooth animations bring the feeling of world-class footy home to your PC. Players argue with referees over calls, jump for joy and prance about after scoring a goal, shake their heads in disgust over goals against and non-penalties, and make FIFA 2002 a treat to watch as well as play.

Sound is a mixed bag, mostly for the good - EA's terrible experiment with American commentators a couple of years ago has been buried deep in a Jersey landfill, and we once again have British commentators John Motson and Andy Grey providing the calls, as it should be. The crowds sound great, with various chants and different sounds depending on whether it is a home or away game. The music, however, is, um.... an acquired taste. Some tunes (Gorillaz, Conjure One, R4) sound great, but the rest are better left alone unless you like Robbie Williams-style disposable pop. Definitely not for everyone (i.e. ME) but to each their own.

Add to that support for Internet play with up to 8 players, and you have one of the best PC soccer games to come out of the pipe in a long time. Congratulations to the FIFA development team for not resting on their laurels and simply updating the rosters for the 2002 version. They've taken the risky step of revamping EA Sports' flagship title and came up smelling like roses. FIFA 2002 stands apart as the best soccer game on the PC, and one of the best footy games on any platform, period.