Amazon.com: FIFA Soccer 2003: Xbox: Video Games

34 Reviews

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

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4.1 out of 5 stars (34 customer reviews)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Game Worthy of EA and the World's Most Popular Sport!, October 24, 2002

By	David Lubin (San Diego, California United States) - See all my reviews

Although World Cup Fever has temporarily subsided, this game is a hit! EA Sports has really done it this time! If you liked World Cup 2002 or any of its predecesors, you will love FIFA 2003!

This game allows one to play with the best club teams, players, and national teams in the world! Many stadiums (24 or so) and team-specific chants create a realistic environment. I was shocked by the increased player control (foot movement is more realistic), player-specific abilities (the better players are not only faster, but more skilled in one-on-one situations), and fabulous graphics. The CPU is much improved in the 2003 release and better adjusts to player tendancies and game situations.

Although the 18 featured "Club Championship" (team chants and stadiums, and increased detail) are European (EA should include Mexican, Brasilian, MLS, etc. in future editions), they are fun to play.

As I enjoyed watching the 2002 World Cup, I was thrilled to try a game that better reflected the changing demographics in soccer. The Korean team is lightning fast, Senegal physical, and US team finally respectable! I can now play the vastly-improved US team with pride and unafraid of losing to my friends who generally sport Brasil, Mexico, or Germany.

The PC version is good (better remore play options with more teams), but the X-Box version is fabulous! The graphics and sounds are incomparable and worthy of the superior X-Box platform!

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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Excellent Soccer Game, January 30, 2003

By	Jason Waldman (Laguna Niguel, CA, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The FIFA series of games has always been the best of the soccer games, but it was never that challenging. That's not the case anymore. FIFA 2003 is a very tough game with a steep learning curve.

The game has a few modes of play. You can play in a Club Championship (Champions' League) season with one of over a dozen European club teams. You can play in a tournament and set it up however you want. You can also play a full season with club teams. It's very comprehensive and features MLS, English Premier League, and other top world leagues. It also has the vast majority of the top players in the world.

The graphics are outstanding. Each player has a unique look that is almost a perfect match to how they really look. The players motions are fluid and look extremely realistic, complete with turns and tackles. There also are literally hundreds of stadiums in the game, from Arsenal's Highbury to the Revolution's Gillette Stadium. Soundwise, the commentary is done by a British pair that do a nice job calling the action, but don't give a whole lot of excitement to the game. The crowd sounds are good, though, complete with chants. There is simply nothing cooler than hearing your crowd continually chant "One-nil, one-nil, one-nil" when you're up 1-0.

The gameplay is where this game gets very tough. First of all, the teams now know how to defend, so no more going from coast to coast and scoring with one player. You have to set up your goals with care and precision. But even the perfect setup might not get the job done. You have to aim the shot with the left thumbstick...the same left thumbstick you use to move. This takes a lot of practice and the game will be very frustrating the first few times you play it as you watch shot after shot sail wide. EA has also added a "freestyle" control to the right thumbstick, which is supposed to add some new moves to your arsenal, but I still haven't figured out how to use it effectively.

Overall, though, any fan of soccer would really like this game. With patience, you can have a lot of fun with all sorts of teams.

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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Graphics 1-0 Gameplay, April 14, 2003

By	Milkman (USA) - See all my reviews

Okay, that may be overstating it, but the gameplay is the only weakness in an otherwise outstanding soccer simulation.

For instance, how can one argue with the sheer number of league licenses on this game? The real teams, the real players. The stadiums look real, the players' faces are in the game, teams have all three kits available for every match!

You play a whole season as your favorite club. You soldier through the domestic league fixtures. Throw in a domestic cup competition and (if you are lucky) an entry in the Champions League! Player injuries and suspensions give you the feel that you're running the club on a day to day basis, making the decisions a manager would face. Do I rest my star player in the league game so he's fit for the cup game? You decide.

Unfortunately, gameplay does not quite hold up its end of the bargain. When you first play this game, you think to yourself, "This game is hard! I'll get better with practice." Well, you do. But then you begin to notice that no matter how good you get the CPU still wins all the 50/50 air balls. The CPU defenders take the ball anytime they are near, while your defenders are stuck to the pitch like a moth on flypaper. I've played the game for a month now and have never scored on a corner kick. I've also never seen a penalty kick in a match. That seems odd to me.

The most disappointing aspect of gameplay is the "Dynamic Ball Control." It sounds like a very promising idea, that you can use the second thumbstick to a execute special dribble move. Unfortunately the move takes so long from the time you press the thumbstick until the player actually executes the move that the defender has already taken the ball. In real soccer you employ this type of move as a reaction to the defender to keep the ball away from him. The fatal flaw in this game version is that you have to anticipate (instead of react) in order to have any chance of success.

So, in recap, kudos to EA Sports for upholding their reputation for securing team and league licenses. They employ those licenses to make an outstanding looking game. We hope, however, that in future versions they can tune the gameplay to match the amazing visuals.