When World Tour Soccer 2002 showed up on my desk I definitely had my reservations about playing it. All of this negativity was due to the horrible track record 989 Sports has had on the Playstation 2. Since its release, 989 Sports has released some of the system's worst games year after year. It's once heralded claim to fame in the sports genre has practically vanished. Therefore, when I finally got around to throwing in WTS for a round, I was pleasantly surprised and at times inspired that this is the type of efforts we need to see from 989 Sports from this point forward.

Perhaps WTS's weakest point is its visuals. It is a mixed bag that has some bright spots and areas that need attention. On the positive side of the coin, the stadiums and environmental effects are top notch and rival those in EA Sports FIFA franchise. Stadiums are meticulously detailed and the developers did a nice job of conveying weather effects and more so lighting effects. Shadows look great in the shimmering night lights. Animation of each player during gameplay is also equally impressive. The movements look realistic and correspond as they should from your control. The different tackle animations really caught my eye. Player's reactions and emotions are conveyed through pleading and arguing with referees, shouting at teammates for poor play and at times looking to the sky after blowing an opportunity. On the other side of the visual coin, the players themselves while not horrible leave a lot to be desired. The facial representation was done with care but the rest of the body looks like it was rushed. Arms and hands look very blocky and could have been smoothed out a lot more with additional polygons. This is a minor nuisance as gameplay is everything when it comes to sports titles like soccer. The aural side of things have been done competently. The stadiums are alive with cheering fans that react accordingly to the on field action and performance of their home team. Sound effects are standard fare. For some odd reason Team Soho, the game's developer, decided to only go with one commentator. Peter Drury makes the call and does a pretty good job for a one man show. An additional commentator would have given the game a more realistic feel.

World Tour Soccer 2002 garners a good overall score thanks to its solid gameplay. Team Soho did a fantastic job of balancing the controls and numerous in game options. True footie fans will be delighted by the number of simulation elements that can be toggled both before and during the game. A very tight passing system has been implemented to give players complete control over the ball while running, passing and moving around the field. Players are also able to execute a variety of moves like high-flying headers, bicycle kicks, slide shots, hard tackles, hurdles and 360 degree spins. Even goaltenders are aggressive as they are able to perform multiple dives, blocks and moves in order to stop any potential goal. Special skill moves are possible and include a step over along with two types of shimmy moves.

One thing I was upset about EA Sports' FIFA title this year was the lack of World Cup play. They focussed on matches leading up to the World Cup but would not allow you to participate in the tournament. Instead they will want you to purchase another title specific to the World Cup later this Spring. WTS on the other hand has included a variety of options in terms of tournaments and matches. The national season gives users the opportunity to compete in the English, Spanish, Dutch, French, Italian, German, Scottish, Belgian and Portuguese seasons and compete for the championship of each country. Special competitions allow you to play as or against classic clubs from the past as well as fully customize your own league and tournament giving you complete control of your soccer schedule. WTS features more than 300 teams including national and club teams. Unfortunately, the game does not carry the FIFIA license but does have the Authentic FIFPro License. This license gives the game enough authentication by providing rights to more than 300 teams, 5000 real players and nine different stadiums. Team Soho managed to get more than 250 soccer stars faces mapped onto individual player models.

World Tour Soccer 2002 pleasantly delivers a solid gameplay experience. While it does not offer all of the extra bells and whistles found in EA Sports FIFA franchise, WTS offers a nice balance of arcade and simulation along with the ability to compete in international competitions. Whether you already own FIFA 2002 or are looking for an alternative, be sure not to pass up what World Tour Soccer 2002 has to offer.