This Is Football 2002

If there's one genre that gamers seldom tire of, it's football, and software houses across the globe are still on a mission to come up with the ultimate in football simulations. This is Football 2002 sets out to be the most accomplished yet. Still looking for the most authentic football game on a console? Well, here it is.

Looking at the game's structure, most elements are a pretty standard affair, but there is one innovative idea the increases the realism and player's level of involvement considerably. Yes there is a domestic league, and yes, there are several European cups to play for, but rarely is all this put together into a single season in a game. Here, the Champion League fixtures are interspersed (as in real-life) with the domestic league and cup competitons.

As a sequel, This is Football 2002 boasts many improvements over its predecessors. The gameplay speed has been increased allowing for some extremely intense matches. The game is now more responsive and fluid thanks to the PS2's analogue controllers.

Graphics have also been improved. Players are now goraud-shaded and feature a number of real-time effects, including lighting.

When put together into the finished product, the qualities of This is Football 2002 shine. It's a highly polished game and well worth playing.