Product Description

FIFA Football 2003 introduces a reworked AI engine that focuses on three new enhancements: team play, team tactics and real-player attributes. Use the advantage of playing as a team to break down the opposition with precision passing and quality finishing, face the onslaught of an opposing team 1-0 down in the 80th minute as they throw all their players upfront, and experience the challenge provided by the individual strengths and skills of European football's top stars.

A fundamental change in the control of the ball results in more natural gameplay, with deflections, missed headers and scrambled goals reflecting the real nature of football. Dead ball situations are a pivotal part of the real game; FIFA Football 2003 incorporates a new interface that requires the level of skill and strategy that has allowed stars such as Roberto Carlos to shine in the real world. A new set-piece dynamic provides complete control over the power and swerve of free kicks.

All the great players look and behave as they do in real life, competing in all the top leagues and all the greatest national teams from around the world; FIFA offers you total licensed football with 16 leagues, 450 teams and 10,000 players.

In Club Championship Mode you'll be in competition with 18 of the greatest European teams. Feel the intense big-match atmosphere with all the star players, real stadia, real stats and your favourite club-specific crowd chants. Also, FIFA Football 2003's TV-style presentation features some of Europe's greatest commentary teams calling the action. All new half-time and end-of-match highlights let you relive every key moment.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #13724 in Computer & Video Games
• Brand: Electronic Arts
• Released on: 2002-10-25
• Platform: PlayStation2

Amazon.co.uk Review
FIFA Football 2003 may well be approached with scepticism: will the gameplay changes and revamp really be something new and dynamic, or just another yearly upgrade? Well, this edition is a surprise--not only are the animation and presentation top notch as usual, but it is really playable and the ball and player physics seem 100 times better than before.

EA have done their homework. The 10th year of FIFA doesn't just see the player names updated and few tweaks here and there--it's more of a mini revolution. There are two new modes of play, simulation and arcade play--one for the more tactical player who likes the fancy approach to play and the other for those more frenetic matches.

As usual, vast numbers of teams and players are included (still no Oxford Utd, though--Oxford Ed); all the big name players are instantly recognisable, Edgar Davids being one fantastic example. The tons of extra features include a new European tournament and loads of DVD clips. --Laurent S Hall

Official PlayStation 2 Magazine
"Quite a comeback... hugely enjoyable. 8/10."

Customer Reviews

Best Fifa Title Ever
I must admit when I settled down to play Fifa 2003 I wasn't expecting too much, even though I was aware that this is a completely revamped game. The previous Fifa games had not impressed me. I'd already snapped up league leader Pro Evolution 2 and rented This Is Football 2003 so I knew what the key opposition was like.

Well I have to say that I am in shock over what must easily be the best Fifa football game ever.

The general presentation and menus and so on are still up to their usual high standards. Watching a Fifa match in broadcast camera mode, however, looks the closest thing I've yet seen to a real game on TV. The graphics are simply stunning and easily put Pro Evo 2 and the good looking TIF 2003 into the shade. The stadiums look great with everything that you would expect to see in them present, except may be the rioting. The crowds cheer, boo, whistle and chant their teams' names. The stadium announcer burbles away in that muffled sound you hear in real stadiums. The commentary by Motty and Ally is also great.

The player animations are simply phenomenal. The famous players are easily identifiable. Players use their bodies very convincingly to control the ball. They turn, twist, jink, chest and stretch very realistically and throw their arms down amusingly when they miss a good chance.

The all important gameplay has been dramatically upgraded. No longer does the ball cling to the end of a player's foot like a sticky ballon. When a player takes a long kick, the ball moves in a realistic Pro Evo way rather than in a strange looping manner that you might expect to see on the moon. Passing along the ground is now ultra slick allowing fast flowing attacking play that didn't seem possible in previous Fifa games. Shooting requires more thought than the usual press and hope efforts of the past too. Games are now exciting without endless goals.

Gripes? Well the auto player selection is still substandard when trying to defend. It seems very hard to get control of your defenders to stop skilful attackers running in on goal. I also thought that the camera views always seemed to show the action either slightly too far away or slightly too near.

So, has Fifa taken the footy crown from Pro Evolution Soccer? No, not in my opinion! The Pro Evo games are still far more intuitive and allow you to produce good attacking and defending play without the effort that Fifa requires. I think, however, that EA have done a good job and Fifa now clearly beats TIF 2003 on gameplay. In summary, if you are a footy fan who can only afford one game then Fifa 2003 will more than do.

Fifa 2003 - Review from a gamer's point of view
Fifa 2003 is a truly magnificent game. It uses a completely re-vamped game engine (which is much better than Fifa 2002) and features incredible graphics. Each player actually moves, passes, and shoots like their real life counterparts e.g shoot with Beckham and he tries a chip but Scholes or Gerrard will smash it low. You will easily recognise the players in this game from Beckham's hair to Davids' shades. It features 10,000 players and over 400 teams which are fully licensed. It also uses official kits (even third kits such as the Man Utd Blue Kit and Arsenal Gold Kit). It has the usual season mode plus updated stats and loads more. Soak up the atmosphere at Old Trafford, Highbury or Anfield, hear the fans chant your favourite players name - you can on Fifa 2003. Well done EA Sports - Great Graphics, Gameplay and the best footie game around. Buy it now!!

EA Does Sports It Again!
Yet Again i waited and waited in anticipation of this game for probably the 8th year running, hoping that EA SPorts could surprise me yet again with the TV Style Presentations and a brand new way of playing the game and once i got my first go i wasn't diappointed....
Started of with my favourite Team Arsenal and was amazed to see that you could choose which strip to play in and once you get past the same routine of choosing your controllers etc the game got underway
As the players ran on the pitch it was evident that the Graphics again were top notch and the familiar voice of John Motson Echoed out on my surround sound, when the surprise that is Ally McCoist introduced himself another good addition by EA. The Commentary is linked so surperbly to the game, better than ever before and once the game kicked off you just knew that they had done it again. With A Feel of Pro evolution in the gameplay it became very easy to settle into the game.
Eventually i got a free kick just outside the box and found the next new feature. There is a new free kick sytem where you adjust the ballspin as well as where you want to put the ball, it isn't easy to master and i have only scored once out of about 20 attempts, might just be me...........
Once i did score again the replays are just as good as normal and now the game has a half time package with highlights from the half - The match stats are a lot more detailed as well.
There are loads of little details in this game that you see on the TV today when you are watching the footie and it makes it feel more and more realistic, after the disappointing Fifa World Cup game with the silly star system the die hard Fifa Fans As well as some brand new fans it will genrate will know straight away how good a game it is....