World Tour Soccer 2005

Can 989's soccer entry take the crown from FIFA or Winning Eleven, or does it still need a bit of refinement?

With FIFA and Winning Eleven battling for the top soccer spot, many forget that another series, World Tour Soccer, is also trying to establish itself as a big-name player. It has the trimmings of a great game, but with EA and Konami setting the bar so high, World Tour Soccer still has some catching up to do.

There are a couple of things that it does better than the big two. World Tour Soccer has a huge selection of pro and national teams that won't disappoint, and stats that show serious research was done for players' strengths and weaknesses.

The actual gameplay, however, still needs refinement. The numerical stats don't translate well into the game as A.I. is too weak in Amateur difficulty level and far too strong in Pro level?a weak team such as Mongolia dribbles like a bunch of Zidanes and tackles like a horde of Thurams. Teams all play the same and constantly run with the ball. Italy, known for its offside-trapping defensive line and counter-attacks in real life, plays like an African team, dribbling all the way to the goal. The generic A.I. offsets the beauty of having all the teams.

Even with the rough A.I., World Tour Soccer 2004 is genuinely fun to play with passes, shots, and headers going where you want them. Sprinting with the ball and juking others is downright satisfying, especially when playing against another person. Although the game won't make its competitors sweat, it will definitely make them keep an eye out for future World Tour Soccer games.

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