World Tour Soccer 2005 kicks off

If you were waiting for World Tour Soccer 2004, you can stop. There will be no such game. However doesn't mean that 989 Sports isn't making a sequel to World Tour Soccer 2003. Following the year-jumping trend all too common in game titles, the San-Diego-based publisher has decided to skip a year and name its upcoming foot-fest World Tour Soccer 2005.

Reflecting the international popularity of futbol, World Tour Soccer 2005 will sport an extremely international roster--over 900 teams and nearly 19,000 players from 30 divisions and 22 leagues. The game will also feature crowds with team-specific chants and flags, and will feature "classic" teams from the '90s, '80s, and '70s.

WTS 2005 will also have a variety of modes: Exhibition Match will let gamers play a casual game with a friend (or up to seven friends via Multi-Tap). Season and Career mode feature more serious soccer, including an option to manage their own players and teach student athletes to bend it like Beckham.

Unfortunately, World Tour Soccer 2005 will not allow online play versus other humans. However, it will have improved opponent AI as well as special player moves and manager tactics. The game's cover athlete will be the Guatemala-born Major League Soccer Carlos Ruiz, a forward with the Los Angeles Galaxy.

Like all 989 Sports games, World Tour Soccer 2005 will be available only for the PlayStation 2. No MSRP has been set yet, but the E-rated game is scheduled to kick off in stores in April 2004.