User Rating: 8.4 | FIFA Football 2004 PC
Ok, I'm not going to waste time pretending that FIFA 2004 is the best thing ever to hit the PC but at the same time it is a lot better than the other reviews here are making out, as long as you are a football fan that is. Die-hard footie fans are a tribe unto themselves and will appreciate the subtle touches in this game, such as the authentic terrace chants, excellent player likenesses and the wonderful off-the-ball control. The game still has some of the fundamental flaws of all soccer games, namely the 'always score' move which exists in every game to date, where one particular play will always result in a goal, no matter how often you use it. As time has passed this move has proved more and more difficult to find and the reproduce but it's still here and the game loses something for that. The career mode is interesting if not worth the cover price on it's own and the new play mechanics and player reactions are an interesting diversion but it is the general sense of speed and excitement that makes this game worth a look if you are a fan of the game rather than just a gamer looking for flaws. If you Saturdays are spent screaming at the TV when a pass is intercepted or your favorite striker just missed a sitter then FIFA 2004 will give you an enjoyable way of showing them how it should be done (or show you how difficult it might be!) Setting Thierry Henry off on a blistering run while Zidane plays an inch-perfect through ball into his path is great fun if you can pull it off and gives a real sense of achievement. On a technical note, I'm running an Athlon 2600+ and a GeForce 4 and have had zero problems with the game, despite playing it for days on end without turning off. Enjoy!
