soccer

Great Thing: I can be Huddersfield (Division 3 in England).
Bad Thing: I can't control all 11 players on the pitch at the same time, with a single controller. No one can.
Electronic Arts need to have all the good things about FIFA without the extremely complex gameplay. How can you dribble the ball with player A, make a run into the box with player B, dodge a tackle from player X, send a perfect cross into the box to player B, and bury the ball into the back of the net past the goalie with player B? I don't see why I just can't hit a "cross" button and if player B is where he should be, I score like 30% of the time, kinda like real life. So what if the score is 6-5? That is fun, and sports games are fun with 4 people playing at the same time. Can't do that here, unless you have mental telepathy with your teammate.
If you are a video game junkie and want to "master" an intricate game via thumb gymnastics in one player mode, this is your game. There is no better looking soccer game, period. However, if you are impatient, and/or don't care that much for soccer, this is a tough sell. I for one am waiting for FIFA 2005 to look just like 2004 but play like FIFA 1998.

i have had for 3 days and it is amazing! i'm really bad at it but i don't care! i can't beat arsnal so i play my brother mostly. i would reccomnd this game for any one who likes football (soccer).

At first I was deterred by some of the negative comments that dragged down the average rating but as a soccer fan and a player of the previous FIFA release, I decided to give it a try. I did not live to regret it, quite the opposite.
FIFA 2004 is an incredible game, the closest one can get to the real thing. The AI is simply astounding. The game developers have gone at great length in creating a realistic experience, which I think they have achieved. The gameplay is very difficult to master, just like the real thing, scoring is not a simple lob and shoot anymore. Many new commands are introduced, which can be confusing compared to the relatively simple layout of FIFA 2003. However, that's what makes this game so much more appealing. In gameplay, a broad range of new movements are available both for offensive and defensive play. Tackling is a whole different ball game in FIFA 2004. If one misjudges the timing of tacklings, that may result in a lost opportunity for defense and a free attacker heading for the goal. Similarly, when successfully tackling, it takes a little while to get up or to change direction to retrieve the ball, time during which a nearby opponent might have already seized the opportunity and retrieved the free ball. Also, passing can go wrong easier than in FIFA 2003, defenders get in the way more often, and crosses are not that simple to place anymore. The Goalie AI has also been improved although goalies can still go out at the edge of the box and try to block a shot originating behind them. When that happens, it looks pretty comical though.
The corner and free kick strategies have been revamped altogether to reflect the difficulty of scoring from 30 yards with a defender wall in front of the ball. Likewise for the corner kicks. Just like in real life, the vast majority of corner kicks are likely to fail.
The graphics are excellent, one can discern players' features and expressions. The sound is just awesome with many new songs, witty commentaries from John Motson: "Oh, that was a tall, wide, and handsome one", plus the short tidbit sounds that are so characteristic to soccer such as the ball hitting the post, or the back of the net before settling down behind the keeper. Even the soundtrack is noteworthy.
Finally, there are more options when selecting the types of tournaments plus there's a career mode, complete with training sessions, transfer lists, and the like. Now, the main menu, is confusing, I'll admit to that but that's something for FIFA 2005 to address.
If you love soccer but don't get much of the real thing, or can't get enough of it, this game is a very enjoyable experience. Five stars.