FIFA Soccer World Championship - First Impression

Set to be unleashed at this year's E3, FIFA Soccer World Championship, says EA Sports executive producer Marc Aubanel, "is a perfect marriage of stunning graphics, silky smooth animation, and refined gameplay." Lofty words, to be sure, as EA Sports intends to set the bar for soccer games to come with its latest incarnation of the FIFA soccer series.

FIFA Soccer Championship 2000 is said to boast visuals never paralleled by a soccer title. There's been much boasting about the title's high-resolution player models, detailed player facial animations, and the dynamic stadium lighting system. Japanese soccer star Hidetoshi Nakata provided much of the game's motion-capture data, which should definitely add something to the overall visual polish.

The game will be composed of five modes: a training mode, a one-shot exhibition mode, a World Cup mode, and a U-23 world championship mode. The U-23 will let you field any one of the 16 "under 23" national teams from around the globe.

FIFA Soccer Championship 2000, as is the norm with EA's FIFA series, enjoys the FIFPro license, which guarantees that the name, likeness, and identity of each player will be faithfully re-created.

Two European favorites are contributing to the game's soundtrack: English funksters Jamiroquai and DJ Paul Oakenfold.

FIFA Soccer Championship 2000 will ship for both the North American and European markets this fall. Soccer fans and FIFA faithfuls would do well to keep an eye out.