DESCRIPTION

The FIFA series continues on PS2 with FIFA Soccer 08, featuring 30 official leagues, 38 authentic stadiums, and over 12,500 licensed players. The most notable addition from past iterations is the "Be a Pro" cooperative season mode. This allows up to four friends to play on the same team in specific positions that remain locked throughout a match and over the course of a season. Players in this mode can create a custom profile to track personal statistics and to develop their athlete over time. Both team and individual tasks are presented before each game that award experience points when successfully met. This experience can then be used to enhance an athlete's core attributes, with the "winner" being the player with the most experience at season's end.

Returning to the game is the Manager Mode, which offers a few new additions such as the ability to schedule training sessions during the week. New manual controls involve holding down a button to determine the strength or distance for passes and crosses. Goalkeepers can be switched from AI to manual control at any point, with saves, throws, drop kicks, and slide tackles all initiated with single button presses. Internet support is featured in Interactive Leagues, where the online community takes control of opposing teams in your selected club's real-life schedule. Online players can also update their squads by downloading current lineups, formations, and strategies. PS2 owners with a PSP can transfer data to the handheld to continue career progress and to export created players. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide