With the release of FIFA 08 on PS2, there's more than just the age-old question of how it compares to main competitor Pro Evolution and how it measures up to last year's iteration; there's also the issue of whether it's really worth getting the game on a system that's on its way out, especially when superior next-gen versions are available.

One of the first things you'll notice upon getting stuck into a game of football is that the appearance of the players in FIFA 08 is quite superb for the ageing graphics CPU of the PS2, as demonstrated by the short cinematic sequences at the beginning of a world class European match. Many of the player faces are well drawn, including those of Ruud Van Nistleroy, Thierry Henry and David Beckham to name but a few. Fans of the lower league teams may notice how closely some of character models resemble that of their home or local team star players too, which is a nice touch. The ball and player physics are also very polished, more than ever before on a football title for the PS2. Committing a foul to break up a counter attack with a sliding tackle, the player models for motion captured rolls, fall downs and notably, players' trademark movements and motions are even more realistic than FIFA 07 (and Pro Evo for that matter). The realistic modelling for all the outfield players on the PlayStation 2 version of FIFA 08 in general are some of the best available, pushing the limits of what the platform can handle. However, it's not all shiny and ultra realistic, although the spectator graphics are the only real letdown; the background spectators and the crowd control stewards are poorly drawn in 2D. Unlike the PS3 version, the crowd is highly unrealistic, although fortunately the gameplay modes and character models more than make up for this minor omission and given their quality you can accept the lack of quality in the background as a reasonable trade-off.

Deep in the knowledge that the FIFA license is now in its third 'next-gen' inception, the development team at EA have really pulled out all the stops, or be it picked all the loose balls out of the previous FIFA editions' nets, to make FIFA 08 a definite PES beater (while I'm still waiting with bated breath for PES 2008, it will have to be pretty special to match the feature-laden FIFA 08 this time round, even if you are a PES die-hard). The game engine and club vault for FIFA 08 has been tweaked, plucked and expanded to the point where even the Coca-Cola League 2 and Australasia's Hyundai A-League supporters will be satisfied! All in all, thirty leagues are included, with 621 licensed teams and a whopping 14.000+ players available across the footballing spectrum - that's enough to give even the hardened Billy-no-mates football fan no real trouble in finding their desired team! A new Manager Mode now includes the option to opt into pre-season friendlies, with expectations from the board on how they like to see their team performing as well.

On the audio side, the stadium chants include terrace classics like "Who are Ya?" and echoes of "You only sing when your winning," which is fully evident when pretty much any of the British home teams are winning, which is united by the wry commentating wit of Andy Gray and Clive Tyldesley - "Anfield has been here since 1884, almost as long as Andy Gray, who's with me today," adding to the already very authentic, fully-licensed experience. However, the commentary does go a bit astray with comments like "the goalkeeper just got to that", "the keeper blocks it" or "good reflexes from the goalkeeper", which disheartens the play a little. This is clear when the ball is nowhere near the goalkeeper once the AI or the player has fired in a shot that is miles wide. Apart from the occasional repetition though, the audio commentary can make for some informative and funny listening and generally complements the gameplay pretty well.

Tactically, training and squad formation menus are fully tailored for team player pros and cons and unlockable training options, to bolster and develop your team. The Match Facts screen is presented clearly, showing everything from the number of successful Through Balls and pass percentage rates to the summary of events and the total number of offsides. The offside engine is now very accurate, with the tightest of decisions receiving the whistle just when you think your player has been played on. The tighter offside decisions do have you going back to the instant replay to confirm the AI's questionable ruling, which, after having fun swinging the camera 360 degrees around the offside player, shows that the AI gets it right every time. The commentators then oversee the decision for themselves with a short cinematic scene of the player caught offside and a pitch-wide red line to confirm the ruling. This helps quench any appeal from your mates who believe they are "miles onside", like when they watch their team every Saturday! But what is far more interesting is how good the player logic has been improved upon; now that the manual controls are designed the way they should be while tactical positioning and strategic defending controls are also very good, the end result is that chasing ensuing strikers on the break from an explosive counter attack can be a little easier to deal with.

This is where FIFA 08 comes into its own, not just for the single player, but for your football fan mates and even a family of football aficionados. The Be a Pro and Be a Pro: Co-op Season allows you and three friends to take a reserve squad player and turn him into an elite professional football player. Then the challenge begins, with your friends and their players battling for dominance either individually or co-operatively within your favourite clubs, seeing who has the best technically gifted player and who can gain the most attributes, which can be customised and developed throughout the course of the season. Then there's the option to play online, increasing the level of play for FIFA 08 players from around the world, achievable via the Interactive Leagues option that ties into EA's online community network - EA Sports Nation - playing in tournaments and Interactive Leagues with either your mates or like-minded football fans and receiving online community kudos when climbing the ranks.

The difficulty levels from the Semi-pro setting and upwards make it challenging for the first time player to score even one goal. The reason for this is actually finding the best way to break a team down, as they all have their own style of play, which is notably evident on the harder difficulties. Experimenting with set plays, killer passes, through balls, free kicks and defensive counter-attacks just for starters will reveal a wealth of gameplay approaches that all need mastering to some degree; especially if you prefer to put one past your rival club or country team with the gameplay AI set to professional or world class. Nonetheless, this makes for a more challenging playing experience and is ultimately more rewarding when you succeed. The Zone Play option meanwhile gives yet another take on the gameplay, as you can select the group or groups of designated players that operate in the defence, midfield or attacking positions, which in itself brings another dimension of gameplay, adding even more lifespan to the already massive FIFA 08.

Once the manual controls have been mastered and the opening big game short but sweet cinematics have been viewed, the longevity and playability levels in FIFA 08 are to put it in two massive words - Camp Nou. The only question is whether or not the team you've chosen can become as good as the team that plays there. Luckily, EA have put the outcome entirely in your hands. With the PS2 final whistle in sight, FIFA 08 brings it right back to the touch line. Some may think it's all over, but if FIFA 08 is any indication then it isn't just yet - not by a long shot from outside the box.

Reviewed by Alex Bickley for AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).