FIFA: Road to World Cup 98

Overview

FIFA: Road to World Cup 98 is a 1997 football video game developed by EA Canada and released by EA Sports. It is the fifth game in the FIFA series and the second to be in 3D on the fifth generation of video game consoles. A number of different players were featured on the cover, including David Beckham in the UK, Roy Lassiter in the United States, Mexico and Brazil, David Ginola in France, Raúl in Spain and Portugal, Paolo Maldini in Italy, and Andreas Möller in Germany. Critics responded positively to FIFA 98, hailing it as a strong return to form for the series. FIFA 98 was the last FIFA game released for the Sega Mega Drive, Sega Saturn, and the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES).

The game was built on the FIFA '97 engine. David Ginola served as the game's motion capture actor. The game was built on the FIFA 97 engine. David Ginola served as the game's motion capture actor. In the French-language version, match commentary was provided by sports journalist Thierry Gilardi and former France international Ginola.

FIFA: Road to World Cup 98 was positively received. Though widely regarded as still inferior to International Superstar Soccer 64, most critics considered it a strong comeback from its predecessor, FIFA 97 / FIFA Soccer 64. Moreover, a few reviewers said that the game's extensive licensing of real players and teams was a strong advantage over International Superstar Soccer 64 which, though not enough to make it an overall better game, was a compelling enough reason for soccer fans to get both games. Next Generation, for example, concluded that "The game still doesn't have the fluidity of ISS 64, but the real players and variety of options make FIFA RTTWC 64 a game that soccer fans all over the world should enjoy."

Other common subjects of critical praise were the accuracy and variation in the play-by-play commentary, the detailed rendering of the player models, the smooth animations, the wealth of play options, and the realistic moves. GameSpot commented, "From header lobs, header shots, and high volleys, to hip checks, hyperaggressive lunges, and slide tackles, the range of movement and playing style is enormous." However, critics widely mentioned weaknesses in the A.I., particularly the goalie A.I., and occasional drops in frame rate.

Official trailer

Trailer. Watch on YouTube

Screenshots

Game details

Genres

Sport

Developer

EA Canada, Extended Play Productions

Publisher

Electronic Arts, Gradiente

Series

FIFA

Platforms

Windows, PlayStation

Age rating

ESRB E

Modes

Single player

Yes

Local multiplayer

No

Online multiplayer

Yes

Co op

No

Age ratings

ESRB

E

Release dates

Playable today

Credits

Publisher

Electronic Arts, Gradiente

Developer

EA Canada, Extended Play Productions

Released

1997-11-30

Age rating

ESRB E

Region

US

Time to beat

about 28.7 hours