Virtua Striker 2002 Critic Reviews

Lightweight footie fans will love VS3 for its accessibility; footie nuts will love it for its attention to detail and near perfect gameplay.

Despite the sluggish controls, the beautiful presentation and groundbreaking team building mode make for a very rewarding experience that Soccer fans shouldn’t miss.

It's still far from reality, in that the ball is changing hands (or is that feet) literally every second...But it is fun.

Most irritating is that when you try to steal the ball, your defender will be automatically repositioned in front of the guy dribbling.

The rigid and debilitating controls work very much against the game. While it may be the prettiest soccer game on the Gamecube, it's not the best.

Poor control with one camera angle does not make a great game. You can have all the features in the world but if you don’t enjoy the gameplay then it was all for not.

I found the actual play control sloppy, especially playing headers and shooting off a cross.

VS3 is all mouth and no trousers.

Just average.

The entire control scheme hampers any fun that this game would have been, and is very disappointing!

Has come up just a little short of the goal once again.

It plays fine in very brief bursts if you’re accustomed to the arcade, but for anyone else it’ll prove to be source of much anger.

More of a self-running soccer simulator than a soccer game. The computer takes care of the majority of the controls.

It's just too bad the menus and team customization options require more intensity and concentration than the actual game.

The close camera makes the game less of a sim in that passing is hit or miss. The AI tends to show hints of brilliance followed by complete idiocy.

Just isn't for me in part due to its mere two-player support, but mostly because of the frustrating controls. You just don't feel in control, and that's a major issue for a soccer game.

The game plays okay, but the controls seem to be just a half step behind, as if lag was occurring.

The gameplay is easy to learn, the graphics are adequate, and the team management system rivals those available in better soccer titles. It's too bad that it's bogged down by dull and restrictive controls on the field.

Breaks the cardinal rule of videogaming… it isn’t fun. And despite everything else, the graphics and franchise mode, the gameplay breaks the title.

Not enough control is a major penalty and a lack of fun is grounds for ejection. Its simplicity might be able to hold your interest for a minute or two, but a true soccer fan will be left with deflated ball.