Let's play: International Superstar Soccer 2

BBC Sport Online reviewer David Gibbon says ISS2 does not touch Pro Evolution, but is still a great football game.

The inaugural ISS on the PlayStation was something of a let-down - leaving Pro Evolution as the clear leader when it came to truly realistic soccer simulations.

Now comes the sequel - and with so many football games set for release in the coming months, it certainly has something to live up to.

Compared to other feature-packed soccer games of late, this one looks more than a little conservative at first glance.

  2002 FIFA World Cup

Format: PlayStation 2

Price: £39.99

Publisher: Konami

Genre: Football

Also Available: Everything!

The uninspiring options screen offers you a choice of friendlies, one cup and two leagues - one of which allows just four teams to take part!

To be perfectly frank, the lack of depth here initially makes you wonder if the developers were given just a couple of months to knock this up.

But once you actually start playing ISS2, you get the impression that it's going to be something special.

The visuals are some of the best ever seen in a football game.

Purists

You can pick out each player by facial features alone and all the Europeans are correctly titled, thanks to the FIFPro licence.

If you prefer arcade-style football, ISS2 will definitely appeal.

Pro Evolution is aimed more at soccer purists - those who want to play the game with realism firmly in mind.

One of the greatest things about ISS2 is the control system.

  Gibbon's verdict

Graphics: 92%

Playability: 85%

Sound: 67%

Realism: 86%

Overall: 87%

It allows anyone to walk in, pick up the controls and take part in a decent game, without needing too many instructions.

You can pull all sorts of moves off without any real effort - from putting in a through ball to sneaking one past the goalie.

The game is packed with little features that make it stand out from some of its inferior rivals, the most impressive of which is the goalscorer's name announced over the loudspeaker system.

OK, it's too shallow to give Pro Evolution a run for its money, but ISS2 is still one of the best PS2 footie games around.