Soccer is a worldwide phenomenon. Here in the States, it may not be as sprawling as, say, football or baseball, but the fans who appreciate the sport are rabid, and if you go overseas, you'll find some hardcore soccer viewers who take their sport extremely seriously. I suppose that's why EA wanted to capitalize on the opportunity and make two types of FIFA-licensed games to satisfy them. Of course, you have their original sim-like FIFA Soccer games, and then you have FIFA Street, a game that was released a while back and tried to add a streetwise, arcade-ish flavor to the product. Granted, it didn't fit entirely with everyone, but those who stuck it out were rewarded with a game that definitely had its moments of footy joy. (Is that even a word, footy joy?)

Now we come upon the inevitable sequel, FIFA Street 2, and, again, it seems to be designed with fans of the first game and true fans of soccer in mind. That's a great thing for them, although the rest of the gaming crowd will be scratching their heads and wonder what the big deal is about. Like the previous game, this takes place in a grittier (although not streets-loaded-with-criminals gritty like the Def Jam games), street-style soccer field instead of your typical soccer settings, and features the type of gameplay that relies just as much on style as it does on the soccer basics.

Like the previous game, tricks and scoring techniques come heavily into play. You can use the "trick stick", basically the right analog stick, in pulling off some swanky maneuvers as you possess the ball, and build up your GameBreaker. Once your GameBreaker's filled, you have the chance to score a flair-laden goal. Of course, your opponent has the opportunity to do the exact same thing, and topping one of your tricks with theirs could possibly lead to a Skills Battle to see who's got the best move. Not exactly what I'd call eventful (and it does slightly interrupt the flow of play), but those who like to show off should enjoy the nature of it.

But something doesn't quite gel with the formula as it did with other Street games. With NBA Street, your style came into play wildly with a number of moves, incorporated into an alley-oop system that's absolutely nuts when it comes to involving all three players. Here, you pull off your moves and then attempt to score a goal. Seems kinda muted, actually. Still, at least the gameplay feels solid enough for soccer fans to get an idea of what they're doing. But, like the last game, some people just won't get into it so deeply. Juggling has some moments of innovation, but it doesn't happen often enough.

The game does feature a bit of customization working for it. For instance, you can once again create your own player and then work your way through the "Rule the Street" career mode, eventually becoming a squad leader and forming your ultimate team, before garnering enough wins to eventually hit the international circuit. You can also work on a Pitch Creator, which allows you to work on building the ultimate soccer field. Again, it seems to work more for the rabid fans than the casual player, who probably won't be too fascinated with creating a home turf for kicking a ball around. But at least EA has loaded the game with enough options to get some unpredictable designs, so they have that going for them.

FIFA Street 2's appearance hasn't changed too much since the last game. The players still animate pretty well, and some of the locales have a nice exotic flavor to them that works for the theme at hand. I was slightly annoyed by the menu system and its "raw" presentation, but, hey, to each their own. My main problem focuses on the camera selection. There are some decent views of the field, including the end-to-end camera that lets you see the entire area at once so you can see what all is going on, but too often the camera tries to rely more on style than the action at hand, resulting in a slight bit of distortion with the player. I can understand that style's the name of the game here, but some things need to remain un-stylish, you know? Past that, the game still looks fine and keeps the formula of the first game intact.

However, the sound has gotten tweaked for the better. The announcer is still around, but the music has more comprehensive touches for that worldwide flavor, including some techno and rap that really hits the spot. There are three pre-set stations already included in the game, complete with their own DJ to host the proceedings, but the option to create your own playlist is a nice touch, so you can add a sense of what you have in mind to the games. Sound effects barely register, but, hey, they really didn't need to.

As far as longevity, the game has enough to last. It lacks online multiplayer, but offline, FIFA still has some great multiplayer options. There's also plenty to do with the single-player mode, with four difficulty levels to take on (rookies will want to start with the lightest, for sure), and a variety of official FIFA players scattered across locations. There's also a heavy amount of unlockables, including new customizable items and new street arenas to secure. So soccer fans will definitely want to keep their shoes fresh for all the digging they'll be doing.

But, again, we hit the nagging problem. FIFA Street 2 would've been a far more enjoyable game had it been more accessible, with maybe just a bit more concentration on the gameplay to appeal to newcomers of the series. Those who never got into the series probably still won't, and that'll cost a few game sales, I'm afraid. However, if you live for the antics of soccer like most of the worldwide population does, you'll have no trouble dropping in and trying your damndest to pull off some fanciful kicks. FIFA Street 2 is right up your alley...and strictly up your alley.