For whatever reason, I haven't been able to figure out soccer games. I've drained three point shots, hit home runs, and danced in an end zone on more than one occasion, but ask me to score a goal and I'm all thumbs. It's not that I dislike soccer or even worse, refuse to give these titles a chance, but I just cannot deal with the complexity. The AI is always too aggressive, my teammates are buffoons, and I can't get good angles for my kicks. Yup, when it comes to soccer games I'm one big loser, which is why I'm grateful for Sony's World Tour Soccer 06. Its gameplay is easy enough to grasp so that bozos like yours truly can rack up goals in no time. But unfortunately, it lacks the presentation that makes EA's FIFA so much fun to play.

World Tour is essentially one part arcade, one part simulation, and this zen-like balance keeps things from getting out of hand (ala Sega Soccer Slam). It controls like FIFA World Cup, yet it's a bit easier to avoid defenders and thread the needle to your teammates, which more often than not will set up a picture perfect goal. The opposing team is certainly more than capable of running your butt into the ground, but by and large, you shouldn't be blown out of games providing you keep your wits about you.

The primary reason why this game differs from its competitors is because of its unique modes. If all you want to do is square off against another country then Exhibition will scratch that itch, but to get the most out of this purchase you'll want to start off with World Tour. It's the closest that you're going to get to a World Cup style tournament, except you'll be traveling around the country instead of residing in one spot for a set amount of time. You'll also be looking to complete various challenges during play in an effort to earn points and medals which, once achieved, will unlock more challenges.

World Tour is fun because the challenges offer an arcade style experience that goes beyond the simple game of football, but this idea was expanded in Medal Mode. Here, you'll compete in a series of challenges that'll test your skills such as Classic (play stylish soccer to earn points), All Rounder (get all of your teammates involved), Shot Clock (take a shot before time runs out) and Totally Outnumbered (score against the odds), among others.

Beyond the single player stuff there's also ad hoc and infrastructure modes. Both run well enough with no noticeable lag, but finding online opponents can be quite a chore, so it's unknown whether or not the game will run as smoothly with multiple people on the same server.

Unfortunately, the game just lacks personality. Say what you will about FIFA's gameplay, but EA does a bang up job on its presentation. World Tour features chanting crowds and a single announcer, but it's just not the same. The crowd sometimes disappears then quickly resurfaces, probably due to being streamed off the UMD disc, and the announcer never says anything interesting. The music is equally boring, and the visuals, while adequate, just aren't bright and detailed enough. The AI in FIFA takes me to school, but at the same time, I thoroughly enjoy the soundtrack, the announcing, and the raucous mob. However, I do love the sparkles that appear every time a new mode is highlighted on the main menu. Kudos to Sony for this dazzling visual treat.

I like World Tour, but I wish its developers paid more attention to the pageantry of the sport. The gameplay is solid, no question, but the entire package is in dire need of a personality injection.