EVEN with the World Cup behind us, there's no respite for the poor football-hating innocent. As the nation gears up for the start of the new domestic season, once again there are individuals preparing themselves for further months of social exclusion.

Pubs, parks and the workplace are no longer places for those of us with little or no interest in the noble art of kicking a ball into a net.

Alas, the games industry is populated with soccer maniacs. One need only look at the release schedules for evidence of this.

But we're not complete idiots; we're more than open to a decent football game.

Virgin Interactive's Viva Football is, according to its developers, "More like real-life soccer than any other game".

A brief look at the numbers certainly suggests it's filled to the brim with real-life authenticity: there are 987 teams in the game, with both home and away kits, and 16,225 players, each with a number of individual skills.

But it's with the gameplay where Virgin hopes the game stands out. The non-player-controlled players boast "revolutionary" artificial intelligence routines, while the actual control is reportedly spot on, without getting bogged down with multiple button combinations.

Graphically, it's little short of stunning. The stadiums and players are as good-looking, and quite probably better looking, than most other games in the genre. Curiously, the motion capture was put together with the help of Barnet FC. The Brazilians were obviously busy.

It may have just missed the World Cup, but Viva Football hits the terraces some time next month.