The game engine is based on that of FIFA: Road to World Cup 98, though it features some minor gameplay improvements to areas such as in-game strategy changing and player positioning.

At the end of a drawn game the player can choose to finish the match as a draw, play extra time with the golden goal rule, or take part in a penalty shootout.

The United Kingdom version of the game features commentary from John Motson and Chris Waddle, with matches introduced by Des Lynam and Gary Lineker.

The game features every team that qualified for the 1998 FIFA World Cup, as well as eight others who did not: Australia, Canada, China, Greece, Portugal, Republic of Ireland, Russia and Sweden.

In 1996, EA Sports obtained exclusive rights to use the 1998 World Cup in video games published anywhere except Japan.

The game delivers fast reactions to controller commands, realistic player movement, clean graphics, an excellent soundtrack, and adrenaline-pumping excitement.

"[32] However, Edge gave the same PC version seven out of ten, saying, "Ultimately, WC '98's basic core of gameplay remains unchanged.

For RTWC '98 owners, it's a purchase for the completist or the extravagant; for the uninitiated few, an opportunity to see a commercially evergreen franchise in rare form.

"[35] Air Hendrix of GamePro said of the Nintendo 64 version, "Although World Cup's a better-playing game than FIFA, it has less variety, and its refinements aren't exactly huge.

[sic]"[36][e] The Rookie of the same magazine said of the PlayStation version, "When the final whistle sounds, World Cup '98 is an extremely fun and challenging soccer game, and one of the best on the market.

[38] At the 1999 Milia festival in Cannes, it took home a "Gold" prize for revenues above €48 million in the European Union during the previous year.