We egocentric
Americans spend much of our late autumns engrossed with the playoff run in the
NFL and the onset of the NBA. On home consoles, many gamers are deep into their
franchise modes in Madden 2004 and NBA Live and have just about had their fill
with sports games. This, along with the limited popularity of soccer in the
States, has always left soccer video games permanently under the radar and
limited their shelf space. Elsewhere in the world, sports fans are rejoicing,
for this is the season of the latest edition of EA’s FIFA Soccer series.
One of the biggest
additions to the game this year is the inclusion of a career mode. Career mode
is an opportunity to take control of a club, whether it be a juggernaut of the
Premier League like Liverpool or Manchester United, or an MLS team like the San
Jose Earthquakes. After selecting a league and a team, you’re given a 1-year
contract and a set of contract objectives. Different teams have different
objectives, based on their prestige. For example, a last-placed MLS team’s
contract objectives (finish out of last, conceded fewer than 35 goals) are much
different from a Premiere League powerhouse (qualify for the European
Championships, score in every match). It’s a great equalizer and keeps the
whole year interesting. As teams play matches, they gain prestige points.
Prestige points are used for weekly training sessions for individual players or
the entire team. Players and teams can train in a variety of skills such as
sprinting, shooting, or passing. The more you win, the more you can beef up
your players. The rich get richer, the poor… well maybe next year for the
poor.
Fans of the FIFA
games have had to endure some major changes from game to game each year, and
this year follows suit. The biggest addition to the game is off-the-ball play,
which gives gamers control over a second player. While I see great things for
this option in the future, off-the-ball play is a bit much for first time FIFA
players and will even give seasoned vets some problems. By pressing the L2
button, dribblers can tell one of three other players to make a directed run.
Numbered icons appear above the players that can be ordered around, and after
cycling through to choose the desired player, simple taps on the right analog
stick tell him which direction to run. On defense, pressing the R2 button sends
in the closest CPU-controlled defender to challenge the ballhandler while the
gamer takes the passing lanes in hopes for an interception. It ain’t easy to
get these controls to work positively, especially on offense when defenders are
bearing down on the ballhandler, but it does add a whole lot more to the game
when the kinks are all worked out.
A few gameplay
systems have been modified as well. Gone is the power-up passing system
(R.I.P., you served me well in FIFA 2003) and back is the simple passing
system. The corner kick system has been completely overhauled so that control
is given to a player in the box rather than the kicker. Instead of winding up
and booting one with just the right spin, gamers can choose to kick the ball
bending in towards the close pole, the center of the net, or the far pole. I
know it sounds like a bad addition, but it works surprisingly well. Free kicks
are done nearly identically to last year, but they’ve upped the control and
precision so you may actually be able to bend one in this year. EA has also
added on-the-fly play calling and instant formation changes, but they don’t
quite carry the weight or importance of the same system in games such as
Madden. Like other EA sports games, the Playstation 2 version allows footies
from all over to play each other on-line, complete with lobbies, player
rankings, and all the other goodies featured in the EA online sports games.
Taking a quick
look at the game may not reveal many graphical improvements from last year, but
the keen eye will notice a few things that shine on the screen. To say that the
improvements aren’t marked isn’t a bad thing, last year’s game looked absolutely
gorgeous. This year, the stadiums have been more detailed and several of the
players’ faces have been given more attention. Of course not all of the players
look like their flesh-and-blood counterparts (there are something like 10,000
players on 350 teams in the game), but the more recognizable players aren’t hard
to miss at all. Throw in the flowing frame rate and you’ve got a game that
fittingly can be called “The Beautiful Game”.
One of the best
things about playing FIFA is listening to the excellent broadcast team of John
Motson and Ally McCoist and the latest tracks from some damn fine bands. Motson
is back with his familiar voice and sayings, and the commentary engine once
again sets the bar for video game sports commentary. It’s simply incredible to
listen to these guys during the game. The soundtrack has left its electronic
beats in favor of a more raw sound, featuring such bands as Portland’s own The
Dandy Warhols to England’s Radiohead. Throw in classics from The Stone Roses
and The Jam and you have yourself a smorgasbord of top tunes. All the chants
are still there, and the fans really let the players have it with songs and
stomping that really deliver that stadium football experience.
Is FIFA for
everyone? Definitely not. This year’s version is even more of a soccer
simulation than last year’s game, so expect a lot of action without a lot of
results. This clearly isn’t Madden 2004 or NBA Live… heck, it ain’t even Tiger
Woods. However, those of you who thrive on the tension of 5 minutes left in a
1-0 game won’t be disappointed with this realistic title. It’s a true soccer
game for true soccer (ahem – football) fans.
Gameplay: 8.7
Solid all the way
around, but I still think the power up passing system was the best. Little
tweaks in the AI here and there sometimes leave something to be desired (it’s
easy to march on down the field until you get near the goal box – then it’s
almost impossible) but overall the game is spot on.
Graphics: 9.5
Once again, a big
fat WOW in the graphics department. I’m sure the Xbox version looks better, but
the PS2 version is nothing to frown about. Brilliantly animated players and
real replays make this game a visual treat.
Sound: 9.5
Once again,
another big fat WOW for the audio department. The commentary is the best in any
sports game (as usual) and the music stays clear of the drivel that pollutes our
airwaves.
Difficulty: Hard
The game isn’t
easy… particularly the offensive side. But it wouldn’t be soccer if the scores
were 10-7, right?
Concept: 8.0
The addition of
the career mode is a big plus to the game. The more advanced controls will take
a bit of getting used to, but aren’t completely important to the game.
Multiplayer: 8.5
A great game to
play with friends because the AI can clamp down a little too much at times.
There’s always a game on-line, as well.
Overall: 8.6
A solid sports
game and a great buy for soccer fans. It looks and sounds as great as any game
out there. There may not be any Freddy Adu, but there’s everything else a
soccer fan could want.
