With the success and
critical acclaim of FIFA Soccer 2004, EA Sports has proven that the
beloved sport has a fan base that appreciates a soccer game that not only plays
excellently but also features all the goodies that make this such a cool sport.
As a soccer fan, I felt that EA Sports not only captured the sport well enough
but, judging by FIFA Soccer 2005, it wanted to take things one step
further. Is this a step in the right direction, though?
FIFA Soccer 2004,
as I mentioned above, was as perfect as it could get on the Xbox. It played a
fluid game of soccer and it was downright addictive to boot, but it somehow
didn’t feel as complete as it should have and EA’s reluctance to offer Xbox Live
support just didn’t sit well with fans. Luckily for us, the whole EA/Microsoft
thing worked out for the better and now all of EA Sports recent releases are now
seeing some Xbox Live support. FIFA Soccer 2005 now feels like a
complete game and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. While the game played
great last year, this year’s changes just add more to the gameplay and franchise
mode.
The most notable change is
directed at the game’s Career Mode. You start your career as a manager,
selecting a lower level team from the large number of leagues both international
and national. Starting with a limited budget you set out to turn your little
team into a big deal and thanks to a wonderfully clear-cut tool that keeps track
of everything surrounding your team‘s coming and goings plus any roster changes
you might want to make. The higher you take your team, the more prestige you
earn. When you’ve gained enough recognition, you can select a team in a higher
division. For example, if you chose to involve yourself in the Spanish Primera,
you’ll start with a low-level team and then work your way into managing Real
Madrid. Now this is what I call a franchise mode.
There is also Tournament
Mode and this is the mode that will have you playing this game well into next
year. With so many leagues to chose from you’ll be happily playing for cups in
different divisions and leagues. Aside from the US leagues and the wide
assortment of English leagues, this year’s game includes the Mexican Leagues.
All of this adds up to a Tournament Mode that will not fail to make fans jump
for joy. Always wanted to put out Chicago Fire’s, well, fire using LA Galaxy?
Always wanted to put to rest which Argentinean club is better–River Plate or
Boca Junior?
Control-wise, the game
plays fluidly enough much like last year. The improvements are really quite
minor but they’re improvements that just take the game from great to excellent.
UEFA Euro 2004, EA Sport’s other soccer game revolving around this year’s
Euro Cup, introduced a tighter control scheme that also shows up in FIFA
Soccer 2005. Most particularly, the free kicks are more direct due to
targeting cursor and a kick meter. New to the game is the First Touch Control,
which basically gives a player that was just passed the ball more precise
control of the ball with the simple movement of the right analog stick. You see
new skill moves as you sprint and are near the goal post.
Passing and dribbling feel
a lot better this year as well. Even tackling is a lot better, although you’ll
be heading in foul territory. It’s really absurd how frequently and easily the
referee passing out yellow cards for minor infractions, this is really one of
the game’s biggest flaws. Other than that, you’ll have fun with chip shots and
pulling off some cool tricks (although that takes a lot of practice to get
right). As for the Xbox Live, it’s what we’ve all hoped it would and dreamed it
would be so I see gamers enjoying online play long until next year’s game is
released. It runs smoothly and, thanks to some rules that weed out the cheaters
(such as users getting penalized for leaving a ranked game in progress)–you’ll
have a blast, trust me.
As far as the graphics are
concerned, it’s hard not to be impressed with the level of graphical detail,
colorful stadiums and great player models that make up this game’s visuals.
Players like Brazil’s Ronaldo look a lot like the real thing that you’ll
instantly recognize him before you even catch a glimpse of his name on the back
of his jersey. Still, with the more recognizable star players looking like
their actual counterpart, little had been done for the rest of the team. You’ll
find a number of “clones” that will eventually meet up with other “clones” in
other teams. Unlike EA Sport’s UEFA Euro 2004, a game that had a broader
variety of players faces, there really isn’t an excuse for so many look-alikes .
. . but that’s just me. The rest of the game looks and flows great.
Don’t you just love
sitting in a soccer stadium filled with fans who stomp their feet in unison,
cheer with enthusiasm and sing songs that are significant to their country or
favorite club? What you’ll hear in these stadiums is all that and you’ll even
hear the coaches shout out to their teams in their own languages. It gives the
whole experience that televised appeal and it works brilliantly. What doesn’t
work, though is the British commentary team of John Motson (whose Scottish
accent is so thick you’ll wish his commentary came with subtitles) and Ally
McCoist. They make a number of offbeat comments, offer inane advice and hardly
ever point out great plays you just happen to make right before their eyes.
They will, though, interrupt any commentary that’s being made at the time to
point out players reaching the goal or causing a foul. There’s music played
during the menu selection screen and the song list is pretty eclectic–although
many of these songs from all over the globe might not be everyone’s cup of tea.
This is, unless of course, you like Franz Ferdinand or Scissor Sisters.
FIFA Soccer 2005
is a step in the right direction in every
possible aspect so if it’s perfection you’re looking for this is the best soccer
game on the Xbox to date. With intuitive controls, plenty of extras, a lengthy
and in-depth Franchise mode and Xbox Live support, you’ll feel like you died and
went to soccer Heaven. If you’re new to the series, this is the perfect
introduction.
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#Review |
Gameplay: 9.0
As solid as a rock and as smooth as
a baby’s behind, this is what a soccer game should play like. The new First
Touch Control is a real asset and taking a direct free kick or passing the ball
feels a lot more natural this time. You might not easily make a lot of cool
tricks like bicycle kicks or headers at the goal but with the intuitive controls
it’s all possible with a lot of work.
Graphics: 8.2
This is a very colorful and sharply
beautiful game. It’s hard not to get swept away by the thousands of fans
lighting up flares or the close ups of the more familiar players like England’s
Beckham or Brazil’s Ronaldo. Unfortunately you’ll find a number of “clones” and
that takes away from the visual presentation.
Sound: 7.5
The music might not suit everyone’s
taste, although there are some cool Latin rock tunes mixed in with the likes of
Morrissey. The commentary team is mismatched and don’t offer insight or any
praise. What do we have to do to impress these guys? At least the stadium
sounds (fans cheering and singing) and the coaches barking out orders in their
native tongue is superb.
Difficulty: Medium
The opponent AI is great at defense
and the goalkeepers are always on their toes so there’s no scoring discrepancies
in this game. What will get on your nerves, though, is the referee’s unmerciful
handing out of yellow cards . . . it’s unrealistic.
Concept: 9.0
The new additions to the game will
satisfy fans that wished last year’s game included their favorite leagues like
all the Mexican leagues (kudos for bringing us Chivas and Cruz Azul). First
Touch Control rocks! And the Create-A-Player, while not as in-depth as the one
found in Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2005, is a very welcome addition.
Multiplayer: 9.0
Xbox Live support finally pits
soccer fans like myself up against other soccer fans from all over. The game
moves along fluidly online and, thankfully, there are strict rules in place to
prevent cheating. EA Messenger lets you issue challenges to friends or other
gamers. If this is a dream I don’t want to wake up.
Overall: 9.0
EA Sports scores once again with its
stellar FIFA Soccer franchise and this year’s game just adds more bang
for your buck. Sure Winning Eleven 7 for the PS2 dominates this
particular sport’s genre in terms of gameplay, but FIFA Soccer 2005 is a
solid game with an even greater online multiplayer mode. Buy it if you love the
sport, your Xbox will thank you for it.
