As the MLS
season ended, the player bearing a strikingly similar name to that of the game’s
reviewer was given several options. Re-sign with the MLS team, or take another
offer. Chelsea beckoned and the chance to play in the English Premier League was
just too enticing.
At it’s
core, FIFA 09 is a bit of an addiction, especially to one whose life sometimes
seems consumed by the game, whether playing indoor or as a coach. The chance to
lace up the cleats and take to the pitch is great fun, but FIFA has a few
drawbacks in terms of controls that can have you cursing under your breath.
Because the
game still manages to be fun, perhaps addressing the problems with it should be
dealt with first. FIFA does a great job of condensing the control scheme into a
few hotkeys. If you want to pull off a fancy dribbling move, hold L2 and work
the right thumbstick. The X is for passing, triangle calls for a pass or
initiates a through-pass. So here is the problem. You’ve mashed down R2 to
initiate a sprint and split through a gap in the defense as a striker. You hit
the triangle button to call for the pass, and a heartbeat after you hit that,
the other player on your team passes the ball up ahead. Because there seems to
be a delay in the actualization of your button input and the actual game, when
you receive the ball, you pass it ahead … to no one.
Also, when
you the get the ball on your feet, and are in a full sprint, changing directions
is not that easy, not even curving the run, and you will find yourself heading
in any direction but the one you desire.
The
animations also take a bit of a hit now and again with a lot of backwards
running and sideways crab-running that is very annoying. You actually can get
out of it by hitting the sprint button, which seems to help turn you around, but
this can deter from the sense of realism the game attempts.
FIFA’s Be A
Pro mode, other than those flaws, is rather engaging. The game takes a page out
of EA Sports’ NHL title in some regards, by allowing you to earn points that can
level up your character. But the mode goes a bit further in that not only do you
play for a club team, but once you gain enough fame, your national team will
come calling. And much like other titles where you work up from the minors to
the bigger stage, in FIFA you start on the reserve club and work your way to the
first team’s starting 11, and then on to be the team captain. Once you achieve
that honor, another new element opens up, a team Custom Tactics system in which,
as the captain, you can mess with the lineups and formations. You can also
assign tactics on the fly to the D-pad keys to allow you to adjust to what your
opponents throw at you.
Playing as a
solo player in the Be A Pro mode is quite fun, but you can take that a stride
further by playing in a new online mode as a member of a side playing with other
players and against other players (up to 20 players can take part in this mode).
While the game is not if full release yet, it was hard to find others to play
with or against. One of the games was fraught with connection issues as well and
finally ended with the opponent going offline after falling behind on the
scoreboard in the match.
One of the
other new features to FIFA 09 is the Adidas Live Season updates that allow
weekly updates to player performances that will impact the Kick-off, Online
Quick Ranked and Interactive League modes. In addition there is also the FIFA
Interactive World Cup.
When it
comes to the graphics and sound, one excels and one is rather weak. The musical
score is often hit or miss with EA Sports titles, and in this instance, while
not overly irritating, it just does not seem to be the type of music that pumps
the blood for a football match. More so is the pity because the commentary team
of Martin Tyler and Andy Gray are solid. Graphically, though, this game plays
out in high-def and is very well done. If you play the Be A Pro mode, you see
the whole field from a camera angle above and behind the player. This is solid
simply because you are judged on positioning during the course of the game, not
only offensively, but defensively as well. The ball movement animations (the
pairing of L2 and the right thumbstick) offers some impressive and realistic
ball control moves. They won’t always fake out a defensive player, but they are
always fun to watch, and can freeze an opposing player, giving you that tiny
opportunity to move the ball in a positive manner.
As for the
anomalies in the control scheme, you can get beyond that by playing a control
game. Online the teams are equal, so if you try to push, and play a reflex game
of soccer, you will likely be beaten by someone who knows how to pass the ball,
work to the open spaces and aim shots. And even if you start on the easiest game
levels (the options package does allow you to tailor the experience), you will
find the AI adjusts as you work through the game. You can’t simply cherry pick
with long lead passes or through-balls, run onto the pass and isolate on the
keeper. Sooner or later you will have to work the passing lanes and play smart.
Speaking of
AI, it can be hit and miss at times. In the Be A Pro, it was silly the number of
times that a through-pass isolated a teammate, only to have that teammate turn
around and pass the ball back to the gamer’s player.
But while
FIFA 09 does have flaws, it still is an enjoyable game. Yes, it could be much
more, but what is here is entertaining.
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Gameplay: 8.2
There is that lag
time between controller input and in-game actualization that needs to be
adjusted downward. The game changes on the fly and while you may have had one
idea a moment before, as the game flow changes, so do the options. This is one
of the hardest things to coach in younger players, and it seems this video game
has the same problem.
Graphics: 8.3
A bit of a mixed
bag. On the one hand, you have superb dribbling and finishing moves, but then
you have those awkward back-peddling and sideways crab runs that detract.
Sound: 8.6
The musical Trax
are fine and the announcing team is terrific.
Difficulty: Medium
Concept: 8.8
Some nice ideas
have been added to the franchise but the EA team needs to tighten up the
controller flaws.
Multiplayer: 8.5
The few games
found proved to be entertaining, but were hampered with some lag issues and
disconnects. They should clear up once the game is in wide release and the
player base solidifies.
Overall: 8.4
This game has
some great moments as well as some that are not so great. It is still, though, a
first-rate soccer game that dazzles at times. The new features really give the
game a boost, but there is still work to do. This is a great game and fun to
play with others.
