FIFA Soccer 2005 – PC – Review

EA’s FIFA Soccer series has been one of their longest
running sports franchises.  Over the years, the series has seen quite a few
changes and new additions.  While this year’s version isn’t exactly a huge
departure from the most recent additions to the game series, it does feature
some great new tweaks, in terms of both graphics and gameplay.  As it stands,
FIFA 2005 makes enough gameplay adjustments to qualify it as the best entry to
the FIFA series yet.

In line with the other entries in the FIFA series, FIFA
2005 gives you control of dozens of different teams from all around the world.
Most of the soccer clubs in the game are divided by country into different
leagues like the MLS (US), FA Premier League (England), and the Brazilian League
(Brazil).  There are a great number of teams, with familiar favorites like
Manchester United, Real Madrid and Arsenal making a return and newcomers like
the teams of Mexican League making an appearance.  The rosters are also up to
date, with well-known players like David Beckham and Ronaldo appearing like
their real life counterparts in terms of abilities and skills as well as look.

FIFA 2005 gives the player a lot of choices in terms of
gameplay modes.  For example, you can enter the tournament mode and take a team
through their particular league in order to win the championship cup.  This mode
is particularly cool given the sheer number of leagues that you can play
through, giving you no shortage of tournaments.

The career mode is also a great feature, starting you
out as a small-time manager for a lower ranked ball club as you work your way up
to something of the caliber of Manchester United.  In this mode, you manage your
team’s financial situation, including your roster dynamics and other factors.
You gain respect as your team improves and wins matches, giving you the means to
move up to a larger and more established team.  Plus, the career mode will sync
with Total Club Manager 2005, allowing you to use both of them at the same time
to enhance your experience.

The controls handle quite well, assuming that you have a
good dual stick gamepad, of course.  Ball physics have been slightly improved
from last year’s version, acting more realistically and accurately.  There is
also a new targeting system involving free kicks, requiring you to aim with an
onscreen reticule and then line up the shot on the accuracy bar at the bottom of
the screen.

However, the coolest new feature is the inclusion of First Touch control.  This
innovative new feature allows you to use the right thumbstick on your gamepad to
move the ball before it arrives to the player to which it was passed; very cool
and very handy.  You can also perform skill moves using the right thumbstick in
order to get the slip on opponents trying to make a tackle and steal away your
ball.

FIFA 2005 does feature the same variety of online
gameplay found on the console versions, meaning two-player matches over the
Internet.  There is also offline multiplayer gameplay, where you and a friend
can play against each other or co-operatively.

The graphics in FIFA 2005 look great.  The character
models are more detailed than ever, looking very lifelike and a lot like their
real world counterparts.  The animations are also very fluid and realistic.  The
camera is interchangeable, and while it may feel a little too removed from the
action sometimes, it gives you a good view of the play field.  With some great
graphical tweaks, FIFA 2005 is a smooth-looking game of soccer.

The sound effects in FIFA 2005 are also quite good,
thanks to a diverse soundtrack and some nice commentary.  The soundtrack is an
eclectic mix of international music, with European artists like Franz Ferdinand,
The Soundtrack of Our Lives and Morrissey making up much of the game’s music.
The commentary is also well done, provided by John Motson and Ally McCoist of
the BBC.  While they do say a few out of place things, for the most part the
commentary works.

FIFA 2005 does what any game in an annual sports
franchise should do; it offers up-to-date team rosters, better graphics and nice
new gameplay and control features.  All things considered, this entry is the
best one in the FIFA series.

Review Scoring Details for FIFA Soccer 2005

Gameplay: 9.0
FIFA 2005 offers
some cool new gameplay features, including the expanded career mode (which tests
your business savvy) and improved ball physics and handling.  The First Touch
system works extremely well and gives you an unprecedented amount of control
over your players and the ball.

Graphics: 9.0
The character
models look fantastic and very much like the players on which they are based,
and their animations are fluid and natural, giving the game a great level of
realism.

Sound: 8.9
The soundtrack is
a varied mix of artists from around the world, with all kinds of genres, from
rock to samba to techno, being encompassed.  The commentary is also quite good,
aside from the occasional weird call.

Difficulty: Medium

Concept: 9.0
FIFA 2005
controls better than any of its predecessors, with new implementations like the
First Touch system giving you a better level of control over the ball.  The
career mode is also quite innovative, giving you full run over all aspects of
your ball club.

Multiplayer: 9.0
The game offers one-on-one matches, online and off, with the ability to play
co-operatively with a friend offline.

Overall: 9.0

FIFA
2005 has the right kind of graphical and gameplay tweaks to make it a nice
upgrade from last year’s game.  The 2005 edition provides very smooth controls
and some nice gameplay modes, making it stand as the best game in the
long-running FIFA Soccer series.