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ObiwanKanBlowMe

ObiwanKanBlowMe


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fifa review Empty
PostSubject: fifa review   fifa review I_icon_minitimeWed Oct 21 2009, 10:02

Game on: FIFA 10 has been released - is it worth the wait?
FIFA 10 has the best gameplay of any football sim available
With 360 degree dribbling, players have far more freedom to bend runs and move into narrow gaps
Tackles are more meaty and players are more likely to get penalised for hard challenges
Narrow the angle: Goalkeepers are far more aggressive in this game, and far harder to beat
Rain or shine: now different weather conditions can also be experienced in manager mode
Famous faces: the player models look more like their real-life counterparts
Does what it says on the tin: Build A Set Piece mode in the pre-game arena
FIFA 10 has the potential to leave its competition in the dust
Formats: Xbox 360, PS3 (version reviewed), Wii, PC, PS2, DS, PSP
Developer: EA Canada
Publisher: EA Sports
Released: Out now
Score: 9/10

What a difference a couple of seasons can make. Only two and a half years ago, Konami's Pro Evolution Soccer franchise towered over all football video games like a titan, clutching the critics' praise in one hand, and EA's bleeding heart in the other. Fast-forward to 2009 and its Rasputin-like grasp on the faithful continues to slip as more and more Pro Evo fans announce their intention to defect to the FIFA franchise. On the basis of FIFA 10, they are entirely justified. Not only is FIFA 10 a fantastic football game in its own right, it's a vast improvement on its predecessor and anyone who played the superb FIFA 09 will know what an astonishing accomplishment this is.


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FIFA 09 As with FIFA 09, EA Canada's core strategy seems to have revolved around refining its already excellent engine. The nips, tucks and tweaks probably wouldn't sound very impressive when considered solely on their own merits, but as part of a glorious whole they add up to the finest football simulation available. The marquee improvement here is the 360 degree dribbling aspect. This offers such freedom of movement that it opens up a wealth of gameplay opportunities on the pitch; players can now bend runs past the defence, squeeze into gaps that couldn't previously, and make passes and strikes with pinpoint accuracy. By widening the arch in which players can move, FIFA 10 offers on the pitch movement that feels both fluid and natural.

This revelatory new aspect works in tandem with a myriad of other refinements, all of which seem geared towards delivering a more realistic approximation of the beautiful game. The ball physics remain top notch; passing and shooting feels both quick and responsive. The speed of different players seems to have been scaled down a little, meaning that while certain players are faster than others, one can't simply win the game by lofting passes to their forwards, or belting the ball upfield after their opponents fail to score off a corner. This movement works well with FIFA 10s improved physicality. Tackles now feel more meaty and, if executed badly, damaging, and while it's still possible to shoulder the opposition off the ball, players are likely to get penalised for heavier challenges.

Speaking of which, the referee has received a couple of welcome alterations; he makes an effort to not obscure play, by getting out of the way of through balls (unless he's standing right next to the passing player). As well as not stopping the game for minor penalties, the ref also allows for immediate continuous play – players can now take quick free-kicks – which helps maintain the momentum of a match. Another notable improvement is the way the goalkeepers respond. Not only are the goalies more aggressive, coming off their lines to close down the angles between the attacker and the goal, but they will attempt multiple saves, no longer lying on the ground after an initial ball-stop. They are also more likely to punch the ball away during a goal-line scramble, as well as allow balls to roll out of bounds if it benefits their team – no longer diving on every single loose ball that comes anywhere near them.

There are, of course some elements of realism that are missing; players can't take quick free-throws, there is no diving, and also no handballs. There is also the odd animation that looks slightly out of place; occasionally shoving a player off the ball can make them look like they're sliding along on one foot, for example. Thankfully however EA Canada has eliminated a couple of annoying aspects from FIFA 09 – you can no longer score from the halfway line, and you can choose which defender to pass to from a short goal-kick, thus stopping online opponents from preventing a short kick altogether.

The game's visuals are a slight refinement on last year's model – most of the players actually look more their real-life counterparts then in previous FIFA games – but the post-goal animations which have been virtually unchanged from FIFA 08 are now getting a bit repetitive. The game's soundtrack is a marvel; the stadium noises – while bereft of rude chanting – never sound less than convincing and the commentary provided by Andy Gray and Martin Tyler is less repetitive this time round.

Away from the core gameplay, EA Canada has added a couple of new features, such as the Set-Piece Creator (which does what it says on the tin) and the Virtual Pro Mode, which is basically a personalisation and slight expansion of the Be A Pro Mode from FIFA 09. This is essentially a player that you can create – and even endow with your own face, provided you have uploaded a game face to EA's servers – which you can use in all the offline modes and the online Pro Club Mode. The player will improve the more you play with them, and can be compared against other Virtual Pros online.

And then of course, there's Manager Mode, which unfortunately has more than its fair share of bugs. First, the good news; this year EA Canada has offered slightly more depth than in previous iterations and, once again, offered a slightly more realistic manager sim. Managing a club is far more about micromanagement than ever before, due to the fact that players decline in skill and value if they're not used regularly. This means that players used to simulating most of their games in a season will see their club's fortunes decline if they do it too often and may possibly even get fired midway through the season. This perhaps, happens a little too much; the mode penalises players harshly if they're left out for more than a couple of fixtures, and a long-term injury can reduce a player's rating significantly. An example of this occurred during our first season experience, when the 91-rated William Gallas was sidelined with a broken ankle for fifteen weeks and was a 71-rated player by the time he was back on the pitch.

Depending on which club they choose, players may have less budget to buy players, or a merciless club board to deal with. They'll also find that buying top talent depends not only on the reputation of the club and the transfer fee, but also on their personal track record and whether or not the player they're after feels comfortable moving. For example, Gareth Barry turned down a transfer for an obscene amount to my club, as he felt I was too inexperienced and his position in the starting 11 wasn't guaranteed.

So, once again, there is an emphasis is on realism. However, some real-world scenarios haven't been included such as players requesting transfers or oil magnates buying up football clubs and effectively handing managers a blank cheque. Also, while the transfer system is less fantasy football orientated than before, the odd fantasy transfer is possible. Finally, despite assurances to the contrary, the AI does generate some truly outlandish results. For example, after playing 10 games into the season, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool were all in the top four, while Manchester United was in 12th position – highly entertaining, to be sure, but not very realistic! These are the most obvious problems in the manager mode, but a myriad more have been reported in EA's forums (such as goalkeepers taking credit for all assists, and clubs being able to sell players on loan to them). Hopefully a patch to fix these will be forthcoming. It also wouldn't be remiss of EA to look at shortening the loading times between games in manager mode – during the transfer window, at least on the PS3, they're interminable.

Finally, it's nice to see some weather changes making it into manager mode. In the past, all games in this mode were played in the midafternoon in perfect, sunny conditions. This year's iteration sees teams playing in the afternoon and night, and occasionally having to battle the elements. This is a great idea, although not without its share of hiccups – while playing in the snow is interesting, the ball is less visible in these conditions. (And with reference to weather and geographic concerns, we also doubt that Birmingham would see heavy snowfall in September, as happened when we played an away fixture at Villa Park).

EA Sports has stated it's aware of some of the problems facing FIFA 10, although it hasn't specifically mentioned manager mode. In a statement the publisher said; "We're aggressively working to solve all online issues and expect to have full functionality resumed for both Game Face Beta and Live Season in the coming days. We encourage fans to visit the forums for detailed updates around the clock until all issues have been resolved." This is admirable on the part of EA, but it will be scant consolation to anyone not connected to their console's online functionality.

So FIFA 10 is a revelation in terms of its gameplay, but it would be inaccurate to say that it's the perfect football package. Despite all of its incredible advancements, there is still room for improvement. It's likely that the team at EA Canada probably already know this; from conversations with the game's line producer, David Rutter, I can almost see him and his team pouring over their latest footie sim, pointing out flaws and scribbling down aspects that need tweaking, eradicating or improving. While it contains some excellent ideas, the manager mode needs a lot of work, and it's not clear at this stage whether its list of problems can or will be fixed with a downloadable patch. It's really this that holds the game back from earning a higher score at this stage, and this is a real pity, because there isn't any football title that can compete with FIFA 10's superb core gameplay engine.
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