EA’s latest has everything you need to replicate the real World Cup, minus one Sven-Goran Eriksson. Do they know something we don't?
All the German stadia are here, plus grounds from each of the qualifying regions. You can take a team through qualification all the way to the tournament proper.
Packed with the world’s greatest players and 127 national teams, EA have also included new modes of play such as Global Challenge which lets you replay classic matches from World Cup history. The '66 final anyone?
But with so many versions of FIFA around, including the superficial Road to the World Cup release, has this latest edition really got what it takes to lift the trophy?
They say:
Official Xbox 360 Magazine: “It lacks that tight response that Pro Evo has. Tackling feels clumsy and the ball always seems to roll off in a random direction when you wade into someone.”
Eurogamer: “Learning to deal with World Cup's shortcomings is sweetened immensely by what's available elsewhere in the package.”
Gamespot: “If you're in the market for a World Cup game or simply for an Xbox 360 football game that doesn't suck, 2006 FIFA World Cup is the way to go.”
We say:
If you want World Cup razzmatazz then the official game is the only place to go. EA always goes to town on look and feel and FIFA’s no exception.
The graphics are truly jaw dropping, with better than average player models and stadiums that almost allow you to pick out almost every person in the 50,000 strong crowds. Mr Beckham’s even sporting his latest hairstyle – now they’ve just got to stop him changing it.
There’s plenty to keep World Cup enthusiasts happy, from the usual Exhibition mode to online play. Clive Tyldesley and Andy Townsend also provide realistic - if slightly repetitive – commentary.
But for some unknown reason, the Xbox 360 version lacks The Lounge mode which keeps track of everyone’s performance during a multi-player match-up.
If you’ve played FIFA 06 or FIFA 06: Road to the World Cup then you’ll be familiar with the controls. There’s a few innovations to make things smoother, but you’ll get your head round the differences in no time.
FIFA does play a good version of the beautiful game with great one-twos, a clever passing system and solid tackling. It’s a shame EA didn’t take the opportunity to fix the slightly irritating close touch play using the right control stick. It remains a great innovation, but still needs fine tuning.
If you don't like FIFA's default controls, you can switch to a more realistic Pro Evo control system - an improvement certainly, but it still doesn't feel as fluent or natural as Konami's epic.
The AI is not quite there either. Some of the computer controlled players amble around with little forward thinking.
EA’s also removed the ability to control the power of the ball – instead players kick as they'd do in real life - leaving you to concentrate on direction and angle. While this makes FIFA easier than other games we can mention, it does feel like your hand is being held a little too much.
The one big innovation is a new penalty shootout system, which even manages to capture the adrenaline rush when psyching out the goalie. A moving target on the power meter indicates the sweet spot to hit the penalty. Get it right and you’ll hit straight into the top corner.
So the big question – is it worth buying? If you’ve planned nights in with your mates watching the World Cup, then the game will be a great way to keep the action going till the early hours.
If you’ve bought previous FIFA games though, stick with those. There's not enough new features to open your wallet for.
With Sensible Soccer out on May 9 and Pro Evo 5 on budget from May 12, soccer fans have plenty of alternatives this summer.
FORMAT REVIEWED
Xbox 360
OTHER FORMATS
Xbox, PC, PS2, PSP, GameCube, DS,
Game Boy Advance and Mobile Phone
POSTED...
Sat 29 Apr 2006 at 9:04am
