Holidays are coming… Holidays are coming… as the jingle goes. And to us that means three things. First, whinging about how dark it is all of a sudden. Second, more whinging about the fact that supermarkets have started stocking Christmas baubles and it’s only just gone October. Third, and most important, it’s time for the giants of the football gaming world to go head to head once again.
After last year’s victory for EA and its FIFA series, hopes are high for FIFA 09. We’ve been promised all sorts – an expanded ‘Be A Pro’ mode, vastly improved action on the pitch and a whole lot more of, well, everything.
With the latest Pro Evo still weeks away, can FIFA storm the charts and stay there?
They say:
VideoGamer: “We had worried that FIFA 09 was going to end up like EURO 08 with a Premiership skin. Luckily for us, we were wrong. Like we said, the best FIFA game ever made.”
IGN: “Is it better than PES? It’s certainly different and which game you go for this season ultimately depends on what you want from your annual dose of football.”
We say:
If you were worried about seeing little more than the latest kits and a few new haircuts, then wipe that damp brow. This year’s FIFA is vastly bigger and better than ever and leaves previous iterations stuck on the team bus in a traffic jam.
It’s all about the little touches. Unlike previous FIFAs, players seem to truly ‘exist’ with sweaty blokes jostling just like a real game of football. There’s brand new weight and inertia modelling too – find your defender going up for a header against a huge burly striker and you'd expect to see them left flat on their back. Well it happens in this stunning title as it does in real life.
On the subject of headers, you even need to time the headers this time around. Get it right and you’ll hit the back of the net or clear the ball effectively. Get it wrong and you’ll jump way too early and miss the ball completely. Cue jeering from the stands.
The movement of the ball impresses too. It drops, bounces and skips off a wet surface just as you’d expect. Unlike Pro Evo where the ball often behaves as it’s stuck on rails, FIFA 09 has it spinning and skewing just like a real game of football.
Sick of seeing defenders stick their arms up and claiming offside at every possible opportunity? Well now it’s all here in FIFA. Players act just like you’d expect a so called professional footballer to operate.
A cracking little inclusion is the hints your players give you. If your midfielder is ready to join in the attack, he’ll point towards where he wants the ball. It’s an incredible addition that not only helps the realism levels, it’ll make you a better player to boot.
The animation is also a cut above the rest. Last year’s FIFA could look a little odd – we’re thinking in particular of calm side foots into goal looking more you’re going to lamp the ball into the stand. This time around FIFA looks real. EA has even managed to get rid of the jerky replays so your past triumphs look even more appealing.
Pro Evo fanatics wanting to switch have nothing to fear either. The ‘Alternative’ control method – basically a rip off of PES’ buttons – remains and is joined by new ways of tweaking to your hearts content.
Remember the ‘Be A Pro’ mode? For those that don’t, it allowed you to take control of a single player and attempt to play the role perfectly. Do everything right and you get top marks, but miss a few sitters or concede a penalty and you could well see yourself substituted.
This time round it’s far more involved. Playing as either a real life professional or creating your own superstar, you can now play four full seasons back to back. Starting from the bench, you need to get in the boss’ good books, get the odd start here and there and finally push through to the first team permanently. You may even end up snagging Ronaldo's girlfriend. That's not in the game though.
If that wasn’t enough, the online mode allows ten players a side for a full on slug fest. The goalies remain under AI control though – one for a future FIFA perhaps?
As with any FIFA title, the real names, kits and leagues from pretty much every country in the world are all here present and correct. Beat that PES.
There are still a few flaws of course. If there weren’t why would anyone fork out for next year’s version? Every so often the other side’s goalkeeper takes an age over a goal kicks – we guess it adds to the realism but perhaps this can be dispensed with. Computer controlled defences can be a pain to find your way through too.
The biggest downside is the slight lag when you play online. Having said that, we’ve only seen it once in around two dozen games so it’s no big deal.
Minor fumbles aside, FIFA 09 is currently top of this year’s Premiership and could look set to lift the Champions League trophy too. PES 2009 is going to have to get bought by the Arab Emirates to compete.
Like this? Try these:
Football Manager 2008 – PC, PSP
Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 – PS3, Xbox 360, PS2, PSP, PC
UEFA Euro 2008 – PS3, Xbox 360
FORMAT REVIEWED
PS3
OTHER FORMATS
Xbox 360, Wii, PS2, PSP, DS and PC
POSTED...
Wed 8 Oct at 10:16pm
