Fifa World Cup 2010 is the perfect simulation game to recreate the excitement of the Fifa World Cup 2010.
Controls:
There are four kinds of control setups included in the game. Two are preset setups directly from ea and the others are a customizable setup & a 2 button system. The two presets include one classic control setup related to the fifa games we played over the years with few tweaks. The other preset control setup dubbed as new is similar to the default control setup found in the pro evolution soccer series games. The last option known as customizable option is where the gamers can map its own button for specific functions for personal preference and I think it's a very good addition to the game. The last control setup includes a two button control setup preferred for beginners who are playing their first dose of fifa games. The two button setup uses the X button for pass and the O button for shoot and a optional R2 button for sprint function. All the control setups makes the game accessible much better than before and targeted to all categories of gamers. During gameplay the control seems really responsible and delivers a fluid gameplay. Don't expect the same in online multiplayer matches as small lag can ruin your game. Your game speed wont be hampered but your controls will be unresponsive or there will be a delay in your desired action during matches.
Visuals & Presentation:
With the licensed official fifa hud and enthralling atmosphere the game looks too good to be true. All aspects of a football game come to life in this virtual world. It's not just about the players on the pitch. The fascinated crowd in facepaint and crazy apparels to the proactive managers and to mention the referees conflicting in your cheeky attacks. These Broadcast cuts are some flair of this game but it can be turned off from the options menu for gamers preference. The official hud from fifa comes into play only in the world cup modes and exhibition matches with world cup settings selected. But the official hud is the same one as used in the confederation cup last year but the world cup hud was updated. I expect a dlc to update this error but it will be absurd if ea doesn't update the hud. But that doesn't count that much to most gamers actually. Other than that a EA sports hud outside of the world cup mode is reminiscent to the ea sports cricket 2007 hud. With nex gen graphics and physics adding to the presentation is just like icing on the cake. The camera angles are seen to have different latitudes and longitudes varying in different stadiums.
Sound:
The commentary swap from Martin Tyler & Andy Gray to Clive Tyldsey & Andy Townsend for this game did the trick and took the in game commentary to a all new level. Clive and Andy's callnames are done with absolute precision and seems like a live commentary rather than recorded voice without any co-ordination like its predecessor. They also do some debates during their commentary also provide tips for the manager like their real life counterparts which spice up the game. During match the sounds that accompany in background of the commentary do back it up. Just imagine when a shot is blasted past the goalkeeper in the top corner or the ad boards behind the net sounds really crispy and absolutely matches the real game. Don't forget the special distinctive cheers from supporters of different nations also the sounds of trumpets and other instruments which light up the game for an enthralling adventure. Don't expect the commentators to be 100% precise all the time but out of my experience its 95% precise and is way higher than its predecessors.
Gameplay:
EA's nex-gen fifa engine boasts some hell of a physics and real gameplay mechanics. The gameplay hasn't been tweaked that much from its predecessor "Fifa 10".But a new penalty kick system is one of the two notable new arrivals of this game along with some minor gameplay tweaks. The new institutive penalty kick system comprises of the tension the atmosphere the build up and also the composure. A meter with a moving needle is the answer which contains three zones green orange and red. Green is the perfect zone to orange and red zones where players get caught up. Triggering is the way to control the shot and the direction depends on the time you hold or give the directing using the left analog stick. Other features in the penalty include a stutter step during the run up the tactic which cristiano ronaldo regularly uses during his penalties, but all the other players in the game are capable of pulling this trick where the direction of the shot can be altered during the run up. Players need good composure to perform penalties well so I recommend practicing penalties in the practice mode before getting into mainstream. Elements such as home ground advantage are also present and are a important factor when playing the world cup qualifiers. The stadiums of the world cup are in higher altitudes and the other major gameplay enhancement includes high fatigue rate when playing in this stadiums and is a very good addition to recreate the excitement of the world cup.
Contents:
Even though this game doesn't pack super heavy on content like its predecessor FIFA 10 but it has enough features to keep u playing till Fifa 11 releases. The game includes 199 international teams of the 204 that took part in the qualifying campaign including our nation's football team Bangladesh. It also contains many licensed teams too and all the world cup teams are licensed but not all the teams included in the game are licensed. The game includes a fifa world cup mode where the qualification and the world cup finals campaign can be played. The gamer can jump directly to world cup if the gamer wants but will miss those trophies you can earn by qualifying. The game also packs a mode called captain your country mode similar to be a pro mode found in earlier fifa games. A created player or a team veteran can be used to play in this mode. The mode is based on the qualifying and the world cup finals combined, rise through the ranks to no#1 and become the captain of the team you are representing. The negative point of both of these modes is that when a player is injured it is counted in matches not weeks how unrealistic. And, a captain of a team doesn't change frequently in real life but it's present in the game. There is also another mode called story of the qualifying which is like a scenario. It contains scenarios from previous world cups and previous qualifying matches combined so that it can be rewritten again in this virtual world. It is lots of fun and the challenges are well placed and I recommend this to everyone once the main game modes of the game are completed. The EA store contains free dlc's and there is one dlc stated on the manual of my game that a mode called story of the finals inside the story of qualifying mode will be available as a free dlc after the world cup is over which is so compelling. Means a scenario mode based of the ongoing world cup will be available after the world cup is completed. There is also a mode called Fifa World Cup online mode which is a very good online multiplayer mode to extend the gameplay time. This mode is kind of a online world cup but you can only select one unchangeable team. Note that most of the singleplayer & multiplayer features from previous fifa games make out into this game with some minor tweaks.
Summary:
2010 Fifa World Cup South Africa does a good job of recreating the world cup in the virtual environment and with some pretty good additions which make this game worthwhile. And with few negatives on the go the amount of positives make it simply negligible. For the passionate fifa fans this game should be a cracker.
Positives (+) ve's
• Fluid gameplay with a lot of depth
• High definition graphics & physics
• Superb commentary and sound effects
• Intuitive control scheme
• Free DLC's
• Load times are good
• Broadcast cuts is a very good addition to the game's presentation
Negatives (-) ve's
• Occasional hiccups when browsing through menus and in game replays
• Few unrealistic theories inside World Cup and captain your country mode
• Small lag in online multiplayer modes can ruin your game