X06: FIFA 07 Hands-On

BARCELONA, Spain--Although it was released for other consoles in Europe this week, Xbox 360 owners will have to wait a further month until they get FIFA 07. Fans shouldn't be disheartened, though, as the one-month delay will let EA Sports update the team rosters, and as we've noted before, it has been hard at work building the game from the ground up. After seeing the game at X06 this year, we are happy to report that FIFA 07 is looking polished and completely geared up for its release. We were happy to forgo the X06 party in Barcelona to spend some quality time on the single and multiplayer game.

Like EA's other recent Xbox 360 sports titles, FIFA 07 lets you start playing the game as soon as you get into the menu system. The main menu sits on top of a practice pitch, which you have access to both here and when the game is loading. The X06 demo featured Ronaldinho squaring off against a goalkeeper, and if you don't like the Brazilian megastar, you can choose to practise with any other player. Like other modes in the game, this practise mode is immaculately presented, with the detailed pitch featuring a video wall on which you can see your goals being replayed. However, exhibition games load in a matter of seconds, so it's not like you'll need much to keep you entertained while you wait.

The Xbox 360 version of the game is also heavily integrated into Xbox Live. Although Internet connectivity wasn't offered at X06, the showing let us see how these features will fit in with the game. EA Sports has integrated a series of real-world updates, with FIFA news promising to deliver up-to-the-minute fixture and game information directly to the main menu. Those without Internet connections will still be fed information, as the ticker-tape messages along the bottom of the screen relay your recent performance statistics.

Our time with the X06 build also let us sample a few different game modes. Of course, the usual exhibition and tournament modes are the main part of the game, but the lounge mode is a particularly interesting feature for people who like the social aspect of the FIFA series. Up to eight players can join a centralised lobby, and once the players are set up with their favourite teams and icons to represent them, they can choose to play off against each other in a number of different games. On offer in the X06 demo were three options: a free-for-all, random teams, and luck of the draw. The game also compiles records for the number of tackles, goalkeeper saves, and red cards you accumulate, and displays these stats for all to see in the lounge main menu.

EA Sports has promised downloadable team updates in the future, but those who would rather edit the players themselves should find the options in FIFA more than adequate. The edit mode lets you change everything you like about your favourite team, right down to the colour of strip they wear in the game. You can also adjust formation settings and the default kick taker in the game, as well as manually transfer players to other teams to keep the rosters up-to-date.

While you're playing the game, you should keep an eye on the challenge objectives. If you satisfy certain demands, you will be rewarded with points that can then be used to unlock bonuses. Some of these challenges are quite imaginative, such as the one that requires you to score with a substitute player past the 65-minute mark, for which you get 250 points. There are also challenges that encourage more passing, and you can only win them if you maintain a passing percentage of 60 percent or higher.

Once you've accrued points, you can spend them on a variety of items in the fan shop. We saw a vast amount of different Adidas balls that could be purchased for a fairly modest price of around 250 points, whereas teams comprising the best players in the world cost 2,000 points each. There's also a gallery in which you can unlock 72 different football pictures from around the world. A multimedia extravaganza called the movie theatre rounds off the package, with highlights from various leagues in addition to interviews with Wayne Rooney and David Villa.

FIFA 07 also includes a management mode that will offer players the chance to look after the administrative side of the club, as well as play the football. When you start out as a manager, you will see a full report in the national newspaper The Sun. The stories are fairly in-depth and written in a realistic style, with commentary from both sides of the story. After this, the number of sponsors that approach you far outnumbers that seen on PlayStation 2, and the loading is much quicker. In the management game, you can also choose to adjust ticket prices to encourage more punters to come and watch games, and if you don't want to play the game, you can choose to watch it instead.

Shown on Samsung's high-definition R74 range of LCDs at X06, FIFA 07 looked stunning. The animation on the players in the 360 version is spectacular, while the pick-up-and-play roots of the series remain perfectly intact. The team at EA Sports has captured minute details from the players as they move around the ball, and they are easy to control using the analogue stick (there was no option to use the digital-control method in this demo). The game's attention to detail is impressive off the pitch, with team captains shaking hands in the tunnel before the game begins.

As well as being rich in features, this version of the game had plenty of teams for us to play with. Even in its prerelease build, FIFA 07 offered team selections from the FA Premier League, the LFP Primera, Serie A, and the Bundesliga One, among others. The amount of detail that has been put into the options for each game is also quite staggering, right down to the type of grass that you want on your pitch. A selection of styles included chequered, circles, and horizontal cuttings, so there's something to suit everyone's tastes. You can also make the Xbox 360 game longer than you can the PlayStation 2 version, with settings all the way up to 20-minute halves.

With EA Sports claiming that this is an all-new FIFA for the Xbox 360, the pressure is certainly on for the Canadian team to deliver. At this stage, the game is hugely impressive, and that's without even talking about the immaculate presentation and fully licensed teams and leagues. The game is certain to make a splash when it arrives on the Xbox 360, so keep an eye on the site during October to find out how much of an improvement it (hopefully) is over last year's game.