The PS2 adaption is just Fifa 07 with a new cover, except for the Be A Pro mode.
There are some new features in the game too of course. You can now order your keeper to leave the goal and join the attack, but you won't make much use of this option. You can now also change players with the L1 button, though I still use the old controls to do that. Plus, you can position your keeper at free kicks, but trust me, you're better of letting the CPU do that for you. The menu has been updated, in terms of layout. The options and such are still the same as in Fifa 07. Personally I think the changes to the background etc. were good, but nevertheless, a menu background is a small thing. It has nothing to do with how good a game is.
Fifa recreates the exact faces of important players, such as for instance Ronaldinho and Rooney. However, the not so famous players are all composed of standard faces combined with standard hair styles and facial hair. In the transition from 06 to 07, not much was changed to any of the players, which was good because even the standard mix looked a little like the actual player. However, in Fifa 08 it seems like they started from scratch again, redoing every player.. without succes. They have become less true to their actual selves than in 07, at least the majority has. For instance, the Ajax keeper Stekelenburg. Since when has he had black hair?
A nice adding to the game is the Be A Pro mode. You play the entire match with just one player. The other 10 are being controlled by the computer. You can pick every position you want, except the keeper's. A minor in this game type is the AI. Your team-mates aren't very bright, which ment that when I was playing as Cesc Fabregas, I had to do all the work, defensive and offensive. A plus is that you can request the ball at any moment, if your team has possesion. You can also 'command' your team mate to shoot. That way you can even influence the score as a defender.
Another thing is that if you get a red card or an injury, you can't fast forward through the match. Which means that if you'd have the game on say, 8 minutes, and you'd get a red card or an injury in the opening, you'd have to watch your team go down because of your absence for 7 minutes or so. Overall, the gametype is nice, though in my opinion it could have been a bit longer, now you'll only play one season. It would have been much better if you could play 15 seasons or so like you could in Coach, and if you could switch teams between the seasons.
A plus is that you can choose to play this mode with an existing or a custom player. The game will recommend the second, because the player who's stats have grown the most over the entire season wins. If you're playing this mode with 3 of your friends that is. In the beginning of the mode you pick the team you want to play in, and then you can add up to 4 human players, who can then pick an existing player or create one. On the field they will be shown with a different cursor colour. So in the end, I think this mode hits the mark.
So, eventhough the game isn't the most original game ever (except for the mode above), I do think it is better than Fifa 07, although I did give it a lower rating, just because Fifa 07 was more of a change considered to Fifa0 06. The game is harder and more realistic than its prequel. The ball will go into the audience more easily, and scoring got harder. You will also have to get tactical this time. Whereas in Fifa 07 you could get to the goal with sheer speed, this won't happen in Fifa 08, if you're playing on a decent difficulty level (you probably still can on Amateur, I haven't tried that, and I'm not planning to either).
So, can you Fifa 08?
Hell yeah I can!