The best virtual football experience in years!
The feature that adds the most to the already solid gameplay is the Impact Engine. Even though it has occasional glitches, it added an unprecedented level of physicality, never experienced in a football video game before. Every run, change of direction, contact or collision is unique and feels very organic and natural. This is very noticeable both visual and gameplay wise.
Another important feature (which most of the fans disliked, but I absolutely love) is the Tactical Defending control scheme. Instead of holding a button and letting the AI tackle when it thinks it should, you get full control over your defenders, being able to either stand or slide tackle at your choice. I find this to be both more effective and more realistic than Legacy defending (the control scheme used in previous titles).
Precision dribbling is a feature that I don't find myself using too much but I'm glad it's there, it adds to the already smooth controls of the game.
Players feel more unique, stats having a more significant impact on how they control the ball, the way they pass, cross or shoot, the way they run and dribble. It's still no match to Pro Evolution Soccer's level of player individuality, but it's a step forward in the right direction.
The AI is still predictable. Every team seems to play the same style, the difficulty level impacts only the efficiency they have in the pressing they put against you when you're on the ball, getting the ball forward and scoring. Offline play gets very repetitive after a few matches and once you learn the way the AI plays, it becomes very dull. It is a shame, because the Career Mode is really enjoyable, but the gameplay simply doesn't hold up to it and can't keep you interested because of the poor AI.
Career Mode is really solid this year, but it still lacks something that FIFA 05 had - the possibility of starting your manager career at the bottom, at a low value club and building your way to the top, by getting offers from better and better clubs. This concept of realistic career progress is what would keep your interest in the game mode, collecting trophies in different leagues, with different level clubs.
Be a Pro is a mode that I would love playing, but in its current form it's almost pointless. In my opinion, it needs a complete overhaul in terms of concept, because starting in your favorite club as a first 11 player is simply not fun. The fun in this mode has to be represented by your struggle from starting a career as a reserve player in a low team and getting to the top as your career develops. It's a mode with huge potential ruined by the lack of interest put in it.
On the other hand, Online play is where you'll find yourself spending many hours.
Head to Head Seasons is a great new game mode that adds variety to the team selection in the game, giving you an opponent that uses a team of similar value as yours, so the match is balanced and the player's skill determines the winner. This solved the need to pick a top club all the time in order to have a chance of winning. Weekly cups are a nice addition too.
Online Friendlies is a great way to keep track of your results against friends, making private matches more fun and rewarding.
Ultimate Team is where you get when you get tired of playing with the real life clubs, so you get to create your dream team. It's a great concept, it works well and it's addictive. Sure, there's room for improvement, but overall it's a solid game mode that can keep you interested for a long time.
Pro Clubs is great in concept but difficult in execution. Hacked Virtual Pros with maxed out height and stats ruin the fun and having to fight your way against players that always want to score goals and not playing as a team ruins this mode. I don't think there's much to do on this, because that's the way people play the game and you can't change that.
On the licensing aspect, FIFA truly shines. Many leagues, including all the major European ones (second divisions also) make for a very authentic experience. The disappointment comes in the International section, where many countries are missing.
Player appearances are good overall. Some players from major clubs look incredibly authentic (Wayne Rooney, Ronaldinho, Messi, Nani), but there are also star players that simply don't look right (Ronaldo looked better in FIFA 11, Di Maria looks nothing like his real life counterpart). I understand that getting real game faces is a lenghty process but it totally worths the efforts. There's nothing like seeing players that actually look authentic. This wasn't possible back in the PlayStation 2 era, but now it is. Player models are well done overall, but more individuality would be great. Also, there are many players that didn't get their tattoos in game.
The audio is top quality. There are two commentary teams, both doing their job admirably. The stadiums are full of life, with chants that sound loud and clear, creating an impressive atmosphere.
FIFA 12 is a major improvement over the previous titles, it's a very solid football game that achieved the most authentic football experience ever. There's nothing truly disappointed in the game, only sections that need more or less work to become even better.