The New Touch.. First Touch...
It has almost become an addiction now, the yearly ritual of buying and then playing the latest release of FIFA. I have got all of the FIFA titles and there isn't much that I don't know about the games. I always look forward to seeing what new features they have come up with and am keen to try and master them. There has been a little disappointment on my behalf with the recent releases, namely 2004, so I was expecting big things from this year’s release of the game.
~EA Games~
The company responsible for the FIFA titles is EA Games, without doubt the dominant company in sports games. They have titles such as Need for Speed and The Sims in their product range. They undoubtedly have the pedigree and the capital and expertise to really produce the best quality games. They will continue to grow globally and they will be the dominant force in the computer games market.
~New Focus~
It is the case with every new version of FIFA, that there is one main focus and new feature of the game. In the 2004 version, it was the off the ball movement of players on your team. This wasn't amazingly successful in my opinion, as it was very difficult to control two players at once. You had to have eyes in three or four places at once which were very tough. The focus is now on the first touch.
~First Touch~
They say that to be a great player you need to have a great first touch. The new feature allows you to beat the opposition defender with the first touch and create space. The way to do this is to flick the yellow analogue stick (Gamecube controller) in the direction that you want the receiving player to take the ball. Ideally, you will want them to move away from the defender and into space. The quality and skill of the receiving player, will affect the number of and the flamboyancy of the touches they take in moving the ball away. I have found this very effective in winning games, but it does take time to get used to. It is an idea to try different things and see what works for you.
~Chipping the Ball~
The ability to the chip the ball in football is very crucial on certain situations and moves. In cases where players are one on one with the opposition goalkeeper, it can pay to be able to chip the ball over an onrushing 'keeper or to lob them if they are off their line. This can be done by holding the 'L' button whilst pressing shoot and the player will lift the ball up and over the goalkeeper. It is still important that you judge the power of the shot correctly; otherwise you could end up firing the ball into the stands. There is also the ability to chip passes in behind the opposition defence. It can be done by holding the lofted pass button and the 'L' button at the same time and the ball will be lifted over defence and onto the boot of your player. These two new features really do make the game that much better, more realistic and gives you the chance to be more skilful.
~Improvements~
There are certainly improvements from the last release that are really noticeable. There is one key change that they have made, which now stops me from cheating. It was the case that you could get all of your players to run forwards from a long free-kick and play the opposition offside. This was really effective against the computer teams and was really ruining the game. This can't now be done and it makes the game much better.
The major improvement that all FIFA fans will notice is that you can now run at opposition defenders with a good chance of getting past them. The last game, made this almost impossible to do and it got really frustrating. It was difficult to get inside the opposition penalty box and shoot. The only realistic ways to score, involved scoring from set pieces and long shots. This year’s game is very much more realistic and the strikers do have a chance of beating the defenders in and around the penalty area.
~Leagues and Teams~
The game now features more teams and clubs from around the world than ever before. The Korean league has made the game for the first time and there are new sides in the Rest of The World section. The rich variety of International sides remains and so to does the chance to manage League 2 (old division three) clubs in the English game. I am impressed at the number of teams that the game holds and also the depth of the squads in each team. There are that many more players to choose from.
~Career Mode~
There is certainly a move towards the management side of footballing affairs in this game. The career mode has been developed and there are some great improvements. It allows you to embark on a 15 season long term in charge of a football team of your choice. It includes the option to be player manager of your team which is very good. In the first season, you take control of a lower league side and tackle the campaign. If you are successful, you will grow in stature and your ability will increase. In time, you could go on to manage a bigger club such as Tottenham. The contracts and transfers of players are an integral part of the game, as well as the training of the squad on a weekly basis.
~Graphics~
I am not a computer whiz kid by any stretch of the imagination, but I really do think that the graphics on this game are second to none. The images are very clear and crisp and the conditions of the day are well reflected. The shadows created by the players on the pitch and also the overhead conditions are very good. There is also evidence of greater attention to detail in the game. The kits are far better and much more detailed and the pitch itself is also much more varied in line with real life playing surfaces. I do think that again, they have made that extra bit of effort to really make the game great, rather than just very good.
~Gameply~
In truth, the game has no become much more realistic and its similarities with the beautiful game are much more apparent. The range of things that you can do has vastly increased, in line with the trickery and skill involved in real football. The human control presses, are accurately mirrored on the screen and you are in complete control of what is happening. The passing is more true of real football, not as accurate as you may expect at times and that is also the case with the first touch. The speed of the game is very good, unlike 2004 it is a little slower and because of that, so much better. It plays very true and I have been very happy with the overall performance of the game.
~Camera Angles~
The range of camera angles has been increased to give a much greater experience for all of the gamers. The game can now be viewed much like on the television, with cameras positioned in various places around the ground. The replays are much improved as they appear very soon after the passage of play. The default camera angle is very good, because you can really get a good view of where your players and the opposition are, enabling you to make the right passes and movement.
~Commentary~
The usual suspects are in town, Ally McCoist and John Motson. There are a number of new lines and bits of commentary in this year’s game but the majority is retained from the 2004 version. In real life, I can’t stand John Moston’s commentary, but in the game it isn’t so bad. There are still those irrelevant comments, like what he had for breakfast, but it is much more bearable. The commentary is now much more in line with what is going on in the game and also reflecting the team at the present time. Ally McCoist chips in with his cheeky summarising and he does bring a smile to your face from time to time.
~Conclusion~
I must say, that I am really impressed with the effort that the developers have done to the game. It is definitely a cut above the previous release, you get a much more realistic experience and you can do so much more. The first touch focus was a good one, something that is important in real football. They made sure that they got it right and that it wasn't a flop. It makes the game so much better and you get that much more out of it. I did have a few reservations before playing the game for the first time, but I haven't any complaints about any aspect of it. It is a must have game for any football loving computer gamer, so go out there and get it.