FIFA Street 2 Q&A
FIFA Street 2 producer Simon Andrews gives us the inside scoop on EA Sports Big's latest foray into arcade soccer.
As with all the games in EA Sports Big's Street series, FIFA Street 2 is equal parts style and substance. The original game in the series brought to life the colorful and exciting world of underground street soccer, complete with four-man teams and bicycle kicks galore. With FIFA Street 2, the development team has focused on honing the trick mechanics to an even finer edge, while still retaining that same approachable style that has defined the Street series over the years. For more details on the process of developing FIFA Street 2's gameplay, we went straight to the source--producer Simon Andrews.
GameSpot: How long has FIFA Street 2 been in development, and is it being developed by the same team responsible for FIFA Street?
Simon Andrews: FIFA Street 2 has been in development for a year. The team is in essence the original FIFA Street team but with some major changes. We added a number of people from the NBA Street team to work on key areas of the game, such as gameplay, artificial intelligence, and our single-player rule-the-street mode. We have actually doubled the size of our core AI team for FIFA Street 2 and have had the capacity to completely rewrite our career mode.
GS: Given that the original FIFA Street wasn't particularly well received, what are your main goals for the sequel?
SA: There were a lot of people that really liked the concept of FIFA Street 1, but we realized that we had to make some key improvements for the sequel before adding any new features. In light of this, our main goal has been to address the frustrations and limitations users experienced with the original FIFA Street. Basically, building a really solid foundation for core gameplay was a priority and something we could build on. Specifically, we wanted to improve the AI for both the on-pitch players and the goalkeeper, as well as improve the overall feel of the player with the ball. We wanted to add more depth to the AI, and the game experience overall, and make it more challenging. Another goal was to make defense as much fun as attacking with the ball, so we've made some key improvements there. Other goals included innovative gameplay improvements, such as the ability to real-time juggle the ball, a new "gamebreaker" feature, and a combo-trick system that takes the game further into the arcade realm.
GS: Which of FIFA Street 2's new features should we be getting most excited about?
SA: Juggling is the thing I am most excited about. We wanted to do something new and exciting that hadn't been done before with gameplay this year, so when we extended the trick-stick system, we came up with the idea to give the user the ability to juggle the ball in real time, something not seen before in a soccer game. You can basically move the ball from foot to knee and up to your shoulders and head as you please (even while moving around). You can combine juggle moves with beat moves to juggle the ball over, under, or around your opponent. You also have an arsenal of juggle tricks at your fingertips. Execute a juggle trick by doing "shapes" on the trick stick to pull off some of the coolest moves seen in a soccer game! These moves also have higher trick-point values, so when you start combining juggle moves and tricks in with your regular beat moves, you rack up your combo-point totals and get to a gamebreaker faster. If you have the skill, the sky is the limit!
Building on the juggle system, we have also built a minigame around this feature. Up to eight players can compete for bragging rights by juggling the ball for trick-point totals. By offering a combination of freestyle juggling and prompt-based combos, the game lets you compete against your friends to get your name in the high-scores table. And everything you can do in this game mode can also be done in our core game, so the minigame becomes a great place to perfect your juggling skills.
GS: Can you tell us how the new trick-stick feature is going to work?
SA: Basically, you've got a whole arsenal of tricks and beats at your fingertips. When attacking, you have three to four times the number of tricks you had on FIFA Street 1, using the trick stick and the shoulder buttons. Trick high (over), low (through), left, or right using eight directions, then combine the trick with the left and right triggers for more variety. And now use the trick stick for juggle tricks or juggle beats! You can even catch and pass the ball while you are juggling. On defense, we've mirrored countermoves on the trick stick, so users can defend high, low, left or right. Get it right and steal the ball. Get it almost right and free the ball. You can also use the trick stick, when defending, to slide-tackle your opponent or shoulder-barge him off of the ball.
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