FIFA 2005 doesn't re-invent the wheel, but it's fun nontheless.
User Rating: 7.9 | FIFA Soccer 2005 XBOX
First I want to say that I've been following the FIFA series since its debut for the Sega Genesis; so I've seen a lot of what EA calls "innovation" year in and year out. Secondly, since I live in Austria, Europe, this review is based on the European PAL German version of the game (it has the same features and teams, but with German commentary and screen language). Gameplay: FIFA 2005 is fun to play - IF you are well aware that it is not a truly deep football (or soccer, as it's called in North America) simulation. FIFA has always been known for having a fast-paced, kick and rush arcade style of gameplay, and this year's iteration offers just that. The learning curve is very okay to handle, and if you've played FIFA before, you can basically just pick up and play. The biggest new addition, "First Touch", is handled with the right thumbstick - it feels very natural and you shouldn't have any problems using it from the get-go. The only problem I have with it is: Is this REALLY an innovation? Moving the thumbstick in the desired direction when receiving/stopping a pass will make the player bounce the ball to that specific direction, making for more fluid movements. And although it sounds new and innovative, I can't help the feeling that this is nothing more than an EA excuse for revamping the controller layout. The new career mode offers fun for hours, you can upgrade your team by hiring assistant coaches, buy new players, etc. It's all very entertaining, but it offers nothing you haven't seen before in other soccer manager games. You can edit your starting formation and tactics, but it's NOWHERE near as deep or challenging as Konami's Winning Eleven series, for that matter. There are set plays for corners and free kicks, but you can't choose between man or zone coverage, for example. So, as I stated before, don't expect anything too deep here - it's more action and arcade-based. But again, if you're looking for easy-to-learn, pick-up-and-play gameplay fun, you won't go wrong with this game. Graphics: Probably the biggest disappointment with this year's FIFA are its graphics, IMO. Nothing much has changed since last year. You have faithfully re-created jerseys (with sponsors and all), many life-like stadiums, and some nice weather effects. So far, so good. BUT it's the player models that really lack true polish. Famous players (Beckham and so on) look lifelike, but not-so-famous players look all very generic and sometimes even plain dull. Also, the player body models seem to lack polygons on some body parts, this is esp. noticeable in replays where you have close-up shots of the guys on the pitch. [UPDATE Oct. 13th] *Again, this concerns the European PAL version of the game.* After a couple more hours of playing time, I noticed that the interlaced graphics would sometimes flicker (esp. noticeable when looking at the advertisement signs alongside the pitch), and bright colors such as red would look a little bit washed out - even on a high-end Sony television set. This also affects the 60Hz version, by the way. It's not a huge drawback, but one DOES notice. I don't want to be nitpicking on minor graphical flaws, but when you look at other XBox games, you start wondering why they couldn't brush up the visuals a little more. Sound: Again, we have EA trax featured here, and the soundtrack fits quite well. Crowd cheers sound really nice, too. But the commentary... oh my goodness. (NOTE: This is based on the German version of the game, which uses German commentary!) Florian Koenig and Tom Bartels get repetitive after only a couple of games, and sometimes they're even completely off. For example: After missing a 25-metre free kick, they argue about how "you could miss that penalty". That's just pathetic, with all due respect. Especially from EA, the market leader, you could expect more than that. I don't know about the English version, so I won't judge that. Value: Obviously, the biggest plus this year is again FIFA's enormous amount of featured teams, leagues, players and stadiums. XBox Live is supported, but unfortunately, I don't have that. I can only guess that playing online against other gamers out there must be great fun, so both thumbs up for lasting appeal here. Tilt: FIFA 2005 certainly doesn't re-invent the wheel, but it's fun nontheless. If you're new to the series and a soccer aficionado, go for the purchase. If you're a FIFA veteran and you're looking for more than just EA's yearly roster updates, I'd suggest a rental to help you decide.
