The inevitable simulation of the world's biggest, craziest football festivities.
Before i begin, let me tell you that EA have easily trumped their last 360 offering; which was simply the definition of "rushed". This time around you can play from the qualifying stages right up to the final itself. None of that "here's a movie of the next ten matches" rubbish which came with "Road to the Fifa World Cup."
So now that we've cleared that up, let's take a look at some details here. As any football fan will know, the big rivalry here is between EA's official games and Konami's Pro Evolution Soccer (or "winning 11" as it is known elsewhere). EA seems to be operating a system of "if you cant beat 'em, join 'em" with their latest offering. For example, moving over to the "Controls" section, a simple button press can set the default controls to match the exact formation of Pro Evolution's button layout.
While the game is definately the best EA has come up with so far, you cant help but think in the back of your mind that it's still only just up to scratch with Pro Evo, which will inevitably set the bar one step higher once again when it's sixth incarnation arrives this Winter.
But putting the future aside, it's time to look at what FWC does well; and that's atmosphere. The whole epic feel of the tournament is captured in the dramatic opening music, the menu showing the whole planet, zooming into the country you select to play in. Then there's the actual game itself, which is captured brilliantly with an incredibly immersive crowd and some wonderfully accurate stadiums. Score in the last minute and the ground will shake with elated fans, just like in real life. Miss by an inch and hear the gasping of relieved, or disappointed match-goers. It all helps to make the experience feel authentic, and generally speaking it's wonderfully done; Konami take note.
Commentating returns. It's difficult to explain how it feels this time around, however. On one hand the voices are natural, as if taken from real circumstances rather than read from a script. Play an opening friendly and the commentators will chat idly about the game, whereas playing in the tournament itself will bring about optimisitc talk of the team's winning chances. There's still the repetition found with most sports commentaries, in particular with narrow-misses. Four or five times in a single game you'll hear the same opinion of the goal keeper. "Always in the right position, time and time again". Thanks, guys, you said that last time.
The overall pace of the game has increased, with action in the box significantly improved over previous efforts. EA have hit the nail on the head with this part of the game, understanding that fantastic goals can come from luck, rather than skill. That's not to say skill has been over looked however. You still need to use the right tactics, set up your crosses and choose your strikers wisely if you want to reach the final.
So, downsides. Well, tackling is still a mess. You can keep the pressure on the other team better than the pros themselves, hammering the tackle button as much as you want, to no effect at all. Sliding tackles appear to be a fixed animation, making them very rarely successful. Then there's the passing. It just doesn't work. Frequently you'll be robbed of a perfect play, simply because your player will make a complete farse of a simple pass. You could have a player in space, just waiting to knock it home, but your player will decide he knows best, passing the ball to somebody in a tight spot, or even worse, simply giving the ball away to the other team. It happens far too often, and is quite amazing really when you think of how many games these guys have made over the years. Scruffy work, EA.
Overall though, these gripes only stop this game from reaching it's AAA potential. At the core of it, you have the most authentic, atmospheric simulation of the biggest event in football. Take an under dog team to the finals, or rewrite history if your team isn't so fortunate this year.