The last FIFA game I played was FIFA 99 on the PC and it didn’t grab me all that much. Once you figured out the sweet spot in and around the opposing penalty box, you could score with the same shot every single time.
That was pretty much the problem that plagued action-oriented football videogames. The classic 16-bit game, Kick Off, certainly had this problem but the action was so quick and furious, you didn’t mind as you sacrificed joystick after joystick to the dark gods, D. Dini and S. Screech.
I was curious how the FIFA series has progressed since that time and picked up FIFA 07 for the PSP. I’m really glad I did. It’s a terrific game and a really good representation of the sport given the limitations of videogames.
The first thing that impressed was the graphics. The players models are amazing. The 3D models for Gary Neville, Scholes, Cristiano Ronaldo, Heinze, Park Ji Sung and van der Sar are instantly recognisable. Granted, most of the match is played in a zoomed out view but the camera zooms in to great effect during stoppages.
These close-ups also reveal not all player are represented equally well, however. I’m not sure who the player model for Saha was while Giggs’ 3D model, disturbingly, looks more Silvestre than Giggs.
Talking a good game
The match commentary, by Clive Tyldesley and Andy Gray, is fantastic. Spot-on comments on specific situations during match as well as season-relevant observations add a lot to the atmosphere. They’ll point out a striker, who has scored two, is desperate to grab his hattrick or note a player has just scored his tenth of the season.
There are curious moments when the canned commentary is off. Gray (in two separate matches) noted Manchester United had a perfect first 45 minutes after the team, under my brilliant control, conceded three goals. There’s also a slight problem with commentary lag which is particularly noticeable with goals or goal attempts but it’s tolerable.
I mean, come on, Andy Gray commenting on your misses. How cool is that? “Ye cannot, cannot pass up oppochoonitees like that.”
Speaking of pass
The controls will take some time to master and new players might be intimidated by the sheer amount of options available. You want to do something simple like pass the ball? Will that be a computer-assisted or manual pass? Through pass? Low or lobbed? Attempting to split open a tight defence? Perhaps a first-time pass or a one-two?
Passing seems to be the key to winning with the game rewarding slow build-ups and a measured approach. Pass, pass, pass, probe, probe, probe and wait for the opponent to make a mistake seems to be the order of the day. This is so true that the in-game radar seems superfluous because long, raking passes are almost always intercepted by opposing defenders.
This is probably for the best since there’s a problem with the radar. Players are represented on it as blips with colours that correspond to the shirt colour. Unfortunately, the game doesn’t take into account some home kits clash with some away kits. United’s away shirt as represented in the game is white and this is a problem when playing against teams who play in white at home (e.g. Tottenham and Bolton). There doesn’t appear to be an option for a third kit although I gather it’s possible to unlock additional strips.
Vote of confidence
I’m pleased with the football management aspects of the game. You can buy and sell players, negotiate contracts, give comments to the press, get feedback from fans, the board and the players. Football Manager, reigning champion of football management sims, still wins in terms of depth and complexity but Sporting Interactive will be looking over its shoulders, I think. EA is closing fast.
The PSP version does suffer from loading times which is mainly noticeable when accessing the management screens but a PSP gamer will be used to this by now.
There are a number of tunes in the game and EA even allows you to use your own MP3s in the game. I’m all about the next match and since music isn’t available during the match, I barely have time to listen to the music. I suspect most players won’t make much use of the custom soundtrack option.
Still, I do really like a couple of the tunes (“Peligroso Pop” and “Gone Up in Flames” are my current favourites) and I’m really glad EA went global in its search for tunes instead of just USA! USA! USA!
Manchester United, my team, is currently 7th in the Premier League, four points behind leaders Chelsea but with two games in hand.
It’s squeaky bum time.
