FIFA 10 Game Review
It really is all about the beautiful game of football. Since we are writing this review less than 40 days to the real-world FIFA 2010 kick-off, we thought we would stay in tune with the biggest sporting tournament of the year, the Soccer World Cup. Here is a fairly comprehensive review of FIFA 10 football video game, in which we highlight the improvements to the series and compare this soccer title with several others.
EA Sports' FIFA series has improved over the last few years, finally bringing the game itself up to the standard of its impressive presentation. With FIFA 10, Electronic Arts have produced the best game in the series to date, thanks to improved animation, incredibly fluid 360-degree player control and realistic opponent Artificial Intelligence (AI). This year's game also introduces a newly improved Manager mode and a brand-new Virtual Pro feature, allowing you to put yourself in the game and unlock new abilities across nearly every game mode. The result is an unmatched game of football, whether you're playing a quick round with your friends or sitting in the manager's chair over several seasons.
There are still one or two issues though, like the vast amount of options and game modes that result in a cluttered looking menu system. Also, the ability to upgrade players in exchange for real money is a bit of a snag as one would expect this to be free.
FIFA 10 and FIFA 09
FIFA 10 is a worthwhile football title that plays a fantastic game, offers a wealth of modes, and addresses major imperfections from FIFA 09. The new 360-degree control in particular is a revelation, and while problems currently impacting the creation of Virtual Pro players are unfortunate (in terms of uploading and editing your own images), there's still a lot of fun to be had playing with them. It's a change that really doesn't become apparent until you go back to FIFA 09 and compare the two.
The computer no longer has an unfair advantage over you when it comes to winning the ball in the air. The goalies are brilliant, with an increased number of animation routines that result in more realistic saves. The players have an incredible sense of physicality, and the differences in stats such as height, weight, and fitness have never been so accurately represented. Players now deal with the ball in a more realistic way, moving to intercept a high ball and chesting it down, rather than waiting for it to land at their feet.
To put it frankly, this year's physical play allows big players to play like big players would, and small players to play as their size permits. Muscular defenders can easily chuck an incoming forward off the ball if they can't keep up with their speed. The difference between an experienced physical player and a weak attacker has never been more apparent. This brings everything even closer to reality than before. You'll also see players getting tripped up, falling to the ground or stumbling away from their dribble. There are brief moments when your player can feel out of your control while stumbling, and you can be sure the commentators will have something to say about that.
Aside from the usually spot-on commentary, you'll want to turn up your speakers to hear the pumping stadium environments. Play one game for a few minutes and you'll be able to tell who the home team is and who is playing away.
FIFA 09 added a lot of new game modes to the series, including "Be a Pro", where you took a single player through a career. Be a Pro returns this year, but Virtual Pro builds on the idea by allowing you to create a player in your own likeness and then play him across a greater number of game modes. The customisation options are the same as they are in Be a Pro, but the big new feature is the ability to upload a digital photo of yourself and import your face onto your Virtual Pro player.
FIFA 10 and other Soccer Games
Let's take some time to compare FIFA to other soccer games on the market. The two current ones that stand out would be Pro Evo Soccer and another FIFA game, World Cup 2010. Pro Evolution Soccer 2010 plays a good game of football that's substantially different to its rival FIFA 10, but in the face of such strong competition, it still falls short of expectations. What Pro Evo 2010 does offer is an incredible amount of player detail, with facial likenesses that are among the best you'll see in any sports game. World class players, such as Wayne Rooney and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, look unbelievably realistic, with incredibly natural faces, hair, and limbs.
Animation work is also solid, but you won't see quite the same breadth of moves as you do in FIFA. Also, players look slightly more robotic on the field as they stick to straight lines more than they should. In terms of gameplay one can see that the few minor additions have helped, but all things considered this game feels a lot like last year's. Better structure and designs to the modes would go some way in improving the game. Still a good game to play, especially if you are a Pro Evo fan.
To continue with the theme of the FIFA World Cup in June, EA have brought to the fans another World Cup game. The recently released 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa comes with various gameplay changes from the normal yearly titles and 10 exclusive World Cup stadiums, making it a unique and enjoyable game.
You have two choices of play: you can start in the finals in South Africa, or you can begin your quest for the cup in the qualifying rounds. Starting in the qualifying stages brings you many more hours of play and offers you a chance to not only compete in World Cup games, but also in friendly games as the years unfold for your team leading up to the games being held this summer in South Africa. The graphical and audio departments of the FIFA series have been strong for a few years. They maintain their strength here. Impressive visuals and animation help pull the game together, with players able to perform great feats of athleticism without ever looking unrealistic. Another notable improvement on FIFA 10 that this game has is the commentary, which you will find brings some depth of personality to the game. So despite the limited online options and lengthy load times between matches, this is a good title for anyone to enjoy.
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