Last October, the release of FIFA 09 sounded like a real dedication of Electronic Arts for all football fans. Marked by a meteoric rise over the past two seasons, the FIFA series has not evolved since the arrival of the next generation consoles. But this year, Konami has put many hurdles with its PES 2010 game in an attempt to regain his throne. So will FIFA 10 withstand the pressure by further enhancing its level of gameplay? We will soon get our answers through our review.
For the third consecutive year, the FIFA engine HD version is refined by EA and it is a game made clearly for a key to perfection. Improvements and adjustments sometimes are subtle, but the system can finally play as a whole to the extent expected by generating sensations hitherto which is unknown. Developers have completely revised the advantage rule of this game to make it more flexible. Indeed, the transfer system intended is more likely based on different aspects of the club : Reputation, finance, environment and team level factors.
David Rutter, producer of the new FIFA 10 began his presentation by announcing the color of the game. The studios in Vancouver focused on different parts of the gameplay to make significant improvements in all areas of play and listen to the criticism of the press and developers have also used many different ways to correct any major flaws in this version. And if it is not about graphical overhaul, FIFA 10 still has many visual edits, starting with a facial modeling of players and many other successful options with more precision and application on facial features that can be changed. Unlike FIFA 09, we are promised, moreover, that most players relatively known should receive the same treatment. Nevertheless, these adjustments prove to be so beneficial for the final game that this new version sounds the proposed consecration of football by FIFA this year.
While PES 2010 will be released in a few weeks, FIFA 10, which is – in full throttle – introduces the new football duel that pace’s our gaming capability. Trust logic, seeing the revival of the series since FIFA 08, taking advantage of the flaws in new-gen PES, has become the preferred choice of unconditional simulations perfectionists on HD consoles. With FIFA 09, EA ended to drive the point by providing a collection of all long-overdue improvements, imposing its title in the heart of a growing number of fans for virtual football.
A full exploitation of game system
Indeed, all the improvements that are made are there to last the specificity of FIFA by reasonably fully supporting the side of the gameplay. For examples, FIFA 10 provides us with a shovel. Consider random shooting. From FIFA 08 and FIFA 09, EA had built a fire system (football shooting) allowing infinite subtleties whatsoever in the mix, trajectories, etc. An excellent system, very complete, but partly marred by attacks that were ultimately too soft to alarm the guard behind the line of 20 meters. In FIFA 10, the firing have been fixed, the ball does not float like a balloon over the heads and strikes, they are made in good positions, can be either very heavy, well wrapped. In short, the changes made can finally bring a welcome diversity to the actions of purpose, allowing a Gerard or Lampard to reverse the course of a game with a praline staggering at 30 meters. Or Henry wrapping the edge of the area at the far post by the foot and so on.
Other minor improvements, but strongly impacting the gameplay of a positive perspective are: reducing the latency between when you order an action and when it is done on screen. A further reduced inertia which coupled with the new system of dribble to 360 new animations, allows the game to become more precise in carrying the ball or the achievement. Quite simply, before the game had to stop due to free-play in anticipation, whether to pass a technical gesture or launch an attacker in depth before the defensive line, does not go back and put off due to offside. Now everything is more instinctive, more immediate, ten times the pleasure of building and / or solo flights. Especially the defense, if it is still too inflexible and that the central defenders can no longer be fooled as easily on the balls stuck in deep, there is no longer necessarily an advantage over the duels chance to be taken. The FIFA players know well, when face to face loomed, it is often enough on defense to support the back to retrieve the ball fairly easily.
Breaking down the frustrations
In FIFA 10, there is a novelty and significance, individual achievement is also possible, especially if you play with a fast and skillful star, like Christiano Ronaldo or Messi for example. Yet, unlike running speed of these players is less marked, however, controls are more responsive and enjoyable, it is easier to protect the ball and individual achievement is also possible, so far only if his dribbling is more effective. Quite simply, it is now possible to pull it off when you want to infiltrate between two defenders by making a double contact, or place a large bridge in directing its control with the right stick. Two examples among countless possibilities, but illustrate how the game has changed, leaving the attack to a greater diversity in front of the goal. Also, new tackling animations and amplitude make them extremely useful when used properly. If the offensive players have new tricks, the defense has the means to respond, either in the game system or the investment or saving gestures.
Note also that you can also win the game by precision and fluidity, but also through some key changes made on the side of the ball physics and contacts. Regarding on how to win the game, the header is also improved in precision, taking more account of the placement of the player, his sense of displacement and its timing in jumping to define the force and trajectory of his header. And when two players meet in the fight on air ball, it is often the one who is best placed (unless you are a giant like John Terry or Rio Ferdinand) inherits the ball.
Turn, raise, change, accelerate … to destabilize
We will now return to the game passing which has also undergone some changes. Still as bright and pleasant, short passes can rotate at high speed or build calmly according to the style of play that we liked, especially as that in FIFA 09, all movements are precisely controllable, especially from when it turns off the main aid. As for long passes, they have quite advanced control, that are more strained and become more useful by definition. Indeed, while a change of wing must be given to a duel with an opponent as the ball was slow to arrive in FIFA 10 it is perfectly possible to find a teammate lonely at the other end of the field and serving the ball in the foot control is also more direct, giving the opportunity to distribute the game easier or trying to infiltrate into the enemy’s defense. Again, you win with realism, a variety of game, and you can also literally play with the placement of team blocks to destabilize the opponent.
If in PES, they tend to release the ball, but in FIFA, the reactions were quite random since they were capable of good judgments. EA has worked to develop more responsive exits, stopping reflexes possible in two stages with a more rapid replacement of the porter, and dives and tap are now more realistic. The result is an effective behavior. It is now possible, for example, drawing hard and putting out the ball to score a goal in a tight angle while the player is at all these situations. Also, release of disturbing and systematic pre-releases authorizing a series of lobs that were annoying have been corrected. In contrast, guards tend to let it slip without flinching air ball who ventured within range of jumping in their 6 meters. Nothing insurmountable, but often watching a slow motion, we see that the goalkeeper is with a better game play, we could avoid an awkward situation by intercepting the ball initially.
Conclusion
For the rest, what happens off the field is in the classic interface with FIFA that we have learned to understand. All game modes is extended with an extended career mode to 15 years, for even more fun on the length. In the stadiums, the atmosphere is again set fair with a job even more staggering on the joys of fans with also the real time stadium reactions. The modeling of the players has not changed much, as rendered in the game, just refined. However, new animations complement the range of actions upto its full level. New animations from ball protecting, running, butting or acrobatic timings are included, but also other more practical things such as ball interceptions or, as mentioned above, tackles; etc are very effective when fired at the right time. In short, the very high level gameplay and off the field and as on the field allows FIFA 10 touching a new eden. It took three years for EA to refine his game to reach such a level of mastery. The best soccer game which we have played so far. FIFA 10 is already showing very promising prospects in correcting most of its predecessor.
