|
|
|
|
|
|
|||
|
Platform: PlayStation
2
Support AE! Buy Games Here:
Be notified of site updates. Sign-up for the Newsletter sent out twice weekly. Enter E-Mail Address Below: |
FIFA 06Score: 7.8/10
|
||
|
Pros: - A lot more control options - Can call out tactics now - Still looks good |
Cons: - The increased learning curve to figure out the controls will be a turn off to some - Manager mode is too stripped down
|
Related Links: Review: Ultimate Beach Soccer (XB) Review: World Tour Soccer 2005 (PS2)
|
|
|
"You need to work a little more to figure out the game, but once that little epiphany happens, you’re golden." |
|||
|
When
it comes to sports franchises, and how new additions are released
annually, for some it’s easy to write them off as “Roster Update XX”. However, talk to any
long time fan of the game in question, and they’ll quickly list a half
dozen new features that this year’s game has over that of the previous
year. This holds true for FIFA 06, as the game is continuing to
evolve in an effort to better compete with Konami’s Winning Eleven
series. In this latest
effort from EA, we see new modes, and continued tweaking to the control
scheme. However, some of
these new features feel like they don’t need to be there, and in some
instances take away from the accessibility that gave FIFA the advantage
against its competitors at times.
Despite this, FIFA 06 still comes off as a strong
offering. It
just takes longer to get the hang of it this time around.
Right
from the onset, a lot of players will probably want to check out the new
Manager Mode in FIFA 06. While
it may sound fun to take control of a soccer team from such a position,
this mode is quite stripped down. There
just aren’t a whole lot of options over the long run.
A lot of the time it’s just a matter of saying to one’s self,
“Nope, don’t have enough money for that.”
Even with lucrative sponsorship deals. There just isn’t enough micromanaging in this mode to help give
some sense of accomplishment. Much
of the time, players will find themselves marching through the matches
(which can be simulated or played manually),
waiting for the cash reserves to raise to a point where they can do
something meaningful. Seeing this mode just makes me wish games
like Club Manager were easier to get a hold of in North America.
However, for those that are more interested in playing a standard soccer game, and would rather leave the paperwork to someone else, there are some interesting changes that have been made to the gameplay in FIFA 06. Recently we’ve seen EA’s soccer franchise slowly provide more hands-on options for doing different moves, essentially giving players finer control of their teams. This was obviously done in order to better compete with Konami’s |
|||
|
Winning
Eleven series, which has always given gamers far more control of their
team. The problem with FIFA
06 is that it feels like there are just too many options, making the
control scheme overly complicated so that while the hardcore will
certainly be able to get a lot out of the game, casuals may feel left
out in the cold since they won’t be able to finesse the ball nearly as
well. It just feels like EA
tried to cram way too many options into the control scheme this year.
It’s this enhanced control scheme that will also likely turn off long time fans of |
Advertisement
|
||
|
FIFA.
Poke as many jokes as you like at the series that it was a game
of run and gun soccer, where you could score every three minutes, but
that doesn’t erase the fact that it was a very easy game to get into.
Anyone could pick up the control, start playing, and have fun
right quick. Now, there is a much steeper learning curve for getting into
the swing of things. It
also feels like the AI reflects these changes to the controls.
Players now need to pass the ball around a lot because if one
tries to run it in or hold onto it for too long, they can kiss it
goodbye as a defender runs off with it.
Now it’s all about little touch passes and fakes to quickly
feed the ball down the pitch. It
takes a while to get used to this, and once players get it down cold
they can start scoring like crazy, but it wouldn’t be surprising if
this turns into a turn off for many as it is such a drastic move away
from the gameplay comfort zone many long time FIFA fans have been in for
the last few years.
One interesting thing discovered while playing this year's edition of the game is that it is a lot harder to strip computer controlled players of the ball than in previous games. Sliding tackles tend to earn cards a lot more now, leaving players with little choice but to dog their opponent and try and lightly manhandle the ball away.
Both
the visuals and audio this year are not a huge leap over that of the
last couple of FIFAs. There
may be some cleaned up areas here and there, but it’s nothing major,
and will likely go unnoticed by most.
Thankfully since it is FIFA we're talking about here, this translates
into another year of pretty visuals for the game.
As far as audio is concerned, it’s serviceable, but the
announcers need work. Their speech is still somewhat halted, and can come across as
very robotic at times.
Despite
these issues, the overall experience in FIFA 06 is reasonably enjoyable.
It takes some getting used to compared to previous installments,
but those with some patience can get some enjoyment out of the game.
There’s still a lot of fun to be had with this game, it just
takes time to get there. Once players get used to a more subtle approach to gameplay,
and can tap the ball around the field, they’ll feel right at home with
this game. There’s a very
nice practice mode in the game that is perfect for this.
Spend a few hours here just getting accustomed to how FIFA 06
works, and you’ll be off to the races.
Some of the added controls are actually quite helpful, like the
ability to call out tactical plays on the fly with the directional pad. This works out extremely well in those moments when the
defense looks like they’re going to pose a problem and you need to
make some play changes on the fly.
That
in mind, FIFA 06 is still a recommended title.
You need to work a little more to figure out the game, but once
that little epiphany happens, you’re golden.
Whether or not one has the patience to get to that point is
another thing all together, though.
Mr. Nash (November 30, 2005)
Search for Related Topics:
...More Playstation 2 Game Reviews...
...More Sports Game Reviews...
...More Reviews of Games Developed/Published by Electronic Arts... |
|||
|
|
|||
