Quick question, what’s the highest selling sports game franchise in all the world? If you guessed Madden NFL, you would be right….if by “in the world” we meant only North America. But when you wrap up the entire globe with one little bow, American football plays second fiddle to the other football and another EA franchise, FIFA Soccer. And while soccer fans here in the States must go through a ritual hazing by fans of all other apparently more “American” sports, any real soccer fan worth his salt can appreciate the beautiful game for what it is, an exhibition of skill and artistry that isn’t always reflected by the scoreline.
EA’s FIFA series may have always been the dominant brand when it came to sales, but for a time period it played second fiddle to Konami’s Pro Evolution Soccer franchise in regards to quality. But these days, FIFA stands strongly at the head of the class as the soccer simulation of choice by consumers and critics alike. And while we felt last year’s outing was a bit of an “if it’s not broke, don’t fix it,” routine by the folks at EA, this year we’re pleased to say that FIFA Soccer 12 might be the most complete soccer experience we’ve every played.
While FIFA Soccer 12 could be confused at first glance for a slightly shinier version of last year’s model, that couldn’t be farther from the truth. FIFA Soccer 12 features new defensive controls that make the back end of the pitch easier to control. By holding down the LT/L2 button on defense, the player on screen will now take an instinctive defensive stance, meaning that balls kicked too close will be automatically blocked, and the player will reach out and jockey for the ball when an offensive player dribbles too close. Players can also now grab a striker’s shirt to slow them down, though holding on too long will usually result in a foul.
Big net, little ball. It's not as easy as you might think.
Another major improvement to the game is the new physics engine. Players no longer collide and fall in canned animations. Now when a defensive player takes the legs out from under the player with the ball, momentum and gravity take over. This can lead to some interesting pile ups and ball deflections, meaning that a simple slide tackle will not always end up with the expected result. This adds a level of realism that’s been sorely missed from soccer games in the past.
As with any sports title, we generally like to start with the offline modes. Returning are the three core single player modes, Be a Player, Be a Manager, and Be a Player Manager. At the core, these modes are all exactly like last year as far as how they work, but the general experience seems more seamless this year than last. There’s as much depth as any player could want, allowing them to build a club with youth through scouting and development or by spending the big bucks to attract the best established players in the world.
On the multiplayer front, games can be played with anywhere from one to eleven online gamers per team. The more players under human control per team, the more communication and teamwork become the key to success, whether it be in a friendly, a ranked match, or in an online league. But along with these modes we came to expect after last year’s iteration of the series, players can also take part in the EA Sports Arena, where they can compete in various challenges for real prizes. We had a lot of fun in these modes, and found the online generally lag free with a few exceptions.
No, Seria A does not come with a "Corruption Scandal" Mode
Along with these two modes is the Ultimate Team mode. In Ultimate Team, players collect virtual trading cards of various players around the world, trade them and build a team that can compete on the pitch. Unfortunately the best way to build a team is by buying packs of cards….with real money. And while this mode is becoming a bit of a staple in the EA Sports franchises, we can’t help but feel like we’re being nickle and dime’d by this mode every time we see it. This follows what we feel is a somewhat troubling trend by EA Sports to cram a number of micro-transactions into all of their sports games, and we generally don’t approve of the practice.
In the past, the FIFA Soccer experience has been easily broken down into simple online and offline modes. And while those modes still generally exist as one would expect, the addition of EA Sports Football Club ties all of the player’s in game accomplishments into one package to be shared socially.
Part of this is simply posting each player’s accomplishments and accruing skill levels for bragging rights. But players also contribute to their favorite club’s place in the EA Football Club standings, where average results for each league in the entire game are compared and contrasted to create a unique set of soccer standings that mirrors the real life leagues, complete with relegation and promotion. By choosing their club of choice, every result a player has in the game, whether it be through online play or in the offline modes, will play a part in the fate of their club. And because results are averaged out, even fans of teams with less followers than a major club can still compete and thrive. This new mode brings a level of social interaction, as well as allowing a player to use his fanaticism for his favorite club to have a direct impact on their place in the standings.
So you thought playing the goalkeeper would be easy, huh?
All of these social elements really bring a new kind of fun to the FIFA Soccer experience. Unfortunately we’ve routinely experienced connectivity issues with the EA servers, which can be a bit of a problem when collecting accrued stats. Luckily the game stores these stats so long as the game isn’t turned off, so if you can reconnect to the notoriously glitchy EA Servers, you can still upload your accomplishments.
We’ve spent a lot of time with FIFA Soccer 12, and for fans of the series, this year’s entry is definitely a must buy. It is not a perfect game, but Electronic Arts has definitely curled one in just under the crossbar. The new physics engine and enhanced defensive controls bring the series back to life after a ho-hum entry last year. While we have some issues with the EA servers, and a general dislike for EA’s tendency to assault us with micro-transactions, FIFA Soccer 12′s gameplay delivers in the clutch like a big game winning goal in extra time.
Overall Score: 9/10
