FIFA 10

FIFA 10

Electronic Arts is first out of the tunnel with full 360 degree dribbling to challenge Konami’s upcoming PES 2010 and its 360 degree passing. This is already shaping up to be a game of two halves. Anyway, first come first served…

EA pretty much nailed the modern game of videogame football last year with FIFA 09. The passing game, which used to be the crowning glory of Konami’s rival Pro Evolution series, was addressed to everyone’s great satisfaction, added to that a more lifelike and gameplay-enhancing animation system, making the sweetest moments all the more worth celebrating. With FIFA 09 we almost got substance over style, turning old reputations on their head.

Now experiencing a turn of form, EA has introduced a subtle though far reaching feature – 360 player control. Why this hasn’t been thought of before now is anyone’s guess, but ours is that the whole process of passing and receiving the ball takes a fair bit of statistical clout and programming insight from a sporting game engine. Just because we’ve learned to live without it – accepting robotic eight-way movement – doesn’t mean this is the ideal. We won’t go as far as to say it has changed everything, but there will certainly be no looking back for console football.

Straightaway the 360 degree control puts an end to those frustrating stumbles over the touchline, as you can steer player smoothly away after receiving the ball. More valiant attempts to weave through a tightly packed final third are occasionally rewarded, though you are reminded that the basic truth that the ball moves faster than a player can run, hence FIFA 10 puts pressure on you to pass more. That is, even the world’s best strikers can be muscled off the ball by an experienced defender.

Speaking of which, having settled into its groove, EA’s Canadian development team has also devoted more time to tweaking player characteristics – in terms of roles on the pitch and qualities you’d associate with individual stars. If you subscribe to the superb My Live Season service, player stats are updated every Wednesday for max authenticity. This, however, will set you back £3.99 for each of the six featured leagues, £7.99 if you’re a world football maniac (and likely as not subscribe to World Soccer).

And so it falls to Konami and PES 2010 to be the giant slayer this season on console. On the strength of the PES 2010 playable demo Konami’s game has strong points in different areas, the team A.I. (artificial intelligence) could prove just as significant as the whole 360 degree control business in the latest FIFA. Options on the ball could make up for that too. Meanwhile FIFA 10 feels like a complete package. It feels like real football from the inside out and for that EA should be proud.

5 out of 5