Review: FIFA 08 (360)

Practice makes perfect as is often said where constant attempts eventually payoff with handsome rewards.   For Electronic Arts and its flagship European sports series, FIFA, they have been slowly making inroads into the dominance of Konami’s Pro Evolution Soccer.   Arguably such a changing of the guard has been prompted by Konami’s lack to push the game play factor forward in recent attempts, whereas a couple of FIFA’s ago, things could not get much worse.   

A trait FIFA 08 shares with its previous incarnations is the high profile and slick presentation, although here some of the player likenesses are baffling. Gamestyle is the first to admit that after playing the downloadable demo of the game, we were not entirely convinced by the freeform practice offered while the game loads.   Even the matches themselves did not seem quite right however experiencing the full package puts everything into fresh perspective.

Football or soccer releases to those of you in North America, have evolved into behemoth’s, consisting of far more than just events on the pitch.  Offering a playable match mode is not enough, nowadays you need to tinker with tactics, manage and jump online in search of new opponents.  FIFA offers all of this and much more, taking the online features seen in the previous Tiger Woods release such as ESPN news updates and what they have dubbed EA Sports Football World.

In other words the FIFA equivalent of Halo 3, offering online matches, leagues and the ability to upload video footage of your favourite moments for appreciation by other fans.   Take in your statistics online, improve your ranking, and catch up on the latest events in the transfer market or what’s happening within your favourite club.   Online matches work extremely well, with some occasional lag, which could just be Gamestyle’s overworked broadband connection.   A fluid system allows you to jump online and find an opponent with ease; just the way it should be or catch the latest football developments.

The hazard of so many modes in an annual update is that scratch beneath the surface and you’re left with little else but a twist on the main mode itself.   For instance the management option (amazingly explained within half a page of the game manual) highlights this flaw, and is nothing more than a shallow version of Gremlin’s outdated Premier Manager series.  By offering you the option to play each match, you can take full control on the pitch and make a mockery of any tactical preparations you have tried to implement previously.  The transfer system is laughable with Liverpool’s Agger proving to be a steal at £2.9 million.   If you’re looking for a comprehensive managerial mode and stimulating challenge then don't expect one in FIFA 08.

An interesting inclusion is the ‘be a pro’ mode, which has been transplanted and grafted on after appearing in the Madden series, but lacks any real depth or durability.   In it you are judged on controlling one player during a whole game and not necessarily on scoring or creating goals, or even being on the winning side.  It works well, although the optional viewpoint is a step too far in realism, but it does install some discipline and team work into your play.

The ultimate barometer of a football game is how it plays.   For FIFA this has always been an issue, as it leans towards the arcade style of play, with high scoring matches and dodgy English goalkeepers.   That arcade feeling still persists, as you can pick up the ball and run great distances, often opening up defences before finishing coolly or obtain infinite opportunities with a cross to the back post.  However progress has been made overall and Electronic Arts have tried to inject some flair and depth into FIFA 08 through the inclusion of skill moves.  The controls are easily picked up as within a few minutes you’ll be enjoying matches, and ultimately the immediate playability is hard to criticise.

The commentary can be repetitive generally in modes where you continue to play as the same team.   Gamestyle fully acknowledges Newcastle’s failure to win any trophies but hearing about it every other match in the league mode is beyond comprehension.   If you switch between various teams then you can appreciate the work that has gone into recording Andy Gray and Martin Tyler, who keep up with onscreen action remarkably well, considering its furious pace.  Selecting which player to control during matches can be an issue as the CPU often provides you with the wrong option.   This split second delay can often result in the opposing team bearing down on goal, so it can be an annoying flaw.   Also the artificial intelligence during set pieces can be haphazard and grind the action to a halt.  The achievements are also disappointing, forcing those who wish to take maximum points into winning almost every league that the game offers.

FIFA 08 represents an enjoyable if limited take on the beautiful game.   The range of modes for all their faults, combined with the fruitful online options makes this a good bargain, but not in same league as Valve’s Orange Box.   It should keep you entertained until the next one, which should add more depth to those threadbare modes and hopefully see Raith Rovers included.

Rating: 7 / 10

Words by Jason Julier