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FIFA Football 2006 First Impressions
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First Impressions
by
Corey Brotherson
Is it that time already? Yes. Electronic Arts is just about set to bring on another FIFA game, looking again to net huge sales when it's released this autumn.
Mind you, the characteristically bullish publisher has been bizarrely quiet with this year's iteration. Up until just now, that is, when a volley of information landed in our collective mitts. While this season's effort may not come as a surprise, the company seems to be adopting Spurs' ten-man midfield approach, with '06 appearing on the expected (deep breath) PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube, PC, DS, Game Boy Advance and PlayStation Portable, and Xbox 360 as well. A shrewd choice, should Microsoft's machine reach European soil for its estimated November 25th launch.
So, as the new football season dawns upon us with excitement from new signings and fresh hopes of glory (or in this Villa-supporting writer's case, a depressing scan of mediocre purchases and preparations of a mid-table battle), we gazed over the latest batch of improvements to see if it's a big man with a fine touch or an Everton transfer target.
It's bigger than that, Ron, it's large
Of course, there's the usual comprehensive line-up of official, licensed leagues from around the world of football [including European Champions Liverpool? - European-Champions-Liverpool-supporting Sub], including European Champions Liverpool [ah!], complete with its vast array of real clubs, kits, stadiums and staff. That's over 21 leagues, 10,000 players and up-to-date 05/06 season information. If anything, there's warm security in FIFA's steady predictability.
Should you want to make minute changes to the set-up, the customisation feature in the higher-end formats (presumably the home consoles and PC) should provide enough variables to keep at least the on-pitch personnel fresh. The Create-A-Player mode returns to allow your own player designs from scratch in typical EA style – appearance, body shape and abilities can all be tailored to recreate anyone from Pele in his prime to that chubby left-footed wonder who's always having a kickabout on your way to work.
Curiously, a revamped Manager mode is also being touted for the consoles and PC versions, letting you control club budgets, manage coaching staff, choose formations and tactics, and participate in a revised transfer market system that claims to be "fully functional". The PSP edition will compensate for the lack of this with a Challenges mode where you can play key matches chosen from the 04/05 season, unlock extras and indulge a new ball-juggling mini-game. The handheld will boast another nice extra in its built-in Pocket Trax player, for watching the music videos to the game soundtrack. It'd be a bit meaningless on a home console, but music videos on the train or bus? Makes sense.
Goodbye wires
In terms of multiplayer features, PSP FIFA '06 provides a wireless two-player option, but the home console versions will come with the welcome shape of up to eight-player football offline, or two players online.
All of which means absolutely nothing should it all not come together in-game. But after having a demonstration match on the PlayStation 2 build and getting a feel for things, it may come as surprise to sceptics that FIFA '06 seems to be heading in the right direction. The promise of the 2005 version of EA's footballing progeny has proven a good base to keep working from, with elements that proved slightly frustrating already weeded out.
There's a definite sensation of more control over the players, with far fewer instances where the AI appears to have taken over while you take the credit. It certainly becomes more apparent in the penalty area, with a great range of instant responses to attacking crosses, which you perform and, more importantly, you feel you've earned. The button-to-screen mechanics are far more responsive especially when partnered with the nice pace of the game. It results in some wonderfully electric, spontaneous and less 'pre-programmed' football.
Show off
In '06 you can use the second analogue stick to perform a few tricks. According to EA, there will be a selection of show-off manoeuvres as well as practical feints, ball-shielding and such that will be accessible from this and naturally other controller combinations. The potential is certainly there to at least create some talking points.
Visually it was easy to tell the game was still in development, but still it managed to throw in (sorry) a good show. The teams we played with - Aston Villa [cheers!] and Liverpool [booos!] - already had surprisingly up-to-date players from all the latest transfers, which obviously bodes well for the promise of the freshest statistics being used by the time of release. As usual, some players looked rather... unfamiliar, compared to their real life counterparts, but most of them carried a close enough resemblance to keep fans happy, and the animation was sharp, without too much jarring between frames when chopping and changing moves on the pitch.
The 360 version promises some startling detail; players should have a wider range of expressions and mannerisms, and manager's emotions and reactions should be clearly evident as the match progresses. Whether the stylised camera angles of this May's E3 build will stay or not is conjuncture at the moment, but we're sure the development team knows they're not trying to recreate Shaolin Soccer. At least, we hope.
With any luck, the net result will be a good football game. Right now it's certainly promising, but as with anything we'll have to kick it around for a bit longer before leaping to any conclusions. We'll have plenty more on it closer to kick off in a few months.
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4 October, 2005 [18]
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Eighthours
08/08/05 @ 08:32
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You can almost cut and paste these FIFA articles every year (the one in OXM this month is practically identical to last year's and the year before's!). That "controls are more responsive" line is seriously in every FIFA preview I can remember, stretching back to 1999!
And yet we all know the results. The game will come out, get a few solid 7 or 8 out of 10s, and be completely overshadowed by Pro Evo, yet sell way more copies. Cut and paste is the way forward for FIFA previews, less effort required! ;) |
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In '06 you can use the second analogue stick to perform a few tricks. According to EA, there will be a selection of show-off manoeuvres as well as practical feints, ball-shielding and such that will be accessible from this and naturally other controller combinations. The potential is certainly there to at least create some talking points.
Right stick tricks and shielding and what-not have been there since 2003, under the subheading of 'EA Sports Freestyle Control (R)'. I don't see them being any different this year, I just hope they ditch that stupid name, which is almost as bad as the legendary 'Memory Card (8MB) for PlayStation 2 (tm)'. |
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lordofdeadside
08/08/05 @ 09:17
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woo hoo, a villa fan!
europe for us clarets villans next year! "And yet we all know the results. The game will come out, get a few solid 7 or 8 out of 10s, and be completely overshadowed by Pro Evo, yet sell way more copies." Cut and paste is the way forward for FIFA comments threads, less effort required! ;) |
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PES_Fanboy
08/08/05 @ 09:43
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One day Konami will get the latest incarnation of the PES franchise out before the equivalent EA copy-and-paste polished turd yearly update.
Then maybe it'll beat em, sales wise. |
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Guys, PES might be better as a soccer simulation, but FIFA is more accessible just the same. That, coupled with top ntoch presentation and presence of all official (and realistic) players, and better graphics, tilts the balance in FIFA's balance, a little bit. The only hopeless attribute going against it is that it is from EA - I don't hear people complaining about incremental upgrades to PES!
That is not to say that I won;t be getting BOTH of them when they come out, of course! |
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And indeed, PES updates these days are just as small and insignificant as FIFA updates. Lets face it, for this generation of machines, its gone as far as it can go.
Untucked shirts and players breath clouds in cold conditions anyone? (btw, I AM a fan of PES. It's just not fair to bash FIFA when PES is on the exact same treadmill) |
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PES_Fanboy
08/08/05 @ 10:15
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So you're saying the only thing that PES does better than FIFA, is simulate a football game? That's kinda the point...
I couldn't give a hoot about better graphics etc, the thing EA is *really* missing is the GAMEPLAY - the reason to continue playing a game, to get satisfaction, to not score every second 35 yard shot. The reason nobody slates PES for yearly updates is the very real, gameplay-related, IMPROVEMENTS to the gaming engine. EA introduce eyelashes and deem it worthy of a release. I'm playing Winning Eleven 9 (what will form the basis of PES 5), and I have to say to begin with, the updates never seem very in-depth - yet they show their true class on the 15th, or 50th game you play. |
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PES_Fanboy
08/08/05 @ 10:28
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Celeborn, the new PES has more than just those graphical amendments - the gameplay has been subtly tweaked enough to make it a worthwhile addition.
As I mentioned in my previous comment, initially I couldn't see much in the way of changes - but the gameplay changes are fairly major, defences are far harder to break down, shooting works differently, passing is more 'manual' and a whole host of other things have been tweaked. |
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I prefer PES, but I think you are ignoring some of the innovations FIFA has introduced. The "first touch" system of FIFA is excellent and something I really miss from PES. Also the ability to make your players go on runs is nice touch. Free kicks are far better imho, in that its less of a guessing game (although PES's variety is better). And dont forget, graphics and presentation to contribute to a game. They give it the atmosphere (especially the commentary which is shocking in PES and I think its unfair noone ever really has a go at Konami for not sorting it out) and can help the game feel better.
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Celeborn, way to go, man! Thanks for agreeeing with me. As for PES_Fanboy, mate, your name says it all!!!!
On a serious note, contrary to popular opinion, FIFA gives you atmosphere, if nothing else. The lights, the noise, the REAL celebrity faces, the excellent commentary. It takes you as close to the match pitch as you can go without leaving your couch. It doesn't exactly get blown to pieces once a match starts. It is not as if FIFA does NOT have gameplay. In the last two iterations, it has come seriously close to PES on that front. It is again VERY unfair to say that EA does not make continual improvements to gameplay. I think just because it is EA.... The gameplay also reduces significantly in, er, significance because I usually play FIFA with another human player, not against the CPU. Coupled with real players available in FIFA, I think differences then reduce to the very technical.
Edited 2 times,
most recently on 08/08/05 @ 11:45
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PES_Fanboy; we'll see when the PC PES5 is released on how the gameplay has been changed, however subtle. But what I'm saying is that FIFA has made subtle changes, yet you say thats them polishing a copy pasted a turd. Your for PES they polish it and thats ok by you. Thats double standards m8; both series have refined their game slowly bit by bit for years now... thats how it is. You prefer PES. So do I. Still can't slate FIFA for refining when PES does it.
I play PES4 soley online really (i run pes4online; the online PC match-up tool); and there really are some inherent weaknesses in how the game plays against another human being (forget lag issues or anything like that). Will this years refinement clear up the fundamental gameplay issues that have been exposed with the game going online last version? I sure hope so |
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Well, Scientist, you had one up on me here. Lets say if for someone FIFA is a turd, SO IS PES! There is simply so little difference between the two games. As Celeborn put it so well, graphics DO contribute to a game, especially its atmosphere. Taking a thread from there, why haven't Konami fixed the commentary even now? Remember, it is Winning Eleven NINE for heaven's sake!
Sadly, footy games have gotten as good as they can get on the current gen. We will have to wait for the 360 version where there will be real spit, and some very real shit will fill normal-mapped undies at the stern glare from the coach. And did I mention the real grashopper corpses on the ball itself after it hits the ground? |
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PES_Fanboy
08/08/05 @ 11:20
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I guess my point was, for people that care about football, PES is simply a different class than FIFA.
For the average, casual gamer with little or no football passion / knowledge, they do not care for the subtle nuances of gameplay / ball dynamics and realism that PES delivers, preferring the polish of FIFA's presentation. A case in point: I don't care about the commentary, and neither do the majority of PES fans that I've ever met, as we turn off the commentary on EVERY football game we play - as the amount I play the games, any commentary gets dull, annoying and repetative. I'm currently playing Winning Eleven 9 - which will go on to form PES 5, and indeed a PES 5 beta - so I feel I can somewhat speak about what the essence of the changes to PES 5 will be like. |
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For the average, casual gamer with little or no football passion / knowledge, they do not care for the subtle nuances of gameplay / ball dynamics and realism that PES delivers, preferring the polish of FIFA's presentation.
Hmmm, so 25 years of gaming, owning an Xbox, Gamecube, PC and various consoles and computers in the past and supporting Liverpool for about the same amount of time makes me a casual, average gamer hmm?? Dont make such stupid generalisations you tool. Would Champ Manager/Football Manager be as popular if it had made up names? Appreciating presentation doesnt make you a casual gamer, or one who cares little about an accurate reproduction of the sport. Open your eyes, both games have different things to offer and both can be enjoyable. |
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PES_Fanboy
08/08/05 @ 11:36
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It's completely a fair comment, as fair as saying that anyone that enjoys playing a FPS would probably enjoy playing Half-Life 2 more than Doom 3.
I do think some people find FIFA more fun to play - but ultimately, they are not what I would deem as big a football fan - as those that choose PES. I don't know what the big problem is here. Do you lot actually follow football, or just trolling? |
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Indeed, I don't get the "true football fan" comment either.
It's generally accepted that FIFA is easier to get into and playing but has a shorter "mastering" period, wheras PES is harder to get into but has a longer "mastering" period. Different people like their games in different ways. That has no bearing on what kind of person they are, or how much they support football or whatever. The only bearing is how people like their games. In fact, I'd go as far to say perhaps that "true" football fans would spend far more time out and about going to watch their teams home and away games to care about computer game simulations at all! :P |
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Way to go, Furbs & Co! Thanks for taking my side. PES Fanboys comments are very patronising. And what do you mean, 'Most of us"? Have you ever tired comparing the sales figures for the two titles? Now, don't go about 'casual gamers' going for sales figures. These two franchises have had almost a decade to establish their fanbase. The fact that FIFA sells loads more might just well be because... it is more fun to play!
I agree with Furbs. Liking FIFA does NOT make you a casual gamer. A FIFA game is as deep as they come, with trillions of options. There is also nothing wrong with liking the fact that you can control a real David Beckham and have him divorce Victoria... oh, pehaps that will come in the upcoming Sims 2: FIFA! The bottom line is, both games have their own strengths. Just preferring FIFA over PES on a day-to-day basis is no longer politically incorrect. |
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I'm a Villa fan.
And I think that FIFA's not as good as it used to be and PES is better, so I'm in the PES camp these days. Best footie game ever is FIFA World Cup 2002 on the Gamecube, or whatever it was called. Now that had a nice system. The ball went where you told it it to go, not to some player chosen for you who was fairly near where you were pointing. Honorable mention goes to MLS Extratime on the Xbox, because the American programmers didn't seem to notice that one of the crowd chants they used was "The referee's a wanker" - much amusement from that. |
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PES_Fanboy
08/08/05 @ 12:05
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You're entitled to your opinions. As am I.
Perhaps someone who frequents the evo-web forums is more of a football fan than that who buys a game because David Beckham is on the front - perish the thought? The game of PES offers a more realistic, and complex, game *of football* than FIFA does. FIFA has snazzier looking graphics, and better commentary. Which of the two above statements do you think a committed football fan (which, lets remember, is short for 'fanatic') would buy a game on the strength of? Game sales figures mean little - if they did, are we *really* going to suggest that, for example, Prince of Persia: Warrior Within is a 'better' game than ICO? |
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Very blinkered representation there fanboy.
Lets try another set of choices though: Game A has real names, real competitions, real kits, real stadia, an accurate commentary and brings out a version specially for the Euros and World Cup. Game B lacks any major licence, has an abysmal commentary, made up tournaments, players and stadia. Now, as a football fanatic (not a gaming fan, just football here), which would you choose? Oh and as for "hardcore gamers"? Well, to me, the "hardcore" would get both and judge them on their respective merits. Fanboys, by their very nature, are not "hardcore".
Edited 1 times,
most recently on 08/08/05 @ 13:20
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PES_Fanboy
08/08/05 @ 12:32
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I ought to have mentioned, I do buy each instalments of FIFA, in the vain hope of some light at the end of the gameplay tunnel. Each time I'm deeply disappointed.
I would *love* to have two football games that offer even remotely similar football experiences, but I have to say, short of firing up an 8-bit and playing Sensible Soccer, I haven't found a football game in recent years, other than PES, that is in the least bit appealing to play after the first week. I did enjoy the original and World Cup 98 versions of FIFA - but since then, each installment has lacked that spark. I can't believe, that on a gaming website, I'm getting grief for championing gameplay over graphics / sound etc! Don't be fooled by my (originally supposed to be a joke) tag, as I say I would love nothing more than to have even one other football game that offers anything other than a quick kickabout.
Edited 2 times,
most recently on 08/08/05 @ 13:34
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You arent though, as best I can see it, you are basically saying FIFA has no gameplay to it. For all FIFA's faults, PES has just as many. If the CPU cheats in FIFA, its certainly not as obvious as it is in PES. Presentation helps gameplay too dont forget. I usually cant be arsed to play around with team settings in PES, purely because the menus are so crap I cant bear to look at them. In that instance, the graphics/presentation are having a direct impact on the gameplay.
Maybe people will take you more seriously if you didnt make such stupid generalisations as saying you arent a true football fan, or a hardcore gamer if you get enjoyment out a certain game? |
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Ooh, here we have another Professor lecturing us about being software fans rather than hardware. In case you didn't notice, we are discussing SOFTWARE here.
For a PES fan, Furbs is putting up a VERY REASONABLE evaluation. And Mr PES_Fanboy, you did just as I predicted: you took my mention of sales figures and took it in entirely the wrong way. I was justs saying that more people think FIFA is more fun to play, and that does NOT make them any less footy fans. ]YES, I like my David BEckham not only on the cover, but INSIDE the game too. DOn't you get it? We like FIFA because we are interested in atmosphere as well. While you ramble on about you being the hardcore fan, how much do you think we play FIFA and PES? FYI, ALL YEAR ROUND. By the way, your analogy about POP2 and ICO is completely missing the point, just as I had feared. |
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PES_Fanboy
08/08/05 @ 12:47
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Perhaps we have different definitions of what constitutes a football fan.
I never once said that FIFA had no gameplay - I did, however, say that it offered a less realistic football simulation, to which I haven't had an argument against? Surely, a game that emulates the ('real-life') sport it is based on, has better gameplay? This debate rages in North America too, over games such as EA's NBA series, and Sega Sports'. For the casual fan, EA is, as you rightly point out in your FIFA argument further up (which I offer no resistance to), instantly more accessible - however, for those that play the game, and are passionate about basketball, the Sega Sports installments are considered more complete, as a basketball sim. I still maintain, for the hardcore fan of the sport, Pro Evolution Soccer will provide more enjoyment, over a longer period of time. FIFA is great for a quick blast and scoring a 40 yard screamer in your first game, but how rewarding is it, that you can do that every game, from 5 minutes of picking the game up?
Edited 2 times,
most recently on 08/08/05 @ 13:49
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PES_Fanboy
08/08/05 @ 13:57
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Furbs, that comment was pasted in without looking at the context.
I was basing a comparison of IMPROVEMENTS made the two games between instalments - that FIFA lacked the amount of (good) gameplay tweaks of PES year-in, year-out. Again, in my opinion. I also made a comment in that post towards the graphics being better within FIFA - does that mean that I regard PES as having NO graphics? Of course not! So no, you didn't misread it - but you certainly did miss the point, and the context of the comment. |
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/shrugs.
Well even reading the whole post it still seems to me you are suggesting that its lacking. I certainly cant score with every second shot from 35 yards either. What was PES's big innovation for its 4th incarnation? I cant really think of anything other than minor tweaks which further made the game better. FIFA on the other hand improved dramatically from FIFA 2004, especially with the introduction of the first touch. So by that example, its EA who are being more innovative. Like it or not, every year they try out a new "gimmick". Not all of them work (off the balls runs for instance - which by the way is more realisitic than PES's AI runs), but when they do they are excellent and add a new element. |
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I'd say it wasnt as major a licence as the EPL (in my case), or the FIFA/UEFA licence. Those are the big two. And yeah, made up stadia. Thats my whole point. Sure, they look like the real thing, but they arent. If I was a hardcore football fan ahead of being a gaming fan, I'd want maximum authenticity. Thats my point too.
Personally, I'm both, which is why I use the X-Group mod for PES4 with Wolfs Option file. |
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Yeah, but you didn't say Serie A and La Liga weren't as major a license as the Premier League, you said they weren't major licenses at all which is just not true.
No one's denying FIFA is miles ahead for having authentic everything, but that doesn't mean you have to exaggerate Pro Evo's lack of licenses. I think it's clear that the FIFPro license is the most important license and they do at least have that. Real players with their real names, real appearances and real abilities.
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most recently on 08/08/05 @ 15:56
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I think that the whole "casuals choose FIFA, hardcores choose PES" is just a load of tosh made up by the laters to feel somewhat superior. "Hardcore" football fans would be far more interested in researching/learning about the game, playing in a sunday footy league, following actively their team or (why not) write their own visions about football to paper than to sit and play a game, which for most of the lot I know, is a hobby inside a hobby.
If I'm given the chance to choose between spending an afternoon learning and mastering how to do a 1-2 lobbed through pass to the wings, followed by a cross to the far post in PES and watching the european weekend highlights, reading a book about total football (or any other significant tactics or histories about football) or actually _playing_ the sport, the game would be on the bottom of my priorities. Does that make me a lesser footy fan just because I can't be arsed to spend hours on a game? PES might be better than FIFA - which quite honestly, will take a lot of time before it becomes an arguable point unless Konami goes sloppy in the next gen, like EA was with the 16 to 32 bit evolution - but FIFA is more accesible for those who don't want to lose hours after hours just to learn to make a more complex play. Hardly a matter of being a "hardcore footy fan", but simply one of time.
Edited 1 times,
most recently on 08/08/05 @ 23:07
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