FIFA Soccer 2006
For the past twelve years, soccer fans all over the place have been able to sink their teeth into EA Sports' FIFA game series. It's hard to believe that a game franchise can run for that many years with a new installment annually and still bring something new to the table. As good as the FIFA series is though, it hasn't quite reached the level that the Winning Eleven franchise rests on. Can the 2006 model prove to be better than its predecessors and competition?
Gameplay:
I'm going to admit something to you that I've never told anyone before; I suck at soccer. I was never good at it in high school when we played it during gym and I've never been particularly adept at it digitally either. I mean, I've watched enough of it on TV to get an idea of what's going on and I've played a few incarnations of Winning Eleven and FIFA in the past, but I just can't seem to get it together no matter how hard I try. Maybe it's because I don't understand the rules or maybe it's just that I'm not as into the sport as I am others but for whatever reason, I just plain suck. The funny part is no matter how much I lose by, I always have a great time playing the game. Well, the videogame versions at least.
An example of my lack of skills at soccer became self evident from the moment I turned on my PS2 to play FIFA 06. The game immediately prompts you to select a favorite team from a massive list and then tosses you into an exhibition game against the Classic XI team. I guess it's a good thing for new and old players to get thrown to the wolves right from the get-go, but it seems a little cruel to me. When it comes to my sports games I prefer to learn at my own pace, practice a bit and then see what I can do. This game didn't really give me the chance to do that right away, but I didn't let that deter me.
After I was done with that I started taking a look at the ins and outs of the game and one of the first things about FIFA 06 that made an immediate impression on me was the sheer amount of information that is available for players. Just like the Madden and Live franchises, each team and player gets statistics based on their skills, background information and many other attributes. The last FIFA game I played was sorely lacking this feature, so its inclusion gives the series a little more credence than it had and adds a real world connection.
Also new in the latest installment of the franchise is a more adept play calling ability thanks to some easy to manage D-Pad commands. This comes in really handy on both offense and defense and once you work the team's attitude into the mix you'll get a very satisfying result. The flow of the game will change depending on what decisions you make on the field and it's important to experiment so you know which calls are right for you.
Another new toy for the FIFA series is called Pace Control. When you find yourself with the ball, enabling this little feature will help ensure that you maintain possession. Your player will slow down and be more careful with his moves. This also allows for some tricky moves on your part and with better ball control you can eventually set up the field to blow by the defense if you play your cards right. Conserving a player's energy is a key strategy to getting a goal and winning so learning to use this feature will come in handy.
At first I felt that the gameplay was a little unresponsive since my player usually did the opposite of what I wanted to do. As I got used to the controls I found it to be much more intuitive than it initially lets on, so you have to be patient and get the hang of things. Even still there were a couple of points that a character would kick the ball when I didn't command him to or the game would glitch on me. I had penalty cards tossed my way for doing absolutely nothing and even got a point after a shot of mine missed the goal. These instances were rare, but they surfaced during some extended play.
FIFA 06 offers up a nice selection of game modes that will keep your feet going for a long, long time. Most notable is the Manager Mode which allows you to build a team, work off of a budget and land sponsors. The mode proves to be pretty in depth and it takes a great deal of time to put together the type of team you want. It's a very rewarding system though that keeps a great deal of balance throughout the playing field no matter how many powerhouse players you grab.
There are several tournaments to take part in, a lounge mode to play with a buddy, some retro FIFA action and even some online play is tossed into the mix. Speaking of the online play, don't bother. You have to fork over an extra two bucks just to play the game or pass along an email list so you can get spammed to death. Once you jump through these hoops you'll realize that the gameplay is riddled with lag and not worth the effort you just expended.
Graphics:
Visually, FIFA 06 looks like a broadcast soccer game with a lot of dramatic cuts and several views of the action. The overall quality may be a little lacking in detail, but the animation is very good with some lifelike movements by the players. I didn't really like the way that the characters looked up close, but from a distance they are very good. There are many nice atmospheric effects during cut scenes and the environments themselves are a sight to behold. The only major problem I ran into with the PS2 version of the game was some slowdown that crept in here and there.
Audio:
I love this soundtrack. With teams from all over the world and many different musical styles, this game offers up one of the most eclectic tracks that I have heard in a sports game. Clive Tydsley and Andy Gray replace Motson and McCoist with this year's installment. The change is good for the most part and the two offer up some interesting commentary. The material stays on subject for the most part, but eventually starts to get repetitive and irritating. Crowd noise also plays a big part in the aural experience of FIFA 06 because when you get the mojo working and the fans get into it your adrenaline will really get pumping.
Conclusion:
The FIFA series has been constantly improving itself from the moment it was conceived. This newest one is without a doubt the best that I have played from the franchise, though I hate to say that it still isn't as good as Winning Eleven. If the online play had been nailed, the experience on the PS2 could have rivaled the Xbox, but as it stands Live outclasses this version in every way. The graphics and audio presentation is top notch though and there is so much to do with this game that it can be a daunting task to undertake. Recommended