FIFA Soccer 07
Posted November 28, 2006
The FIFA franchise has been around for a long time now, and I've always loved a good battle on the pitch. So I was more than content with the opportunity to try out the latest (and last) effort for the Xbox. EA has overall always been able to put forth a pretty valiant effort in the soccer genre. After all while not entirely popular in the United States this game rules the world in popularity so it becomes every bit as important to EA to put out a good soccer title as it is to release the latest Madden. So how does FIFA 07 for the Xbox stack up. Read on soccer fans.
Gameplay:
It seems that lately I've played a million of these games having owned FIFA games in the past and recently owning FIFA: World Cup Germany for the 360. I can safely say that FIFA 07 is a pleasure to play. All the subtle differences in this year's effort have made for a much different feel to a title that generally lacks innovation. You can play as a plethora of international and club teams in FIFA 07. As with past title you can easily play against your friends using unlikely combinations of teams in venues around the globe. Of course if you don't have a buddy to throw down with, there are an incredible amount of single player modes to keep you occupied for a long time to come.
The Kick-Off mode will be enough for many people. You can simply pick a couple teams and be playing within moments. If you are the type that wants to get the full experience, Manager Mode may be for you. You will create a coach and secure a job with one of many teams looking for your leadership skills. You will be the one to mold the team to greatness. You will immediately have messages to read pertaining to your scouting reports and board of directors expectations. In FIFA 07 you must manage your money and sign players to contracts to keep both them and your fans happy. You must also pay close attention to youth development as younger players make their way through the ranks, in order to ensure success over the long term for your franchise. All of these elements make for a very immersive experience and at times it can seem quite overwhelming. For those of you who choose not to get so in depth but still crave frustration, there is always the challenge mode which will pit you in scenarios like being down one goal with ten minutes left in the match and you need to win by one. You can choose to complete challenges in each league if you like.
FIFA 07 is the smoothest iteration I've ever played. Every aspect of the game seems to flow nicely. That's not to say there aren't any problems. The first thing that may cause some issues for FIFA fans is the change in the ball physics. I have found that the ball handling in FIFA 07 may be the most realistic and frustrating they've ever been. I remember FIFA 02 or 03 when it seemed like you could run from end to end with the ball, outmaneuvering everyone on the field and easily scoring a goal on the hardest difficulty at will. All that has changed in FIFA 07 dribbling has become exponentially harder. You may beat the first defender but faking out any more than that with a single ball handler is going to take some serious practice. Passing and lobbing the ball has become absolutely necessary, which is nice but the only problem is at times, it seems as though the ball is bouncing around like it's in a pinball machine. Shooting has also become a bit touchy. It seems as though some of the shots that would have been on the money in earlier versions of FIFA will go flying way off the mark. Honestly those are my only complaints with FIFA 07, both of which I imagine will be remedied with practice. So they may not even be real complaints.
Graphics:
While this version of FIFA won't compare to the sheen of the 360 version it still looks quite nice. I have noticed no frame rate issues and the player animations look very good. Players on field will behave like individual entities. It seems as though EA has captured far more animations than I've ever noticed in a FIFA title before. Players stumble and fall and fight for headers with an incredible amount of realism. One negative thing I noticed graphically that has absolutely no effect on gameplay. During the introductions and periodically during the game when the stadium is in view the crowd goes blurry. I can't figure out why this is: During the player introductions I believe it's intentional but as the camera pans around the stadium the crowd seems to go in and out of focus. Again this doesn't affect gameplay, but it stuck out to me.
Audio:
EA has really come through in their audio presentation this year. Crowds react to the action on the field like never before. When your team is playing with a high level of excitement your fans will chant and sing club songs. Score a goal and they will go wild. When the action slows down you can faintly hear the players on the field calling out to each other. These small details really help you get involved in the game and they really make the experience rewarding. At the risk of seeming lame it's always nice to play a game of FIFA just to hear the recording artists from all over the world. The international music is an extremely nice change of pace from the purely hip hop/alternative driven soundtracks of every other EA title made, with the possible exception of Rugby, but I've never played that title so I wouldn't know.
Conclusion:
Sometimes it's hard to justify buying a new version of a sports title every year, just to get roster updates and a couple useless features. But FIFA 07 has put forth a good effort here and the changes to the gameplay physics make this possibly the most enjoyable Soccer title I've ever had the opportunity to play. If you're on the fence about FIFA 07 or you haven't gotten an upgraded soccer title in a long while. This is the title to get. Highly Recommended.
Gameplay:
It seems that lately I've played a million of these games having owned FIFA games in the past and recently owning FIFA: World Cup Germany for the 360. I can safely say that FIFA 07 is a pleasure to play. All the subtle differences in this year's effort have made for a much different feel to a title that generally lacks innovation. You can play as a plethora of international and club teams in FIFA 07. As with past title you can easily play against your friends using unlikely combinations of teams in venues around the globe. Of course if you don't have a buddy to throw down with, there are an incredible amount of single player modes to keep you occupied for a long time to come.
The Kick-Off mode will be enough for many people. You can simply pick a couple teams and be playing within moments. If you are the type that wants to get the full experience, Manager Mode may be for you. You will create a coach and secure a job with one of many teams looking for your leadership skills. You will be the one to mold the team to greatness. You will immediately have messages to read pertaining to your scouting reports and board of directors expectations. In FIFA 07 you must manage your money and sign players to contracts to keep both them and your fans happy. You must also pay close attention to youth development as younger players make their way through the ranks, in order to ensure success over the long term for your franchise. All of these elements make for a very immersive experience and at times it can seem quite overwhelming. For those of you who choose not to get so in depth but still crave frustration, there is always the challenge mode which will pit you in scenarios like being down one goal with ten minutes left in the match and you need to win by one. You can choose to complete challenges in each league if you like.
FIFA 07 is the smoothest iteration I've ever played. Every aspect of the game seems to flow nicely. That's not to say there aren't any problems. The first thing that may cause some issues for FIFA fans is the change in the ball physics. I have found that the ball handling in FIFA 07 may be the most realistic and frustrating they've ever been. I remember FIFA 02 or 03 when it seemed like you could run from end to end with the ball, outmaneuvering everyone on the field and easily scoring a goal on the hardest difficulty at will. All that has changed in FIFA 07 dribbling has become exponentially harder. You may beat the first defender but faking out any more than that with a single ball handler is going to take some serious practice. Passing and lobbing the ball has become absolutely necessary, which is nice but the only problem is at times, it seems as though the ball is bouncing around like it's in a pinball machine. Shooting has also become a bit touchy. It seems as though some of the shots that would have been on the money in earlier versions of FIFA will go flying way off the mark. Honestly those are my only complaints with FIFA 07, both of which I imagine will be remedied with practice. So they may not even be real complaints.
Graphics:
While this version of FIFA won't compare to the sheen of the 360 version it still looks quite nice. I have noticed no frame rate issues and the player animations look very good. Players on field will behave like individual entities. It seems as though EA has captured far more animations than I've ever noticed in a FIFA title before. Players stumble and fall and fight for headers with an incredible amount of realism. One negative thing I noticed graphically that has absolutely no effect on gameplay. During the introductions and periodically during the game when the stadium is in view the crowd goes blurry. I can't figure out why this is: During the player introductions I believe it's intentional but as the camera pans around the stadium the crowd seems to go in and out of focus. Again this doesn't affect gameplay, but it stuck out to me.
Audio:
EA has really come through in their audio presentation this year. Crowds react to the action on the field like never before. When your team is playing with a high level of excitement your fans will chant and sing club songs. Score a goal and they will go wild. When the action slows down you can faintly hear the players on the field calling out to each other. These small details really help you get involved in the game and they really make the experience rewarding. At the risk of seeming lame it's always nice to play a game of FIFA just to hear the recording artists from all over the world. The international music is an extremely nice change of pace from the purely hip hop/alternative driven soundtracks of every other EA title made, with the possible exception of Rugby, but I've never played that title so I wouldn't know.
Conclusion:
Sometimes it's hard to justify buying a new version of a sports title every year, just to get roster updates and a couple useless features. But FIFA 07 has put forth a good effort here and the changes to the gameplay physics make this possibly the most enjoyable Soccer title I've ever had the opportunity to play. If you're on the fence about FIFA 07 or you haven't gotten an upgraded soccer title in a long while. This is the title to get. Highly Recommended.