August 30, 2008 | 12:52 PM PST
by: Tim Livingston
When FIFA 08 came out to a good reception, the producers were open to what the next year would hold for EA's franchise football game, and took it to the fans for their opinions on what they would like to see changed for the 2009 version. After sitting down with some FIFA producers and talking to them about how much things have changed over the last year of production, while also getting the chance to sit down and play a friendly or two, it's safe to say that this year's FIFA looks like it will impress.
At this point, the engine for FIFA is much improved, and all the producers agree that the main improvement is in the physics department. The best example of that would be with the slide tackles. If you cover a player with the ball and you look to take it away from them, you can slide in, aiming for the ball and take it away. Last year's game saw you being able to do this, but instead of sliding through the tackle, the defender would get the ball and would get right up, stopping the motion basically when they get the ball. Now, thanks to the increased physics engines, the players will now slide through the play, picking up the ball, and if it's in the right spot, you'll see the ball controller fall over the tackle. The realism really shines through on play such as the one mentioned above, as there really is a great attention to detail for the players. The attention paid to each individual player really makes the game look good. The producers did a great job in these fields of development, as they say that they made over 250 changes to the game from last year's version, and almost every one is thanks to the feedback they got from their fans.
Learn to fear Wayne Rooney.
The collision technique is one thing, but something else that dictates gameplay a lot is how players size up against each other. There is an improved focus on weight and power, where jostling for the ball is imperative to controlling the pace of the game. The smaller players will get pushed around by the bigger ones, meaning that you have to use the faster players to get out of these situations. Also, goalies are more receptive and are positioned much better, and allow themselves time to recover from saves faster than before. Things like weather and time of day, along with teams having advantages at home, with crowd and stadium atmosphere's dictating momentum that teams will have in their matches. There are also little touches to add to the realism. Substitutions can be made at any time, and during game play, when you make them, you can see the players warming up on the sidelines. Players also react differently when being taken off, as those who played well wave to the fans, while others will act rather poorly if they had a bad match. Captains in this manner would take off their armband and throw it onto the ground in disgust.
As far as controlling the game goes, they continue to improve in the ways you can handle yourself on the pitch. While not completely finished, the controls and movements from the players are responsive and work well with the different types of players you use. For instance, if you're playing with someone like Cristiano Ronaldo, who people now say is the best player in the world, the way you can handle the ball with him is much different than playing with your normal, run-of-the-mill striker. The right joystick allows you to manipulate the ball with some pretty outstanding tricks. There's your normal stepovers and spins, but once you get rolling, there are some things that you really have to see to believe. The controls, like they are with most games, are pretty easy to understand, but difficult to master. If you master these controls, you're going to love what you can do with some of your favorite players.
We also got a chance to play the Be A Pro mode, where you pick a player from the more than 500 teams in the over 30 leagues the game will offer and you stay with him for the duration of a four year period, where you only control that player. The Pro camera will follow the player on the pitch, and you can make the player better by doing certain things, like running to open space and calling for the ball, sending it ahead on a through pass and numerous other aspects of the game. It allows a more controlled way to play the game, and gives you a more personalized way to enjoy the FIFA experience.
In addition, there will be a 10-on-10 online mode so you can challenge people all over the world in The Beautiful Game, and EA will have their Adidas Live Season Mode, where a players attributes in real games will be used for game play. Look for FIFA 09 on all gaming platforms with an October 14 release stateside. It will be released in Europe on October 3. Stay tuned to more coverage from Sports Joystick, where we will an in-depth look at the game upon its release.
At this point, the engine for FIFA is much improved, and all the producers agree that the main improvement is in the physics department. The best example of that would be with the slide tackles. If you cover a player with the ball and you look to take it away from them, you can slide in, aiming for the ball and take it away. Last year's game saw you being able to do this, but instead of sliding through the tackle, the defender would get the ball and would get right up, stopping the motion basically when they get the ball. Now, thanks to the increased physics engines, the players will now slide through the play, picking up the ball, and if it's in the right spot, you'll see the ball controller fall over the tackle. The realism really shines through on play such as the one mentioned above, as there really is a great attention to detail for the players. The attention paid to each individual player really makes the game look good. The producers did a great job in these fields of development, as they say that they made over 250 changes to the game from last year's version, and almost every one is thanks to the feedback they got from their fans.
Learn to fear Wayne Rooney.
The collision technique is one thing, but something else that dictates gameplay a lot is how players size up against each other. There is an improved focus on weight and power, where jostling for the ball is imperative to controlling the pace of the game. The smaller players will get pushed around by the bigger ones, meaning that you have to use the faster players to get out of these situations. Also, goalies are more receptive and are positioned much better, and allow themselves time to recover from saves faster than before. Things like weather and time of day, along with teams having advantages at home, with crowd and stadium atmosphere's dictating momentum that teams will have in their matches. There are also little touches to add to the realism. Substitutions can be made at any time, and during game play, when you make them, you can see the players warming up on the sidelines. Players also react differently when being taken off, as those who played well wave to the fans, while others will act rather poorly if they had a bad match. Captains in this manner would take off their armband and throw it onto the ground in disgust.
As far as controlling the game goes, they continue to improve in the ways you can handle yourself on the pitch. While not completely finished, the controls and movements from the players are responsive and work well with the different types of players you use. For instance, if you're playing with someone like Cristiano Ronaldo, who people now say is the best player in the world, the way you can handle the ball with him is much different than playing with your normal, run-of-the-mill striker. The right joystick allows you to manipulate the ball with some pretty outstanding tricks. There's your normal stepovers and spins, but once you get rolling, there are some things that you really have to see to believe. The controls, like they are with most games, are pretty easy to understand, but difficult to master. If you master these controls, you're going to love what you can do with some of your favorite players.
We also got a chance to play the Be A Pro mode, where you pick a player from the more than 500 teams in the over 30 leagues the game will offer and you stay with him for the duration of a four year period, where you only control that player. The Pro camera will follow the player on the pitch, and you can make the player better by doing certain things, like running to open space and calling for the ball, sending it ahead on a through pass and numerous other aspects of the game. It allows a more controlled way to play the game, and gives you a more personalized way to enjoy the FIFA experience.
In addition, there will be a 10-on-10 online mode so you can challenge people all over the world in The Beautiful Game, and EA will have their Adidas Live Season Mode, where a players attributes in real games will be used for game play. Look for FIFA 09 on all gaming platforms with an October 14 release stateside. It will be released in Europe on October 3. Stay tuned to more coverage from Sports Joystick, where we will an in-depth look at the game upon its release.
