FIFA Soccer 2004

We egocentric Americans spend much of our late autumns engrossed with the playoff run in the NFL and the onset of the NBA.  On home consoles, many gamers are deep into their franchise modes in Madden 2004 and NBA Live and have just about had their fill with sports games.  This, along with the limited popularity of soccer in the States, has always left soccer video games permanently under the radar and limited their shelf space.  Elsewhere in the world, sports fans are rejoicing, for this is the season of the latest edition of EA’s FIFA Soccer series. 

One of the biggest additions to the game this year is the inclusion of a career mode.  Career mode is an opportunity to take control of a club, whether it be a juggernaut of the Premier League like Liverpool or Manchester United, or an MLS team like the San Jose Earthquakes.  After selecting a league and a team, you’re given a 1-year contract and a set of contract objectives.  Different teams have different objectives, based on their prestige.  For example, a last-placed MLS team’s contract objectives (finish out of last, conceded fewer than 35 goals) are much different from a Premiere League powerhouse (qualify for the European Championships, score in every match).  It’s a great equalizer and keeps the whole year interesting.  As teams play matches, they gain prestige points.  Prestige points are used for weekly training sessions for individual players or the entire team.  Players and teams can train in a variety of skills such as sprinting, shooting, or passing.  The more you win, the more you can beef up your players.  The rich get richer, the poor… well maybe next year for the poor. 

Fans of the FIFA games have had to endure some major changes from game to game each year, and this year follows suit.  The biggest addition to the game is off-the-ball play, which gives gamers control over a second player.  While I see great things for this option in the future, off-the-ball play is a bit much for first time FIFA players and will even give seasoned vets some problems.  By pressing the L2 button, dribblers can tell one of three other players to make a directed run.  Numbered icons appear above the players that can be ordered around, and after cycling through to choose the desired player, simple taps on the right analog stick tell him which direction to run.  On defense, pressing the R2 button sends in the closest CPU-controlled defender to challenge the ballhandler while the gamer takes the passing lanes in hopes for an interception.  It ain’t easy to get these controls to work positively, especially on offense when defenders are bearing down on the ballhandler, but it does add a whole lot more to the game when the kinks are all worked out. 

A few gameplay systems have been modified as well.  Gone is the power-up passing system (R.I.P., you served me well in FIFA 2003) and back is the simple passing system.  The corner kick system has been completely overhauled so that control is given to a player in the box rather than the kicker.  Instead of winding up and booting one with just the right spin, gamers can choose to kick the ball bending in towards the close pole, the center of the net, or the far pole.  I know it sounds like a bad addition, but it works surprisingly well.  Free kicks are done nearly identically to last year, but they’ve upped the control and precision so you may actually be able to bend one in this year.  EA has also added on-the-fly play calling and instant formation changes, but they don’t quite carry the weight or importance of the same system in games such as Madden.  Like other EA sports games, the Playstation 2 version allows footies from all over to play each other on-line, complete with lobbies, player rankings, and all the other goodies featured in the EA online sports games. 

Taking a quick look at the game may not reveal many graphical improvements from last year, but the keen eye will notice a few things that shine on the screen.  To say that the improvements aren’t marked isn’t a bad thing, last year’s game looked absolutely gorgeous.  This year, the stadiums have been more detailed and several of the players’ faces have been given more attention.  Of course not all of the players look like their flesh-and-blood counterparts (there are something like 10,000 players on 350 teams in the game), but the more recognizable players aren’t hard to miss at all.  Throw in the flowing frame rate and you’ve got a game that fittingly can be called “The Beautiful Game”. 

One of the best things about playing FIFA is listening to the excellent broadcast team of John Motson and Ally McCoist and the latest tracks from some damn fine bands.  Motson is back with his familiar voice and sayings, and the commentary engine once again sets the bar for video game sports commentary.  It’s simply incredible to listen to these guys during the game.  The soundtrack has left its electronic beats in favor of a more raw sound, featuring such bands as Portland’s own The Dandy Warhols to England’s Radiohead.  Throw in classics from The Stone Roses and The Jam and you have yourself a smorgasbord of top tunes.  All the chants are still there, and the fans really let the players have it with songs and stomping that really deliver that stadium football experience. 

Is FIFA for everyone?  Definitely not.  This year’s version is even more of a soccer simulation than last year’s game, so expect a lot of action without a lot of results.  This clearly isn’t Madden 2004 or NBA Live… heck, it ain’t even Tiger Woods.  However, those of you who thrive on the tension of 5 minutes left in a 1-0 game won’t be disappointed with this realistic title.  It’s a true soccer game for true soccer (ahem – football) fans. 

Gameplay: 8.7

Solid all the way around, but I still think the power up passing system was the best.  Little tweaks in the AI here and there sometimes leave something to be desired (it’s easy to march on down the field until you get near the goal box – then it’s almost impossible) but overall the game is spot on. 

Graphics: 9.5

Once again, a big fat WOW in the graphics department.  I’m sure the Xbox version looks better, but the PS2 version is nothing to frown about.  Brilliantly animated players and real replays make this game a visual treat. 

Sound: 9.5

Once again, another big fat WOW for the audio department.  The commentary is the best in any sports game (as usual) and the music stays clear of the drivel that pollutes our airwaves. 

Difficulty: Hard

The game isn’t easy… particularly the offensive side.  But it wouldn’t be soccer if the scores were 10-7, right?

Concept: 8.0

The addition of the career mode is a big plus to the game.  The more advanced controls will take a bit of getting used to, but aren’t completely important to the game.

Multiplayer: 8.5

A great game to play with friends because the AI can clamp down a little too much at times.  There’s always a game on-line, as well.

Overall: 8.6

A solid sports game and a great buy for soccer fans.  It looks and sounds as great as any game out there.  There may not be any Freddy Adu, but there’s everything else a soccer fan could want.