Fifa 09

Review by Slater45

Fifa 08 hit the mark for football titles last year. Applauded for it realism and graphically beauty it really set the standard, but now that Fifa 09 rolls on the pitch does it keep the same basic that made this series so great?

Gamplay

Fifa focused more on the Be a Pro feature this year. Fifa 08 only allowed you to play a single match on this mode, but 09 makes vast improvement with the new Be a Pro seasons implemented. You start by joining a team, picking either a real life personnel or your own created character. You will start in the reserves for your chosen club and by completing objectives during each match earning you attributes and skill points. These points can be spent on upgrading your character in various aspects of play. This mode looks to be the future for Fifa, the setup is brilliant and really gets you involved in the match trying for those objectives.

All the usual modes return for this years game. Manager mode sees you playing and controlling your chosen club to glory over 15 seasons. You have Tournament mode where you take your team to cup or league success, and finally lounge mode.

The gameplay itself has been improved over Fifa 08. You now feel more in control of the player then ever, touches and dribbling are sharper and the AI seems to find space and follow instructions finer. Passes has also improved, through ball are more polished and the long ball seems to find your intended player much easier. However there is still times where you find the pass has gone incorrectly to another player leaving you frustrated. The ball physics have also been refined; the ball will move around in the air when taking a shot, stick to the pitch if it is boggy and will travel quicker along the ground if it is wet.

Finally Addidas live season make it's entrance this year. This addition takes a new light to player stats; rather then doing the normal update on ever transfer window this mode allows the user to download an update every week. When the update finishes it then changes the player stats on the game to how they performed on the real life stage. The problem is you only have access to one league of your choice, because the others you have pay for. I was disappointed by this because I wanted the English and Spanish league but I wasn't prepared to pay anything.

Graphics and Sound

This game is visually beautiful. From the lush grass to the atmospheric stadium everything looks and feels marvellous. Licensed stadiums stand out more with the attention to detail astounding. Player animation is improved and I especially love the new hand signals, whether it sticking there hands up for an offside shout or just pointing where they want to be played. The frame rate is solid and didn't encounter and glitches or bugs.

The commentary and soundtrack for any EA Sports game has also been top notch and it no different this time around. Martin Tyler and Andy Gray take there usually spot in the booth, both being just as good as ever. You can real hear the chemistry between the two, making for a realistic and enjoyable listen. The soundtrack feature big names such as Duffy and Dizzy Rascal, gelling nicely into the game menus. Chants from the home and away fans ring out during the match, living every kick of the ball making for an atmospheric experience.

Multiplayer

Be a pro made its debut last year allowing 10 players in a 5v5 match, but for this year they manage to pull off the holy grail of 10v10. This mode has it frustrations, passes and shots seems to take longer then normal to react, but matches are easy to find and fill up quickly and it is overall a brilliant inclusion. Fifa clubs also make it first showing this year. Taking the Be a Pro gameplay, you and a group of friends can compete with a team of your choice online against other parties. Within your club you have a dressing room for your team to chat before advancing to a game, but the best feature is the club room. From there your can invite your friends or even scout for new players, or go to the trophy room and view your teams achievements. The other modes have all been seen previously on Fifa; you have your Unranked and Ranked quick matches, interactive and normal leagues also make an appearance. All these modes offer endless amount of fun online and with the fan base you're unlikely not to find a game. The frame rate is usually solid but there are times where the game will freeze online.

Conclusion

EA Sports really did pull it off this year. The Menu system is one of the best to navigate, Be a Pro seasons is a fantastic offering. The 10v10 online brings for fantastic moments that you will never forget with friends. The gameplay is first-class bringing the sense of realism forward. If you are a football fan then this game is a must buy for you, but even the none football fan can have enjoyment out of this title.