5.11.2007

After the rather wonderful trio of being impressed by PSP Fifa, a delightful £25 price tag and reports of this years PES being a mild tragedy, I decided to fully complete my PES-Fifa switch by opting to get the full on PS3 version.Truth be told, I'm finding it a joy. I quickly jumped into a Liverpool derby and found the translation from handheld to console nice and easy. The presentation (as to be expected) is fantastic from EA. Wonderful licencing and fluid animations. Even with the passing assistance on (which can be disabled to give you true control over pass direction), I was able to bang together some really satisfying fluid moves. The commentry highlighting my play and picking up on the confidence of players who are doing particularly well.In fact, the commentry is a joy, a constant stream of natural sounding dialogue with little anecdotes about Liverpool's new American owners and a demand for success this season. I've also heard reports that lower league teams can see some dedicated soundbytes for their teams, not bad if you're a die hard Championship player.So after nipping in for a game, I decided to try the much touted Be A Pro mode. At this stage, you can play single training matches with EA planning to roll out 5v5 and then 11v11 matches in the future, this also bodes well for EA's commitment to online support. Be A Pro basically puts you in control of a nominated player for the duration of a match (or their subsitute when subbed). I decided to see how I fared as Ryan Babel on Liverpools left wing. Rather quickly you notice you have to play with a different tactic. The camera gives the player an intuitive 'best view' of the pitch as viewed from behind the player. Zooming out when coming into your area, zooming right in steady cam style when you steam into the box. I had the icon assistance on and was continually prompted about maintaining position, player threats as I roamed my left flank. The old pulse began to race a bit when I called for a pass and with gentle nudge of the right stick, Babel nicked the ball with some first time control and hammered past the defender. I slung a ball into the area and the defence nicked it away from Torres. Afterwards, I felt a real sense of achievement as I had contributed to the team. Even better, shortly after that incident, Torres smacked the crossbar from the edge of the box, the ball hit the diving goalie on the back of the head as it came back out killing it in the 6 yard box, and who was there to follow it up? A genuine shout of "YES" when Babel slotted it in. Quite far from the 45 yard glamour goals from Fifa of old, thats something you could quite easily see on Match Of The Day.This, is all I have been playing recently. The joy of setting up a goal from the right, getting in for a tackle, discipline of position and not wearing down stamina, a totally different game to the total control of the usual single player game.Is there anything wrong with the game? Well every now and again, there can be the odd piece of suspect placement or saving from the keeper (ie, I saw Pennant recreate David Seaman's Ronaldiniho blunder from the Japan World Cup), but perhaps this falls into the remit of acceptable human error from what shouldn't be a robotic keeper. Anything else, such as passing blunders, can be put down to your own errors! I've seen comments such as 'players and passing on rails' but to be fair all of that can be disabled in the menus, or addressed by getting to know the controls (such as being able to cancel player movement and run in a free direction when being passed to). I personally always felt in control of my players, especially when it came to trying to use skill moves. Always feeling like I pulled off what is happening on screen as opposed to luck of the keybashing.So all in all, I'm really enjoying the switch to Fifa. Looking forward to taking some skills online when I feel comfortable.

14.11.2007

Visually stunning? Yes, on a HD TV with the settings tweaked accordingly, the game plays with glorious clarity (particularly on a sunny pitch). However, there are some caveats. For me, the worst one is the crowd. Watch a replay of a goal scored by Ronaldo at Old Trafford, and it is (with a slight squint) undistinguishable from a real replay... that is until you notice the indifference the crowd shows to the goal. 2D pixel blocks that seem unchanged since FIFA: Road to World Cup '98. It is a shame that the pitch, players and stadiums are now recreated with scary realism, yet the crowd has recieved no attention at all. I wouldn't even care if they were left as 2D pixel blocks...just have them react to goals.Away from the visuals, the much vaunted "skills engine" is a huge let-down. I was swept up by the hype, both online, and in the instruction manual, about the ability to craft organic tricks on-the-fly. Combining "Cruyff-turns" and "Rainbow flicks" to make signature moves. It sounds great in principle, and in the load-screens (where you play one-on-one against the goalie), it does sort of work, with varying success. However, in the game... forget it. Even for the top players such as Ronaldinho it's nigh-on impossible to craft anything other than a simple sideways flick. Even that is difficult to pull off due to the akwardness of the buttons, and can only really be done by slowing down ("tricking" and sprinting at the same time is a no-go), meaning any attempt to pull off a trick, invariably gets you tackled pretty quickly.Staying on tricks in general, one of my biggest annoyances with the FIFA series is the way the ball seems to be glued to AI players feet. Even rubbish opposition on a low-skil level, when computer-controlled, have the close-control of a footballing Jedi. They can turn on a sixpence. The only reason you know they are rubbish is that whenever they slowly venture into your half, then turn back on themselves, or just doughnut round in circles with the ball glued to their feet until you finally manage to take it off them. By comparison, the human-controlled players (even the Ronaldos and Kakas) have the turning cirlce of a fully-laden oil tanker.The ball physics have been altered so that it bounces around far more wickedly. I suppose this adds an element of realism, though combined with the aforementioned ball-control makes it quite frustrating.It's easier now to put on a burst of pace on the wing and punt a cross into the box, but crosses and corners are weighted massively in favour of the defender. Again, quite realistic I suppose, but it is almost always better to cut inside and try and pass the ball into the box than cross it. Corners are a lottery, as are free-kicks.I can't understand why you can't create a custom league or cup, or create your own team. I also can't understand why they've taken the "training" mode out, which would help when trying to figure out how the hell to pull of a trick. I also can't understand why, in FIFA 06, the advertising centred around the ability to change your opposition in "Quick Mode" without having to go back to the main menu and reload... yet in FIFA 08 this "advancement" has been taken out!On-line play is good. Match-ups are ususally quite fair, and I have had some great games. It would be better to allow a bit more interaction between the human players, especially at the end of epic games. Even just a "good game mate" option would be nice.All in all, not bad. And look... I've pulled off an entire FIFA review without mentioning Pro Evo. ;-)

10.11.2007

The gameplay itself has been slowed down, as a result, you can think far more tacticly - rather than passing it to the winger and sprinting it down the wing - the options presented offer more scope. This inturn kills off another of FIFA's previous critisism: That the only real stat you needed to worry about with players was Sprint speed, with a slower game your sprint no longer gets you so far, and while there are still several stats that are crucial (Standing tackle, Short pass, Sprint speed and Finishing), the overall stat system is so much better.With the game slowed down there are only two negative effects: Number one is the feeling that because the game seems to be playing in ever so slightly slow motion all the time,it can occasionally feel as though goalies are slow and dim witted not to be reacting to your shots fast enough. Secondly, the set-piece system is a joke because of it! Throw-in's are the worst, as your player throws the ball so slowly that your opponents can simply move in and snatch it off you half the time. Amazingly even the AI realises this as it sometimes responds to its own time consuming throw in's with an immediate header back over the thrower's head and giving you a throw in! Free kicks are hard to score and annoyinly you cannot drill it, forcing you to do a very slow looking chot (half chip - half shot). Corners are at best OK, as you cannot cross it anywhere near the goal without the goalie (whoever he is) simply jumping up and gathering it up.There are also several other annoying factors, the menu system is so annoying and whenever you return to the main munu screen it immediatly re-loads all the default squads and will save over any changes you have made to the squads etc on you files, result: Preffered settings get lost in some digital void. Also there is little customisation, while I have been able to build up Garden Fields FC (school team) all the way back from Actua Soccer 3 (1997!) the option is stangely lacking in the PS3 version, annoying seing as 07 had it. Online is very good - although it seems to have a strange habit of prohibiting anyone but the master account online - and it holds a good range of modes (after November patch). Manager mode is what you have come to expect - nothing incredible but if you want to bring Watford back to thier true place as Champions of everything (recruiting Torres on the way)then this is a great way to do it.This brings me to the newer modes available, be a pro is OK, it is intuitive and the idea of building a be a pro carear in the future is incredible, un-fortuantly unless you are a forward it isn't much fun (unless you have a lot of patence). However, what comes of it is absoloutly incredible, I am amazed that this new feature hasn't appeared in a single review I read! Bascily, instead of booring loading screens you get the arena (training pitch) where your player of choice (Lampard for me) can duel it out with a goalie, you can do what you want, even practising (you'll need it) free-kicks and penalties. The whole arena is played in be a pro camera (with the camera behind your head) the arena has no annoying meddling defenders so you can just spend hours - forgeting the rest of the game - hyponitosed, by trying to score the most stylish goal you can.And stylish is what you will find the game, with zero lag so far and outstanding graphics this rounds up a game that is easily the best in the series, but if one or two problems had been sorted out then it could have been so much better...

22.9.2007

Another year another FIFA but this time on NEXT GEN, so you start the game up and get to quick loading times and average overall presentationFirst of all you notice a few new modes like 'BE A PRO' which takes some getting used to but overall is quite poor for a new innovation where you only take control of one player in a close third person view but thankfully EA has updates in the pipeline, then of course you have your create or play a single competion such as the premier league and FA cup etc.... or create your own competition from scratchThen you have the infamous Manager mode which is like the master league of pro evo and i think this is the best part of the game,taking part in a fullseason with all the cups and games of a real league season unfortunatally tho even if you pick a taem in a european cup competition in real life sadly they are not in it when you start your career you have to wait untill you qualify yourselfOf course you can also recive squad updates (every week) if your online and also PODCASTS (every week) from well known commentators telling you about the game and competitions etc... just be sure to set it to Talksport or Virgin for english version instead of americanThe online mode is immence with online leagues, competitions and also quick matches for those who what a quick fix or who play lesurelyAlso you can set the ESPN on demand service to the UK version so you can recive live scores/results and news on the menu screens and also look up tables and top scorers etc.....To the game itself i start with telling people that you can only use the analog sticks and there is no option to revert to use the arrow buttons but again EA have listened to complaits and will be resolving this ASAP but it may be weeks.... anyway the gameplay at first, even in amutur mode will make you think you suck and some of you will throw the game out the window and wait for PES.... but stick with it and you'll be suprised at how good you get, sure its harder to score and you will loose the ball in midfield and defence more leading to some hairy moments!! but you soon sit back and realise how close to real football the game playsWhich leads to its only fault... over-realisum and some players will get very annoyed with the game if they dont continue to practice and throw the game aside... meanwhile the graphics are subpurb but definatly not to ps3 best.... games are even harder away than at home!!! weirdlt Man utd play the best in the game but even a gamev man utd and southend utd will spring suprises due to the 'organic system' and you can never score the same goal twiceThis game truly is a work of art but only to those who sit back and take a lookon a down side there are only 23 real statdums which is stupid as there are 100's of teams and over 15,000 players which is apparantly 20%more than FIFA 07All on all i would give this game 94% and would say paly it solidly for a week to realise the games potential.... will it beat pro.... well we will have to see.... ive got a copy of pro and say personally FIFA is better which is big 4 me as im a big pro fan..... but with pro having a majorly hevier feel it takes the enjoyment out.....My opinion is to still buy both but its up to you.....I hope this helped as im hopefully becoming a game revewer 4 a top ps3 mag soon so feedback i greatly needed.... good or badThanxDan P

8.10.2007

I'm a PES fan first of all. Like 90% of all PES fans started of way back in 97. 98 was simply the best thing to appear on console (PS1). Lost interest in fifa in the early days but came back in 07. 08 amazed me when i picked it up for the first time. The game has been totally reworked and the physics have been improved.Please please please dont listen to biased reviewers telling you what they want say about this game. Yes the cup formats need work. Yes there are issues. But yes its improved a lot and yes the gameplay is on the slow but very realistic side. Like many games you can play this game at different tempos. Its really up to you.The shooting has been made more challenging.I played against my mate and found out very quickly because most of my shots were going off in many directions. It felt like PES because there were legitimate reasons for this happening. I was either to far out or not timing shots properly. Or the guy i was shooting with did not have the stats to produce what i wanted. The A.I is very intelligent the higher level you play the smarter they are. Its hard to pull of first time shots on Legendary level. Good thing about this game is you can bring your PES style here and get results on a higher level. Fifa has replicated a lot of things from PES. Gameplay wise it feels more realistic and plays well.Star Players have good touches and certain styles of play. For example Berbatov is tall and dominant and is strong. He can get to balls and control them well. Gattuso tackles very well and is aggressive. Keepers tend to come off their lines a bit too much. Meaning you can take a dipping shot and score!The down side is there are graphical issues with the crowd and parts of the stadium seem a bit average graphically. Also the referee and the linesmen seem to missing. Theres also no manager or subs on the bench. Not a big deal but this is next generation. I'm sure you guys are not paying 300 quid on next gen to be playing a PS2 level. Theres no excuses for EA not to include these basic features that are all in PES.The sound is very very good. Commentary is by Sky sports main eventers Martin Tyler and Andy Gray. I would take Chris Kamara over Andy Gray. But Andy Gray is a so called expert in his field. Chris Kamara would be good because hes very enthusiastic and is fun to listen to on Saturday afternoons. Also chants have been added. Some favourites have been added to the growing list. But i still feel theres loads of chants to be added in future versions. You still get one or two outspoken shouts in the crowd. 10/10 for sound.Overall Fifa is a 8.5 out of 10. Not because its not there yet. But because it can exceed the potential set out way back in 1998. EA Relocating the offices to London from Canada was the best thing that ever happened to the series. 07 showed a great promise. 08 has shown an improved great promise. However i still feel Fifa isnt there just yet. The gameplay is great but needs to be adjusted slightly to deal with issues such as miserly fouls, slightly slow reaction of players, slightly better ball physics. Slightly because this is a good effort by EA. They just need to get back in the offices and brainstorm. What are we missing? Then when they have perfected and completed the tiny issues in the game. Then they could exceed and bury PES which is looking more likely every year.

6.10.2007

It is incredibly different to Fifa 07, I play PES as well, but prefer fifa, because the names and clubs mean a lot to me for some reason.Things that really irritate me in 08 are...1. Shots always go straight at the goalkeeper, they have unreal positioning!2. The keepers are awesome... when playing the computer, they usually make about 8-10 amazing saves3. The commentary actually got worse... so many repeats, saying the wrong thing... and they don't say Eduardo's name! (I'm a gooner...)4. The graphics should be better... Tevez looks even uglier than real life (I didn't think it was possible)I expected better on a next gen console (it is early days though)5. The offside rule is a shambles on the game...things that should be onside get pulled up... after deflections from defenders and keepers e.t.c...6. You can't save replays to the hard disk7. heading towards goal in the box nearly always goes over8. They've heavily Underrated the Arsenal side... Cesc Fabregas is 85 of 100.... what a joke.Well after those problems, you'd have thought I wouldn't like the game... well it is just as fun as ever... The good things:1. the through ball isn't as user friendly, you have to have vision and timing to use it, otherwise they are intercepted easily.2. The physics are great... the ball feels really realistic and reacts like a real game.3. Defending is easier. You can no longer just run past defenders with the ball. In 07 you could score from the kick-off by just running forward and shooting.4. Scoring goals takes more patience, and build up. passing around to find gaps in defence and then going in for the kill is much more satisfying.5. In 07 Wayne Rooney was some sort of wonder player... if he got the ball he was hard to tackle and ran at the speed of light and every shot ends up in the back of the net, frustrating. Now he is still good, but he is no god.6. The loading scene between matches is playing one on one with a keeper for a couple of shots (with the player of your choice), which is really fun. I often find myself playing that for a while, because of the cool view and fiddling around with tricks.7. Manager mode is fun as always and will waste loads of your life.8. Loads of my goals in 07 were when the keeper didn't hold it and you can just slam it in when the keepers on the deck... they hold onto it better or push it wide now... much more realistic.9. Loads of players, teams and leagues as always!10. It is much more fun when playing a mate. No more stupid goals... things are more fair. The game is more fun in two player than 07. I have had some really exciting games with friends so far... most notably 3-4 Arsenal vs. AC Milan, with AC winning in the last minute of extra time, thanks to a poor tackle in the box = PENALTY(dammit!)This game is really great, loads of fun as always

18.1.2008

First of all, I'm going to say that I own both FIFA 08 and PES 2008, so I am not biased! Instead of writing a huge review that doesn't really say much, I thought I'd just express a few postives and negatives about the game. Let's start with the positives: -- Amazing graphics- Fully licensed (I can't play as Northampton Town on PES 2008, but on FIFA 08 I can!)- The game is much harder than in recent years (personally I see this as a positive although some players might think otherwise!)- The skills are back. Whilst FIFA 07 had skill moves, there was a severe lack, and they didn't help one little bit!- The new 'be a pro' mode is actaully pretty cool,although you can only play friendly games.Now the negatives: -- The through ball system has been destroyed. Instead of playing intelligent through balls into space, you repeatedly get frustrated at how many through balls go straight to the opponent!- The passing system has got worse. FIFA 08 encourages you to pass the ball around a lot, however, when you try to, the computer is able to intercept passes whenever they feel like it.- What new intelligence system. Every year EA Sports claim that the new FIFA is more intelligent...well this one isn't...not in the slightest!- Attention to detail. Let me paint you a little picture. It's the FA Cup Final (or any final for that matter), and who made it to the final? Yeovil and Northampton! Where is it played? Wembley? No, that would make sense...it's played at Yeovil! Other things like the fact that FA cup games, if drawn, go to a replay, not on FIFA they don't, extra time and penalties is what you'll get. Mid-week games are all played in the day time and you may notice that the names on the backs of shirts randomly disappear.- The lower the league, the slower the player. I agree, it makes it harder to play as a lower ranked team, but just because a player is in League 2, doesn't mean he's half as slow as a Premiership player. For those of who saw Derek Asamoah, we know he'd run rings around Alan Stubbs (for example)!- Just one increase in difficulty yields huge changes. For example, you move it up a notch from Semi-Pro to Professional. All of a sudden, the opposition is twice as fast as you, cannot be tackled, and score whenever they like. Of course, you'll get used to it, and then when you notch it up another level, you'll see the same thing happen!This was a little bit longer than I meant it to be and I'm sure you'll notice that I rated it 4 out of 5..even though I just ranted on about it. That's because when you're winning, the game is amazing!However, I'd choose Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 over FIFA 2008, but that's entirely up to you! Hope this helps your decision! :)

24.1.2008

Now if you can remember I recently did a review for FIFA 08 for the ps2 and well... it was rubbish. But last week I got a ps3 (40gb) and got down to some playing, well if I could get in edgeways from my 2 brothers who play for eternity!My first imprressions of the game were "oh god I hope this isn't a game where Ronaldhino is god and Rooney is his pet monkey!" but I was wrong!Now EA have jumped out of the box of tradional gaming where you are normaly required to do nothing and wait until the match starts but here EA has obviously brought a shotgun to this wall and has made a nice but fast paced strike game for the loading scenes.(you CAN chose whatever player you want!)Now going from players

7.3.2008

Although the title to this review would suggest that my review would be based on the pros and cons of the everlong "battle" between fifa and Evo it is, i am happy to say, not. This review will focus on the pros and cons of Fifa 08. A fine but slightly flawed product for the next gen gaming era!All in all fifa 08 is a very good game. Like many before me i had picked up a version after being left cold by the hastily released Evo 2008.Pros:-The gameplay is very realistic. In comparrison, a friend and i played a few games of fifa then stuck on EVO 6 to compare. The gameplay in EVO was so quick it was almost comical. Now before you all shout and call me a fifa loving moron...hold on!

4.12.2007

I have been a Fifa fan since i first played it in '95 on the Playstation and have not felt it neccessary to play PES.When i first purchased Fifa 2008 i have to admit, i found it a little frustrating. I would create a few chances from crosses but would constantly head / volley the ball over the goal. I was also annoyed that the game froze on numerous occasions. So much so that i took the game back and purchased PES 2008.What a mistake!!!!!Whilst Fifa should have not been released until the obvious glitches had been resolved PES should not have been released at all.I know this is a Fifa review and i will come to that later but i need to say something about PES. It is the most awful game i have ever played.

13.1.2008

I have owned both PES 2008 and FIFA 2008 on the PS3 so I will base all my comments on what I have actually experienced. Which one is better? FIFA 2008, more menus, more actual players, more on line modes, actually works on line too, no frame rate judders, no tearing of the screen. Frame rate free replays of goals to name but a few things.Don't get me wrong Im no fanboy I just assess what I see and comment, whilst I have been the more likely PES 2008 purchaser and this time around I waited for it to some even though FIFA was out a longtime before but FIFA is leading the way after this although I think next year may well be a different report.PES 2008 has been patched on line via the PSN Network and still doesn't work correctly,

17.9.2007

i was very excited about getting the fifa 08 demo downloaded onto me new ps3 and i was not let down i've been a fifa fan for years seen good and bad but this time its the best. Took me about 30 minutes to get to grips with it as there is a slighty diffren control scheme by that i mean sprint is r2 and r1 is finnese shot not exactly a major revamp but after 30 minutes i was really enjoying the slick pace of the game it feels as if the pitch is bigger you can run past anyone with pace or a bit of skill shooting physics are stunning as are the excellent graphics a huge step up even with my old tv. Best of all slide tackles normal tackles shooting and when the players actually control the ball looks real as simple as that.

28.9.2007

Fifa 08 will suprise the usual football simulation fan (and fifa/pro evo fan for that matter). After several years of being a solid pro evo fan and not really taking much interest in fifa, i decided to give the fifa 08 demo a try by downloading it off the playstation store on my ps3. After waiting a good hour or so, i switched the game on and i was stumped, suprised and honestly shocked. The game i had tried to avoid for a while had became awfully addictive within about two seconds of gameplay. i kept on playing and playing (annoyingly, you can only play one half of a game on the demo, so any hint of progress is limited). I was annoyed,

2.4.2008

I've always been a fan of the Fifa series. Even the much-maligned titles in the late 90s I found greatly enjoyable, as the realism added by having the official liscenses has always made up for the gameplay glitches over the years. I don't know, but I just find it more satisfying scoring the winner at White Hart Lane with a player actually called Cesc Fabregas, than one who looks a little bit like him, and has a completely different name.So over the years, I've always been able to overlook the flaws - but, finally, I feel that the FIFA series has cracked it.As ever, there's the incredible depth of research that has gone into the game - the number of teams is broader than ever,

6.10.2007

I ditched the fifa series about 5 years ago as i've always been looking for the ultimate footy sim and pro evo for me was the best for realistic gameplay you could get. Fifa 06 and 07 had glitzy presentation but seemed to be lacking in the realism of the pro evo series. To score in pro evo you really had to work at it. If you make a mistake you would get punished, Fifa always had buggy gameplay with the cheating AI and Dodgy keepers which took away from the realism and overall enjoyment. However Pro evo (evo 6 + 7) has gone backwards in the last couple of years and has simillar cheating AI traits to the fifa games,

FIFA 08 (PS3) - Reviews

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