8.10.2004

I was lucky enough to get a copy of FIFA 05 a day early in London, no idea why but I wasn't complaining. I was a little dubious especially after FIFA 2004 but I decided to go for it any way and I can say it is so much better this year.In most FIFA's before 2005, winning possession when being marked was more of a crapshoot left up to the game engine - sometimes you'd win, and other times the strength of the CPU player's stats would win out. The problem with this was that the system used to determine player strengths in possession were too similar, causing the roll-of-the-dice feel during possession situations.This has all changed in FIFA 2005 with the First Touch system,which works in conjunction with the player stats within the game's database.Brand new fluid animations and natural human kinetics help to magnify the importance of the First Touch by allowing gamers to have a better "feel" of their star players.You will notice how Henry explodes from a check and neatly traps the ball in front of him. Or you may notice how Nedved has the ability to see his next touch before he even traps the incoming goalie kick.Create and CoachFIFA Football 2005 expounds on the career mode in last year's game, giving gamers more control over the coaching and management duties, plus the ability to create their own star players.The create-a-player includes similar depth to those in the Tiger Woods series, with a myriad of adjustable facial, clothing, and style sliders. Created players can also be tweaked in twenty-three different areas of performance, including more obscure items such as composure and marking ability.Individual players already in the squad can be trained, or a batch train option will condition the entire squad. The transfer market, similar to baseball's free-agency pool, can be mined for diamonds in the rough, and is the true key to assembling a world-dominating team.The coaching staff is another integral part of a good organisation and it will be under constant scrutiny. The staff can be upgraded, so long as enough points from the virtual money system are in the coffers. Eight different pieces of the dynasty puzzle are available for upgrade, including a striker coach, a financial planner, and even a team MD.Every time a staff member receives an upgrade star (after a one hundred point upgrade), the team benefits in the form of things such as a stronger overall offensive or defense, or less proneness to injury. The fifteen year career mode is a rough road, which is why a coach may move from team to team.A coach's satisfaction rating will pretty much paint the picture, allowing gamers to know if they will be even asked back for another season or not. An extremely competent coach will want to farm their abilities out to the bigger leagues; interested parties will keep you up to date of their intentions with the handy-dandy EA PDA. With eighteen different leagues and thirty eight national teams, there are over 15,000 players in the world looking for guidance, and you may just be the counselor that has all the answers.Much work has gone into making FIFA 2005 appear more like a professional broadcast. There are new camera angles for the full length replays, and a bigger emphasis on the crazy fans in the stadium, with greater intensity and participation during tense moments.Players are sporting better detail and the upgraded lighting and shadowing helps the stadiums to come a life a bit more. There are the popular, authentic fan chants in every officially licensed stadium in the game, and the environmental conditions even lend a hand, with weather playing a major role in pitch conditions while also affecting how the game is called from the booth.Pro Evo 4 is no match for FIFA this year, go and buy it!

21.8.2005

Fifa 2005 combines the tactical element of football with the pure desire and compassion for the beautiful game.Not only does it provide you,the gamer, with the excitement of controlling a whole football game at your fingertips, it also enables you to become manager of the squad.Finally you can compare your managerial prowess to those of Sir Alex Ferguson and Jose Mourinho.Take complete control of the bustling transfer. Buy the young and gifted players of tomorrow and get rid of the old and tired players of the past.Work your way up from the rock bottom shores of Football League 2 to the dizzying heights of the Premiership. With over 20 leagues to choose from it's almost to hard to pick...that is if your'e doing well in the game.The all new life like career mode of Fifa 05 treats you just like a proper manager. Squad Management, players morale, budget problems, and Job security!If you are struggling badly at a club you could find yourself being shown the back door. This is when things get tough. Highly regard teams will be passing on your services and you will soon find yourself back where you started from. League 2.This is what makes Fifa 05 truly captivating. The struggle of progression. Not like old Fifa's where clubs don't care if you're leading the team down the drain.However when you get to the top the benefits soon arrive; More money at your disposal in the transfer market, more talented players dreaming of playing at your club, higher morale of the players and the bliss of success.Your job in Fifa 05 is not just to lead a team to greatness.Help yourself along the way to success by unlocking third kits, night stadiums, special EA Trax, footballs and the best ref in the game... Pierre Luigi Collina. This can be done by guiding your team into the limelight and recieving points.The thinking behind the football is truly amazing in the game. However when it comes down to the basic elemnt in Football. The actual gameplay Fifa still has a bit of work to do.Granted the graphics have surpassed the works of art of last years Fifa, making it almost feel the real players are on that screen, but the control of players leaves a lot to the imagination.The ability to beat opposing players STILL hasn't been perfected. All we can do in this game is do a silly little trick past them, and that only works half the time, but there are no features that let you beat the opposing player for pace, like Thierry Henry.On the other hand the first touch control is excuisite. When a ball gets either played into your feet or up in the air the first touch control lets you immediately turn in the opposite way to the defender and leave him for dead. However you better be quick getting your shot in because, no doubt about it, he will soon catch up to you.Overall theconcept of this game is truly outstanding. A must have for any football fan. The only question left in my mind is how can EA better this Fifa with Fifa 06?Surely the will think of something. They always do!

21.8.2005

Fifa 2005 combines the tactical element of football with the pure desire and compassion for the beautiful game.Not only does it provide you,the gamer, with the excitement of contorling a whole football game at your fingertips, it alos enables you to become manager of the squad.Finally you can comare your managerial prowess to those of Sir Alex Ferguson and Jose Mourinho.Take complete control of the bustling transfer. Buy the young and gifted players of tommorow and get rid of the old and tired plaers of the past.Work your way up from the rock bottom shores of Football League 2 to the dizzying heights of the Premiership. With over 20 leagues to choose from it's almost to hard to pick...that is if your'e doing well in the game.The all new life like career mode of Fifa 05 treats you just like a proper manager. Squad Management, players morale, budget problems, and Job security!If you are struggling badly at a club you could find yourself being shown the back door. This is when things get tough. High regard teams will be passing on your services and you will soon find yourself back where you started from. League 2.This is what makes Fifa 05 truly captivating. The struggle of progression. Not like old Fifa's where clubs don't care if you're leading the team down the drain.However when you get to the top the benefits soon arrive; More money at your disposal in the transfer market, more talented players dreaming of playing at your club, higher morale of the players and the bliss of success.Your job in Fifa 05 is not just to lead a team to greatness.Help yurself along the way to success by unlocking third kits, night stadiums, special EA Trax, footballs and the best ref in the game... Pierre Luigi Collina. This can be done by guiding your team into the limelight and recieving points.The thinking behind the football is truly amazing in the game. However when it comes down to the basic elemnt in Football. The actual gameplay Fifa still has a bit of work to do.Granted the graphics have surpassed the works of art of last years Fifa, making it almost feel the real players are on that screen, but the control of players leaves a lot to the imagination.The ability to beat opposing players STILL hasn't been perfected. All we can do in this game is do a silly little trick past them, and that only works half the time, but there are no features that let you beat the opposing player for pace, like Thierry Henry.On the other hand the first touch control is excuisite. When a ball gets either played into your feet or up in the air the firtstouch control lets you immediatly turn in the opposite way to the defender and leave him for dead. However you better be quick getting your shot in because, no doubt about it, he will soon catch up to you.Overall theconcept of this game is truly outstanding. A must have for any football fan. The only question left in my mind is how can EA better this Fifa with Fifa 06?Surely the will think of something. They always do!

31.10.2004

FIFA 2005 is the best FIFA game ever. We hear it ever year a new FIFA game comes out, but this game has fewer cons & more pros than any FIFA game before.The pros: The look of the game makes FIFA 2005 the best looking footie game you can buy. From the stadium crowd graphics to the faces of the real-life star players the game looks amazingly real. Somethimes when my unsenile dad sees me playing FIFA 2005 he asks who is playing thinking an real game is on TV. But all FIFA games look good so we expect it to be , so how does it play? Well. What makes football the worlds greatest sport is the sheer variation of goals you see scored. In FIFA 2005 you have this variation. You can chip the keeper,

8.10.2004

I'm happy to say that finally with the 2005 edition of Fifa EA have gone some way to making a decent football game. Every aspect of the 2004 experience has been improved as standard but most importantly the new 'first touch' gimmick actually works. No more passing to a player on the wing who almost immediately loses control of the ball and knocks it out, instead with a flick of the right thumb stick your player will turn with the ball not only keeping it but often creating space.Many of the most overt problems inherent to the Fifa franchise have been addressed such as retarded goal keepers who can save one shot but always fumble the rebound, or the limited player stats that provided a completely inaccurate picture of a players skills.

21.10.2004

Fifa have improved so much on previous attempts, the first touch is the highlight of the game, but also United fans chaniting 'RUUD' when RVN scores a goal. Anyone else notice that? Also a purchaser of Pro Evo, admired the realistic gameplay above all. Its not as licenced as Fifa in autenticity but still at least they bothered to make a real face for Kaka. Fifa make them look like a monkey's. Few of the other key players they missed out on likeness include Fabregas, Edu, Heinze, King, Robben, Luis Garcia, Toure amongst others but yet could make likeness for EVERY South Korean player in the K League. The Carear mode in Fifa is fun, signed Vicente and Ballack to replace the retired players of Giggs and Keane.

7.10.2004

Having previously owned the FIFA football titles there was no way I was going to miss this one, especially as it is XBox Live enabled. On opening the game, I connected to XBox Live immediately and was very impressed with the wide range of features and options. There are chat rooms (you can create your own), a nice EA messenger facility and various competitions (you can create your own). After each game you can also have your stats emailed to you automatically. The game play online is very good. I played with a Man United fan this morning and we had a good laugh. It was very smooth and there was no sign of any lag. There wasn't many people online but that will change within a day or two when the game is officially released.

4.7.2005

The EA Fifa train keeps on going. this is one of the better versions on the genra. for one thing the management mode has been improved. thought you need to start at a small club and work your way up the football ladder. more of the clubs stadiums have been personalised i.e. Newcastle play at St. James Park not closed oval. you also have to get win all the trophies which can be shown off in the trophy room. the best feature is that you can create your self in your team. changing things from hair type and hair colour to boot colour and squad number. the only thing that lets it down in my eyes to that the Middlesbrough shrits don't have the sponsers 888.com on the shirts and thehome shirt doesn't have the white band.

11.5.2005

Ive played nearly all of the Fifa football games and yes alot of them had the same problems of "lack of real movement and AL."but tell me can you play as a lowly league side playing in the second division... NO! lets face it at least Fifa has the correct player names which must be always a plus and not some silly name the pro evo usualy use.Anyway the commentry on Fifa is far better than that of pro evo 4, i know that this is only one small thing but at least you get to hear the excellent Motson who has always been my fav. comentater.So what to chose Fifa 2005 or pro evo 4For me it has to be Fifa 2005 because for me it has longer playabilty particually if you buy Total club manager 2005 as they both play together (which i have)

22.8.2004

I have always been a big ISS fan and had always found that the FIFA releases prior to 2004 were extremely poor in comparison to the ISS Pro series.After buying an Xbox I decided to try 2004 a go after reading a good review on it and I have to say that it is a massive improvement over the older arcade style FIFA games.No more 10-0 score lines once you've been playing it for longer than 3 hours. The 2004 release actually made you use tactics properly, pass more realisticially and had a much better learning curve.With the intended features released for FIFA 2005 by EA, it should come even closer to a more true realistic football game such as ISS series is.Keep it up EA and please don't go back to a basic gameplay which the masses appear to 'enjoy'

14.12.2004

this is the first xbox game i have played,and it's my first consol of any type as well! this game is great fun even if your rubbish at games as i am! the graphics and amount of teams and detail are great to.however there are so many controls to use ,i just button press like a madman.mastering passing,sliding tackles,and through balls is not that hard,but regaining the ball is tough.goals, apart from the odd free kick goals are very rare.if you are fifa 2003 2004 player player you probably think i'm a bit slow!however a mate scores goals for fun on 2004 and drew with me on 2005 0-0 and as i said i'm rubbish!overall,as a novice i think this game is fantastic.from the beginer to the fifa ea

19.10.2004

Having never purchased the 2004 edition of fifa something changed my mind of the series when it came to 2005. When i saw the managerial mode, having to work ur way from the bottom up is a brilliant idea rather then going straight into a high flying club not having a clue whats going on.it gives you the chance to get things right and to progress through the game adapting your skills properly. Doing the correct stuff enables you to unlock upto 80 different items from kits to stadiums to soundtracks, the first touch is classic stripping the defence apart with the right touch of the ball.Overall this is THE game to take on Pro Evo 4 with all its liscensing of the leagues and the brilliant graphics

17.8.2005

I have played many Footy games on all platforms as well as PC. Games such as Championship Manager and Football Manager , but these simulations never let youy play the game itself. I wondered why there wasn't a more complete game that would let you buy and sell players and play the actual game. Now there is with FIFA 2005. It is beautifully put together with great graphics and a very addictive career mode that I have been glued to. Even the crowd chants are accurate for each team. EA has obviously put effort into finding out more about the fans and the individual clubs. If you like Football on the xbox, then look no further than FIFA 2005. Great Game

27.6.2005

I think this game is fantastic, the graphics are great and the career mode kept me entertained for months. Loved the fact that i could play my total club manager games in it as it means tht i am more likely to win and get promotion. I would reccomend getting this over pro evalution soccer anyday as it has all of the teams that you will ever need where as pro evalution soccer has none of the real players or teams.i can't wait till next years instalement as i am sure the graphics and gameplay will improve until you could mistake the graphics for real photographs. i give this game a 10 for graphics, 9 for gameplayand 11 for the career mode.

12.8.2004

I expect that the new fifa will be absolutely amazing, i cant wait for it to come out and as soon as it comes out i think i will be one of the first people to buy it. I am not someone who sits by a computer all day but when i have a spare minute i will always play on fifa 2004 as i really enjoy it. I think that through the years fifa has only got better so i expect that this will be great. If the new game allows you to do skill and run around players then it will be the best football game out and it will surely sell well. Fifa is the best.

FIFA Football 2005 (Xbox) - Reviews

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