Highlighting features and gameplay for FIFA World Cup Germany 2006.
EA Sports 2006 FIFA World Cup may belong to EA's FIFA franchise, but it is a game all of its own dripping with presentation worthy of the World Cup name. Combine that with established gameplay worthy of soccer (football) fanatics the world over, and you have a very timely and timeless combination.
Preparation in the face of pomp and circumstance.
Feature Rich A hallmark of all EA Sports titles is the richness and depth of not only the gameplay, but the modes and features as well. Of course there's the fully realized run through the World Cup tournament, but there are also online matches, in depth management options, classic World Cup scenario challenges and a whole lot more. For example:
World Cup Play: Not only can you participate in the tournament proper, but you can also participate in the qualifying rounds leading up to the grand event. More importantly though, you not only have access to the teams that made the cut, but every team competing for a World Cup slot.
Global Challenge: Like any sport, soccer is riddled with classic moments that were phenomenal when they happened and legendary now, and with the Global Challenge system, you'll be able to recreate these moments. You'll be given a specific scenario with different objectives to meet to win the challenge. For example, the Over the Border challenge pits you as the outgunned USA squad against Mexico and asks you to beat them by two goals.
FIFA Store: Throughout your offline matches and Global Challenges you'll accrue points to be used and spent at the store, where you can buy:
Classic uniforms.
Classic players.
New soccer balls.
FIFAWORLDCUP.COM: This handy little option in the main menu actually provides movies of all the host cities and stadiums on hand in Germany for the 2006 world cup.
Online Play: With Xbox® and Xbox 360™ comes Xbox Live®, and just like all other EA Sports titles you can expect the same classic setup with regional lobbies, leaderboards, and a host of filters to set up or find the perfect match.
Slick moves, slick momentum, slick animation.
On the Pitch If you've played past FIFA games from EA, then you'll feel instantly at home with 2006 FIFA World Cup. All the subtleties of the game are intact with the ability to customize shot selection, passes, fakes, and the new skill moves (e.g. jukes and ball tricks) utilizing the right analog stick. If you've seen it in soccer, chances are you can do it here and with such fluid and varied animation that the same situation never seems to play itself out twice.
World Cup The intro movies to the host cities in Germany is one thing, but the painstaking recreations of each qualifying round stadium and World Cup Finals round stadium equals the pains taken in games like Madden NFL 06. Put simply, they are perfect, but even more importantly, the feel of World Cup soccer is intact too.
The ultimate goal.
There's much more at stake here than even the fanatically followed professional games, and it shows in the dramatic camera work used during the introductions, the thunderous applause and boos throughout the game, the reactions of the players, and the play by play commentary. Every aspect of the game is colored with tension and excitement for this mammoth global competition.
2006 FIFA World Cup does exactly what you would hope it would; not only offer an authentic representation of the World Cup, but also expand and refine the gameplay the FIFA series is known for.
