FIFA 07 dazzles Barca at X06

Just as a new manager can boost club performance in football, EA’s new engine created for FIFA 07 could pave the way to greatness. True champions never rest on their laurels, and the fighting spirit EA brings to the field is staggering.

Taking for granted licenses for the world’s foremost leagues, as diverse but essential to fans as the Mexican 1st Division, the excitement for next-gen FIFA 07 goes way deeper than official kits and sponsors. That players, pitches and stadiums appear more realistic than before almost goes without saying too.

The heart of FIFA 07, emotionally and technically, is where your attention should be focused. Delivering the truest football experience on the world’s most powerful games console; essentially this is what EA has set out to achieve with the greatest respect to millions of potential punters with a love for the sport.

Starting with the new game engine, it affects the game’s performance on many levels: visually, dynamically and strategically. Represented via a physics-based and data-driven system, the guys on the screen have eerily human qualities. They convey an athletic composure that’s a huge departure from the oddly robotic aesthetic encountered in previous versions. Taking control, the effect is subtle but revelatory – alert to the slightest touch, and with a far broader range of options on the ball.

Interactive Leagues via Xbox Live is FIFA 07’s crowning glory. Teams from the Premier League, Bundesliga, Ligue 1 and Primera División de México can be taken online to play games according to real-world schedules. We all know how it is to get hooked on making Achievements for kudos. Allowing players to share the pain and glory of their beloved teams promotes competition to a different league!

• Xbox Live