New Features
By Ben Barker
Little-known fact (in the States anyway): We Yanks may make theMadden games bestsellers year in and year out, but out there in the big ol' world, the biggest EA SPORTS franchise around is FIFA Soccer. This year, Xbox Live™ leads a killer array of new features—including a greatly expanded franchise mode, a smarter A.I., and a new real-world physics engine—inFIFA Soccer 2005. It's going to make diehard footballers weep with joy and make soccer fans of the most jaded Madden devotee.
An improved physics engine powers FIFA 2005.
Ball Physics: It's Not What You Think
Some past soccer games (and I don't want to name any names) have sometimes been prone to "sticky ball" syndrome, a phenomenon that results in a passed ball sort of attaching itself to the foot of a player, once control was established. FIFA Soccer 2005says to heck with that and gives you a ball that fully exists in the game world at all times, providing truly realistic manipulation and control. Players, on the other hand, interact differently with the ball, depending on their own strength, skills, and physical presence. The physics engine and requisite new animations not only make the game look great, they also make the gameplay organic and smooth.
Improved A.I. helps balance the potential hazards of the new physics system, making both CPU opponents and the players on your team better at avoiding what, for lack of a better term, we'll call "stupid things"—like bolting forward to receive a pass and instead knocking the ball into the Gatorade cooler, for example—no longer an issue, as the receiving player will be aware of the boundary and receive the ball appropriately. They'll do even better with First Touch. CPU opponents play more intelligently and will keep you in line, too. There's no such thing as a cheap shot in this game; the A.I. won't allow it.
First Touch is crucial in situations like this.
You've Got the (First) Touch
By far the biggest new addition for 2005, in terms of on-field gameplay, is the incorporation of the "First Touch" feature. First Touch lets you exploit every pass to its full potential. It's the key to long-term success in Xbox Live play, in one-off games, and in the game's franchise mode. With First Touch, you can prepare for your next shot, pass, or whatever, all with just a flick of the right thumbstick. It gives the player receiving the ball immediate control without sacrificing realistic ball physics. And, since each player can pull off different freestyle moves using that same thumbstick, you can add flash to your next shot and more easily outwit opposing players.
First Touch, to say nothing of freestyle maneuvers, won't always work perfectly, though. Each player's individual skills at dribbling, passing, and ball control can have as much impact on play as you do. When you're playing as big-name team like Real Madrid with familiar players, you can use common sense to know when to try to pull something fancy and when to just move the ball down the pitch. But, when you're in the wilds of early franchise mode, building a team from scratch, you'll have to get familiar with your no-name players through a combination of stat study and practice.
Freestyle moves go foot-in-foot with First Touch.
FIFA Soccer 2005 is, dare I say it, a realkick and another example of EA's dedication to steady improvement for all of their sports franchises. The addition of Xbox Live support alone would be enough for any sports fan to pick this one up, but the slew of other major improvements make it an embarrassment of riches.
