"EA shoots........and they finally score a magnificent goal"

Like the Tagline says EA have finally scored with the magnificent FIFA 06. I only got it last Saturday, but I played it for the whole of Sunday. I don't know how they found all that player bio (the birthdays and other crap) but the manager mode is something special.

GRAPHICS: 9
The faces for the players look so much like the players actual selves. There is a bit of fuzziness but the graphics are fluid.

SOUND: 10
This is a great point for FIFA 06. The soundtrack is so awesome, that (drooling) somebody get me a towel. The in game sound is very realistic. Pump up the surround sound system and your there, at the match. The crowds roaring when you score a home game goal or the anthem of the (international) teams as they step onto the field, together with the roar of many supporters. Ahhh. We're there.

GAMEPLAY: 10

Now I've divided this review into two sections

IN MATCH PLAY: 10
This new game system is on par with Pro Evolution 4. They've got rid of the off the ball system, which in my opinion sucked. The mist built up on a rainy, night game near the flood lights is a great feature which builds up realism. The new shooting system is excellent. It makes scoring goals ten times harder than it was in 2004 (sorry, I haven't played 05 yet). There is this thing on the shot meter called the sweet spot, if you charge up your shot past the sweet spot, it is still possible to score, if you're a metre out from goals. The new way that the take free kicks is cool as well they've gotten rid of that stupid target reticule (which, even if you put it top corner, the keeper would miraculously dive and save it on amateur) and replaced with a harder yet more realistic free kick system where left and right on the analog stick is to aim, up and down control height (if its too high, the shot is very slow, if its too low you might hit the defensive wall) and you use the C-stick to put curl on the ball. The first touch system is more refined than the 05 version (from what I've heard). In conclusion........thank you (I don't think there is any need for a conclusion).

MANAGER MODE: 10
Whoa!!! I feel like I'm the actual coach for Benfica (the team I'm coaching at present). Like before you can't go for five star teams on first pick. But...WHOA!!! There are sponsors. SPONSORS!! Plus the transfer market which is very good. I like the scouting ability, you tell you're scout to look for some young player, you pick what position and what country you go looking for new young talent. Plus, for the transfer thingy its not like 05 (from what I've heard). Even if you pack your team with all these star players, other teams are going to go and buy some new talent and there's this thing called team chemistry, if its really high, your team knows everything that their teammates are about to do, which helps with complex passing. I mean look at Real Madrid (all stars, no teamwork)

RENT OR BUY:
This is definitely a buy. Now matter how many times you play it, you'll never get bored (unless FIFA 07 is better than this).

OVERALL: 9.5 (rounded off, it equals ten)

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 12/08/05