FIFA 07 Soccer

"Back to basics...only with something extra!"

Over the last few years, EA Sports has just lacked that little something which has allowed the Konami Pro Evolution Series to gain the edge in terms of realism, and enjoyment, despite the lack of licensing in earlier titles.

FIFA 07 however, is a completely different story. EA Sports have gone back to adding some of the elements that made such wonderful titles like FIFA 98 and 99 so enjoyable, along with plenty of their new features.

Gameplay:

The gameplay in this latest game has improved from previous installments. The techniques used for passing, crosses and shooting have all been improved, especially the shooting, whih now takes into account the amount of space the shooter has, and how composed they are before they shoot. Very impressive.

The brilliant jinking moves are now controlled nicely by the amount of "skill" which the player has, which determines whether they can pull the trick off. Star players such as Cristiano Ronaldo have their own signature moves, which can recreate a real experience to a particular point, and well-known free-kick takers also have their free kick styles embalmed into the game.

The physics in the game also have changed. Several times, in wet weather, some of my passes have just fallen short, rather than in previous installments, where passes usually go to a player like a bullet.

To top it off, player abilities are now limited. In older games, most people could score with a scorching drive from in the 'D', but now, only players who have good power and accuracy can hit it off with success.

Off the field proves to be solid as well. The transfer market and the rosters are in good order, although it seems that EA hasn't included the drama with Ashley Cole. However, it seems that transfers can be updated online through the game, along with natural addition of playing online leagues.

The player stats are a bit of a let-down, as they seem to lack in making a real effect on the players, and this makes all the players seem one-dimensional, and not different in some way.

The amount of teams available just blow my mind away. Leagues range across the Serie A, to the Mexican and Turkish Super Leagues, plus a "Rest Of World" league, and with the 40 countries, form to make 500 clubs, which is just crazy.

The game modes are just about the same from 06, but Manager Mode has been improved, although the media influence on the team is pretty nonexistent, and would have been better if added after further development. Sponsors are there, along with budget and team morale. Oh yeah, I forgot, depending on your region, your transfer money can range from Euros to the pound, to the US dollar, which may confuse you, but whip out a currency converter if you really need to find the value of a particular player in pounds compared to American dollars.

Sound:

FIFA 07 features another international soundtrack, ranging from English rock bands Muse and Keane, to yet another Paul Oakenfold song, to music by uh...Malibu Stacy.

What is beautiful from the sound in the game though, is the crowd emotion factor. Instead of sounding just about the same most of the time, the crowds now play a factor in the game, which can cause game-turning momentum shifts. Home and away crowds are now shown, as you may see a small patch of your team's colours in a sea of enemy supporters. This sort of atmosphere gives you a great realistic game, which is shown when you play in games such as the Milan derby or the Barca/Real Madrid rivalry. They even have accents now.

Graphics:

The graphics are very good, and I'd say there is really nothing at fault, now that the physics have been corrected to a point where players don't really look weird in replays when they do something. The player faces are just about identical to real=life counterparts, and that is another good achievement for EA Sports.

Replayability:

This game, depending on your level of addiction to soccer, should take you plenty of hours to run through everything, unless you get bored very easily by video games. There are so many teams to play, and with several game modes available in complementing the deep Manager Mode, you shouldn't be surprised if you are occupied for the whole year until the next FIFA game comes out. Unless you ditch it for PES6 ;)

Overall:

This game has definitely been the best game in the FIFA Series for quite a few years. The physics and graphics engine have been improved, and so has the gameplay in such a way that it draws nostalgic memories to the hilarious times of FIFA 99, FIFA's last peak before Konami ruined the party. All it depends on now, is the release of PES6, to see if EA has once again overtaken Konami in the battle of soccer game-making king. And by the looks of it, this will be some battle...

Gameplay: 18/20
Sound: 9/10
Graphics: 9/10
Replayability: 10/10
Overall: 46/50
GameFAQs score: 9/10

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 10/12/06