FIFA Soccer 10 – PS3 – Review

Rarely,
in the course of writing reviews do I use personal pronouns; however, as a
preface to the review of FIFA Soccer 10, it might be helpful to note that I have
a vested interest, passion if you will, in the game of soccer. Having started to
play the sport roughly around the time I entered the first grade, for the past
40 or so years, it has been part of my life. I have played at a decently high
level, I still play and I have coached youth teams for approximately 20 seasons.
I know the game, and thus when it comes to reviewing a video-game title based on
the sport I dearly enjoy, my expectations might be a little too high, or my
perceptions a little bit too keen. Coupled with the fact that I was a newspaper
sports editor for a number of years, having decent knowledge that provides solid
analysis for the numerous sports I covered and it could reasonably be argued
that my criticism might come across as too picky. However, I do realize that
realism must take a backseat to game play. With all that said, on the review …

FIFA Soccer
10 certainly has made some wonderful strides forward in key areas of the
gameplay. But the latest title in the EASports franchise is far from perfect,
and some of the errors in the game mechanics can be a tad frustrating.

Still, if
gamers are looking for a solid experience on the futbol or soccer pitch, FIFA 10
offers dynamic elements that are certain to intrigue and delight. The biggest
improvement to the game is with the ability to create customized set pieces, tie
them to the D-pad controls and then implement them during the game. This is a
fascinating look at one of the richest opportunities within the game to not only
expose weaknesses on the other team, but to cause some confusion and free an
attacker for a possible scoring opportunity.

It all
begins in the Practice Arena, where players can hone skills, improve the skills
of their virtual player (which is handled differently than the Create-A-Pro
feature, but more of that in a moment), or create set-pieces. When players
create a set piece, they start by picking a region of the field, and then can
create up to four set-pieces to assign to the D-pad for a play within that
region. You can detail player movement and runs, and make the piece as
complicated or as simplistic as you wish.

The game
really does a marvelous job of allowing players to study the game and swing
players around the defense for back-door runs, or even use crossing runs to try
to rub off would-be defenders who are marking individual players rather than
territory. If unfamiliar with soccer, but if you have a foundation is
basketball, think of it this way – you can overload a zone defense, or using
screens in man-coverage to free up players. While the onus is on the player to
determine what play will work, it can be contextual to the situation or team you
are playing.


Many of the
teams in FIFA 10 opt with a 4-4-2 formation (from back to front line) and
finding gaps can be tough when the opposition drops eight players into the
defensive set. But with diversionary runs, you can free up players and that
opportunity, through the set pieces, brings a new level of detail and excitement
to the game.

For FIFA 10,
EASports has brought in a variety of other new features, such as Live Season
2.0. If you have played any of the EASports titles that offer Dynamic DNA, you
will know what you are getting here. This is a once-a-week update that takes
real-world performances of the players featured in the game and updates them
with performance benchmarks, injuries, transfers, formational changes,
suspensions and the like. While not available for every league, for the purist
this is definitely a boon. The updates will run from October to May of 2010 when
the leagues close down for the season.

For those
that like to micro-manage, the new Manager Mode puts them in the shoes of the
executive who makes the decisions – from tracking player growth to trades,
managing sponsors, working with the budget and so on. You can juggle the budget
to enable you to sign hot up-and-coming stars, or to entice veteran superstars
to join your club (keep an eye on the team chemistry, though, for not all egos
mesh neatly and you may wind up with an unbalanced team)

As mentioned
previously, there are two ways to insert yourself into the game. First up is the
create-a-pro feature that gives you the opportunity to create a player and then
play as that athlete in a league of your choice. Want to play for Manchester
United? Or Arsenal? Or even a team in the Bundesliga? It’s all quite doable. As
you play your position, you get rated throughout the game. There are pre-game
objectives to realize (as a striker you might be tasked with scoring one or two
goals, or taking seven shots on goal – that is specifically the area between the
pipes, not in the general direction that sails slightly wide – or even winning
by two or more goals, or achieving a match rating of 8.0 or higher), and as you
play, you are scored. Call for a bad pass and you may get docked a few rating
points. Play out of position and your score in that area goes down as well. At
the end of the game, you receive experience points that can then be dropped into
areas of the game – attacking, skill, defense, movement, mentality, power, et
cetera. Each attribute has a point value and the higher the skill increases the
more experience points you have to drop into that category to improve your
ability.


This is a
carry-over from previous FIFA games but is important to note because another new
feature is the virtual player, which operates on a completely different
improvement track. The virtual player does not get experience points but rather
improves by doing during a game. Take several shots with your weak foot and the
rating for that may go up. Pull of a couple of fancy dribbling moves (L2 and
analog stick combination) and you may see improvement in that skill set.
Additionally, EASports has a new program that is online and accessible from a
PC. It is a beta program that is easily registered for and you can upload your
own images and then have them transferred into a virtual format and uploaded to
your in-game virtual player. Yep, that striker for Chivas of the MLS can
actually look like you – to some extent.

The game
does feature a robust online mode as well, allowing players to go head-to-head
with others, play in leagues or play as part of a team. The action is fast-paced
and you can play either as an individual player with the game’s AI filling in
the gaps, or play as any athlete with either the ball at their feet or in
proximity defensively.

But FIFA 10
is not without problems, and there is a laundry list that can prove very
frustrating. Yes, there are sliders for correcting some of these problems, but
the default settings show some breakdowns that cannot be overlooked. Examples?
Ok, here are a few:

  • Playing in
    an online match, the controlled team’s keeper came out and stole the ball on a
    break-away attempt. The opposing striker was controlled by the human on the
    other side of the online game. As the keeper dropped the ball to punt it near
    the 18, the opposing player came up from behind, bumped the keeper and knocked
    the ball loose. That player then ran around, picked up the ball and scored on
    the empty net. An anomaly? Perhaps. But there was certainly a foul there.
    First, banging the keeper like that is not allowed by the rules of the sport.
    That should have been a whistle. Even if the contact was ruled incidental, the
    player came from an offsides position to take the ball, and that’s a free
    kick.

  • In the
    create-a-player mode, the default settings have players pass back to the
    controlled player in the single-player mode. The created player on Man U
    received the ball from the midfielders and turned. Wayne Rooney took off on a
    run, splitting two defenders. A through-ball found him in space with only the
    opposing goal in front of him. Rather than break for the goal and the shot,
    Rooney heel-passed it back to the controlled player, who then got points
    deducted from his match rating for a bad pass because he was receiving the
    pass while very well covered by defenders.

  • The ball
    is shot, sails slightly wide of the net and the outstretched arms of a diving
    keeper. The game goes to replay the shot. The X button is stabbed to skip the
    cut scene. But the X button is also the button that calls for a pass. The
    opposing has a free kick and like an idiot the controlled player is calling
    for the pass. Match points deducted for calling for a bad pass. It seems the X
    button not only bypassed the cut scene, but the key entry ghosted over into
    the real-time portion of the game.

  • The
    ‘ghosting’ of key inputs has long been part of the FIFA franchise and remains
    in the 10th release in the franchise. You stab the triangle button
    calling for a through-ball and instead of clearing immediately when the pass
    is made, the input ghosts over into the next play and instead of cleaning
    receiving the ball, your player passes it on. Maybe the key is held down 1/100
    of a second too long, but with each play the input controls should clear and
    not remember keystrokes. The game of soccer is a dynamic evolving stage when
    situations change within the blink of an eye. You may call for a pass for a
    one-touch relay to a player running into space, but as the pass is being made
    the defense falls off and you find yourself receiving the ball in space.
    Instead of passing to a player now covered you should be able to receive the
    ball and move it until pressure is applied. FIFA 10 (as well as previous games
    in the franchise) does not allow that. Hold a key down a fraction of a second
    too long and you will end up turning the possession over with a bone-headed
    and totally illogical kick.

The game’s
sounds are a bit of a hit and miss. The music features a variety of songs from
bands throughout the world and while some are pleasant, others can grate on the
third, fourth and fifth times they loop around. The commentary, though, of
Martin Tyler and Andy Gray is superb and worth listening to. The duo provides
some nice insight, and is entertaining.


As for the
graphics, the team at EASports improved the dribbling mechanics so instead of
the somewhat-stilted eight directions that seemed to play off a grid, players
have 360-degree control over movement. The animation of skill moves is very
nicely done and modifying shots for the finesse or chippy but using the R1 or L1
keys in concert with the O shot hotkey is handled very nicely.

The online
is robust and there was never a problem finding a game to play in.

FIFA 10 is a
solid game. There are frustrations here, to be sure, but the game provides a
solid, team-based sim that should find a solid fan base. While it might not be
quite in the same league as EASports NHL 10 title, FIFA 10 brings solid new
dynamics into the game’s foundation and that should resonant well with long-time
FIFA fans.


Review
Scoring Details for FIFA Soccer 10

Gameplay: 8.7
The default AI
can make mistakes that should be beyond the game’s development, considering this
is the 10th iteration of the franchise. The ‘ghosting’ of input
controls is also something that needs to be addressed. When it comes to game
flow, in general, camera controls and user interface, this game is well
designed.
 


Graphics: 9.0
Some of the
players looked a little funky during cut scene celebrations, and there was some
awkward animation moments (a player coming up behind an opposing player to chase
down the ball would go into a crouching, hunkering defensive posture even when
the ball was shielded and moving away from him). Of course, the virtual player
lining up offsides on the center kick-offs is just plain wrong.


Sound: 9.0
The commentary is
superb, and the ambient game sounds are well done. The music can be hit or miss,
depending on your musical preferences.  


Difficulty: Medium/Hard
Online can really
challenge players, and there is a strong selection of difficulty settings that
can be applied to make for a very challenging game experience.


Concept: 8.8
EASports has
added some strong elements here with the set-piece creation editor. Attention to
the 360-degree dribbling is also well handled. However, some of the basic
elements need to be revisited simply because they can lead to frustrating
moments.


Multiplayer: 9.2
Robust and fun
online experiences with a lot of players involved in leagues. There was always a
game available to play online, either head-to-head or as part of a team. This
element can go with Pro Club Championship play or online leagues. This is a
socially dynamic setting and a strong game feature.


Overall: 8.8
FIFA 10 has some
very good moments and some not-so-good moments. The dev team seems to be on the
right track to bringing a realistic and compelling game – rife with the vagaries
of the sport – to the PS3. A few mechanics need to be addressed, but for FIFA
fans, this is a solid game.