What
could possibly be sweeter than the first Street-ified soccer game? That’s what
EA Canada must’ve asked themselves going into FIFA Street 2. This new edition
takes several steps forward with evolved mechanics and new gameplay features.
The standard camera places the view behind one time, similar to NFL Street but
without a perspective switch every time the ball is stolen. These elements
(along with better graphics and a superior soundtrack) come together for what
could be the best extreme, arcade-style soccer game yet.
The
gameplay is fast, intense, and always on the move. Stealing is a simple task
that sends the ball back and forth between teams. It’s very much like NHL Hitz
this time in that you can run up and snatch the ball without breaking a sweat.
Shooting, on the other hand, is highly unique with an aim system that allows
you to set up a shot like you would in a third-person shooter.
As you
approach the net an icon of the circle button appears. It hops around the
screen as you adjust the left analog stick, moving as fast or as slow as your
players’ movement. Once your thumb has begun to adjust itself to compensate
for the goal aim sensitivities (this took me around 5 seconds. No joke),
you’ll have the power to plant the ball wherever you want.
Your
opponents will do whatever it takes to prevent that from happening, using
their bodies as shields to stop you from reaching the net in the first place.
That seems to be an important strategy in this game – rather than focus solely
on good goaltending, it’s more effective to rely on the players to stop or
steal the ball before it gets there.
Straight goaltending is important though. NHL Hitz fans will appreciate having
the ability to influence the goalie’s actions. It’s more than just being able
to decide who gets the ball every time it’s in the goalie’s hands. You can
also move out of the net, which creates some interesting scenarios not present
in other soccer games. Leaving your net open like that isn’t wise. However, if
you can convince your opponent to do that, it’s possible to attack the goalie,
steal the ball and score before he can get back to his post. This was yet
another element that kept the game going at a speedy, exciting, and consistent
pace.
Goals
are very frequent and trick points are earned pretty easily. Wins can be
determined by the number of goals, which makes the games go even faster. If
you want the experience to be a little more drawn out, simply increase the
number of goals per match.
New to
FIFA Street 2 is a trick stick (mapped to the right analog stick) that enables
you to juggle and/or steal the ball with style. Certain star players have
their own, exclusive signature moves that set them apart from the crowd.
Juggles are purposely exaggerated and look fantastic. These players will pull
off moves that would be next to impossible to execute for real, bouncing the
ball between legs while they pass by angry opponents. If you have the ball and
you hit the trick stick at the right time, your opponent will stumble and look
like a bumbling fool. Humiliation isn’t touted too obviously in this game, but
you’ll feel very powerful unleashing these moves — and feel not-so-powerful
when you’re on the receiving end of them.
This
preview build is based on a nearly completed version of the game, and while
the visuals don’t quite match the beauty and style of NBA Street V3, FIFA
Street 2 doesn’t disappoint. The players are big and bold, their tricks are
performed with great fluidity, and the backgrounds look nearly as good as
those featured in NFL Street 2. It’s not a mind-blowing visual experience, but
it is a satisfying one, so long as you don’t expect to see something on par
with the traditional FIFA series. FIFA is intended to be the most realistic
soccer game around, a goal it has achieved for many years. FIFA Street 2 hopes
to be the most fun arcade-style soccer game around, and from the look, sound
and feel of things it’s well on its way to achieving that goal.
Musically players will be treated to a mixture of rock and rap, along with
some unusual sounds that could be described as techno. A lot of the music
comes from either indie or European artists, so chances are most North
American players won’t have heard of these guys before. Nonetheless you’ll
like what you hear and will surely take notice of the artists’ name as it
appears on screen (a great feature EA started implementing in all of their
games once EA Trax took off).
Charging into stores at the end of the month, FIFA
Street 2 is a harder, faster, and extremely improved soccer game that’s going
to turn thousands of gamers into FIFA addicts. I’m already hooked and this
isn’t even the final version. It’s the kind of sports game that will appeal to
gamers who love soccer as well as to those who have never paid attention to
it.
