FIFA 06 Xbox Review
For fans of soccer there have not been many games released especially in North America. One exception is FIFA, which has been one of the long running titles for EA and has been around since 1994. Fans have enjoyed the game but have always wished for more. Over the years they have tweaked the games engine, added new controls and tried to add a more realistic look and feel for the soccer fans. While the series has improved over the years, the game has left many still wanting more.
I enjoy the sport, although I personally enjoyed playing indoor soccer myself. I liked what EA was trying to do in the previous versions, but I just wanted to feel like I had total control over the action. I have played the past few versions and wished they would adjust the camera angle and make me feel like I was on the field instead of just controlling a certain player or team. Well this year it looks like the developers have listened to the fans’ comments. EA has managed to bring out the best version of FIFA ever.
Gameplay
This year FIFA takes a page out of Madden and NCAA’s playbook and places you instantly into the action right after you enter your profile, which is definitely a challenge. For some players, the fact you are thrown into a game with players like Rudi Voller and Eric Cantona, who are legends in the game, may seem a bit unfair. Really the game is trying to set a new tone and add a new angle and it works. During the fantasy match, anyone who played previous versions will notice that FIFA 06 has been tweaked and adjusted in almost every way possible and the result is a fine addition to the series. Granted there are a lot of changes in the game and I suggest even those who are die-hard fans play a few games in the exhibition mode after the fantasy match to get down the finer points of the game.
FIFA’s new intro may seem a bit odd but they wanted to set the tone of the changes right away and grab the gamer’s attention. They succeeded and the game begins to be fun and less frustrating. The challenges later will also help you understand why they placed you right into the action at the start of the game off. All the modes of last year are back and all have new features. An added option is having control of the plays and attitude you attack each play which is an added welcome to the series. If you are a sports fan of other games and have played NBA Live 06, you will notice they added the same icons for players. This helps you know what type of player you’re playing against and how to pace your style against his.
The physics of the ball will impress players this year. The ball bounces and reacts like it should and is one of the most impressive added features this year. It is now possible to dribble or side step with the ball and it handles as though it should. The new added defensive and offensive strategies work well and are easy to execute. The overall game plays at a faster pace since the added improvements prevent all the unneeded corner kicks that had fans a bit irritated in past versions. It’s worth repeating: you will want to read the game book and play the exhibition modes as well as watch the tutorials available to help you learn the changes. Players will find that it will pay to beat the challenges so you can go to the FIFA Store and buy Jerseys , Legends, Stadium, Kits and even celebrations.
This year it looks like EA is trying to add some of the features found in a popular overseas series. Even the manager’s mode has been tweaked, so you now can spend money for finding new talent and scouting. Another new feature that changes the game is the addition of the chemistry rating, morale and experience for the team. Players will find passing the ball around will increase the teams overall chemistry and adds to the realistic aspects of the game. Having played almost every game in the series from the beginning, this is the best version ever made and shows that hey wanted to make a balanced game.
Control / Playability
There are a few new controls and some are easy to explain while a few will take a little time to explain. I like the fact that the game gives players a choice to use the classic style controls that FIFA fans are used to then switch to the new ones once you learn them. The learning curve on the new controls overall is about 45 minutes but to master everything will take longer. They laid out the controls in an easy to reach way and pretty simple to use even while in a fast paced part of the game. The right analog stick acts as the main control for the player and ball. You will learn by using the advanced pace controls together with the simple control you can blast by defenders much easier than in the past.
The new defensive sets and offensive sets will take the longest to learn unless you have played soccer for real or have knowledge of them. While not overly difficult, they can be tricky. Choose the wrong set and you can pay for it. The other new control feature added allows you to set a distance on another player and this really brings the realistic feeling of the game to play. While the meters return this year, they have been tweaked as well. After a few games in exhibition mode, you should be ready for online or against a friend in the new lounge mode.
I was very impressed at the fact I could lob the ball, fake pass it, then lob it up to myself and kick it towards the net. If you practice enough, there really is nothing you can’t do that you could do in a real game and that is saying a lot! Of course this will take practice and I really only touched on the controls and features. Again, read the game book and watch the tutorials. You will be amazed at what was added this year.
Xbox Live
The Lobbies are set up just like NASCAR and NHL 06 complete with private rooms with passwords to the option of text chat or voice chat. The lobby is well-designed and complete with the EA ticker for those who need to know the scores to an important ball game or other sports event. The lobby is made the same as most EA live titles in the recent past. You will see the country a player is from, their DNF percentage, games dropped and how strong their connection is.
I like the fact they allowed for private rooms, which can be used for with friends and to practice. The games are lag free; however, if you see someone with a bad connection and choose to accept a challenge, there will be lag. This is true with any game but with all the new animations and the play by play commentary, the game plays great online. Hearing the other player is not an issue and there are no known glitches online. You can even set-up or enter a 4 or 8 man tournament. No matter what your skill level is you will find a room or have the option to create one to match your level and find those who are equally matched. No complaints and another great job by EA on the online mode.
Graphics / Presentation
The opening intro sets the tone graphically and really grabs your attention. This year the graphics engine has been tweaked. You won’t get the feeling of being in the distance playing the game. The game is right at field level where it was meant to be. The camera has not been totally revamped but just adjusted and the results are great thanks to this change. You will see new animations and graphics and the stadiums, turfs and other game objects look outstanding. You will see meters pop up which are for the lob or goalie kicks, which was covered in the control section.
You may need time to get used to the new angles but now when a player is highlighted, the ball will go to him unlike past years where it was a hit or miss chance. Any fan of the series will notice the details of the players and the look on the field are different and in a good way. They managed to really make use of the players’ looks. Even the different balls will not only look different but react differently to a kick or pass. In many ways it looks like a TV presentation style and helps bring the action back to the field. The instant replays are great and not overdone. In fact you have control to watch them or by pass them. The overlays of the players will take a bit of time to get used to.
These show the way each player is set for a pass or corner kick and you can turn this off, but you may want to get used to it as it helps in the harder games. Overall, the graphics are great and more than just a simple tweak from past versions. The game looks great and shows where they plan on taking the series from here. It also shows the time that was spent on making this one. A note: while the game’s camera has been improved greatly, at times there still are a few places that the camera will hinder your view.
 
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View all FIFA 06 Xbox Screenshots
Audio
Fans of the series will notice a change in the commentary team with the addition of Clive Tydsley and Andy Grey who are new to the series and actually do a better job by sounding more realistic than the last commentary team. Another smart move on the developers’ part as the two add new life and some pretty decent lines. A bit of the humor may get lost in the accents and, dare I say, translation since slang is hard to understand as it is thrown on terms from another country. Of course FIFA would not be the same without the chants from the crowd of their favorite team. All the sound effects and voice-overs are well done.
You will begin to really get into the game as the crowd gets pumped up and the commentary team handles the play by play as it happens on the field. If you happen to have the home field advantage, you will really want the surround sound turn up to hear the difference and how important the crowd plays into the game itself.
Replay Value
Throw in all the modes and the online play and FIFA 06 is really loaded. The new controls and added features really add to the overall replay value. The fact you can unlock legendary players and edit the teams also is an added treat for fans of the series. I liked the revamped Manager mode and while I normally don’t get into this mode personally, I found it to be really good and realistic. To be blunt if you live in North America , you won’t find a better game of soccer available. For those in the UK and elsewhere, this version may even rival Winning Eleven and that’s saying a lot for the series.
Overall Score
Overall Score: 8.8/10 [not an average]
Additional Comments
FIFA 06 makes use of great graphics and the additional newspaper headlines to get your attention and draw you into the game. However, it’s the solid gameplay and the balanced addition of a revamped game engine and player controls that makes this one a treat to play for fans of soccer. The online mode is solid and the whole game shows that this is not just another version with a few added features. The series is taking a huge step forward and for any soccer fan this one will make a perfect addition to your Xbox collection of sports games!
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