2006 FIFA World Cup Xbox 360 Review

2006 FIFA World Cup Xbox 360 Review It’s funny I am writing the review and Italy just won the cup. I am not going to sit here and say I watched each game. I did watch the early rounds and as it played out, it was filled with surprises and for certain fans a few disappointments. The favorites were out early and it seemed like this year no one really knew who would walk away the winners. Football (or Soccer) is not a predictable sport and maybe that’s why it’s so popular outside the US.

While the Cup is now history, the Xbox 360 version allows fans to recapture the thrill any time. The 2006 version showed some improvements with some tweaking of several game play elements. Read on as I run down the card for 2006 FIFA World Cup in the full review.

Gameplay

For die hard fans this is the most teams in any FIFA title released. Just popping in the game you can choose 32 of the best teams to choose from. Once you learn your way around and a few adjustments are made, you can choose about 130 more teams. The best part of World Cup is the fact you do not have to take only 1 of the 32 teams to make it to the big show. However, for those playing FIFA for the first time, I do suggest picking 1 of the 32 teams first until you learn the game and the controls. Also impressive are the game modes that range from quick play matches to penalty shoot-outs and more. Of course for fans of playing live, they added the online mode and it all looks and works rather well.

This is certainly a loaded sports title. This one was definitely not rushed and really should be considered the first FIFA game for the Xbox 360. Each line can be adjusted and set for the player’s favorite team or fantasy team, which is a big plus. They even added in a new control scheme that is more like Winning Eleven. While some die-hard fans may stick to the old controls, the game just cries out to be played with the new ones. It draws you in right away and even with a few minor AI issues, this one is a great soccer game. You really need to take the time and go through every mode and option to appreciate the amount of freedom and options World Cup provides. More focus was placed on the ball control and this helped provide that realistic feeling sports fans want in any game. I did notice the goalies seemed in need of more control and could be scored on a bit easier than the last FIFA title. Fans will also notice even with the easier AI goal keepers the other AI players are tougher. However, this fact can back fire on you when you play a real person online. While the AI will give gamers plenty of competition, it is best when played against a friend or over live.

Even with the added perks, there seemed to be a few areas of the game play that was not as tight as I expected. Fans have expressed their unhappiness that the lounge is missing from the online play. To me that was not an issue since there are new modes, new teams, and plenty to keep any sports fan happy. When compared to the past Xbox versions, it lives up to what was promised for the Xbox 360. In many ways it only scratches the surface but gives sports fans hope for what the developers can do with the system in the future.

Control / Playability

There are two sets of controls available in this game. The default set is one that should be used first and while you still have more freedom and the chance to send a player near the ball faster. The learning curve is about 30 minutes for the basics and then another 30 minutes to learn the tricks such as sending players ahead to prevent having to sprint in hopes of catching up to the player. There still seem to be more that they could add to the overall controls and this is shown when picking the other set to use. I really liked the fact they tried to focus more on ball-handling skills than the old â€œrun and gun, shoot and scoreâ€ style of the past. While not perfected, it should keep any fan happy. Overall, a well laid out control schemes that work perfectly with the Xbox 360 controller.

Xbox Live

Here is the biggest draw of the game, the online mode is great! It uses the same lobbies that EA is known for. They added the same option of finding a room based on levels of experience. Of course you can set a private room up and play 1-on-1 or a 2-on-2 games for the more experienced FIFA players. I did not have issues with lag or problems getting on the EA servers. At times I did notice where the other player seemed to get a huge head start on the play, but that is the way the game always has been. Navigating through the lobbies is a piece of cake and you won’t be searching though the manual or asking people how to join a room. Also the time it takes to sync players together is very smooth and no issues with that at all. All around this is a great online experience and, to be frank about it, if you have not played it online yet, you’re missing out on the total value of the title.

Graphics / Presentation

The amount of new graphics is amazing. The opening of each game takes the stadium and shows a full 360 view of it. You will also notice the balloons and the party favors falling from the sky. The small pull-back camera angles are completely gone. Now the game has a great angle on the player and the ball at the same time. While not perfected, it’s got a great look. The cameras respond very well to the fast-paced action on the field. The players look good and the ball reacted well, but needed more realistic animations added. The replays are well done and the feel of the game is certainly evident in the very first match.

2006 FIFA World Cup Xbox 360 Screenshot

2006 FIFA World Cup Xbox 360 Screenshots

Audio

The soundtrack fits the game, however, at times there is not enough commentary and it repeats too much. I have said this about every sports game I have ever played. The commentary is presented well, but there is just not enough of it due to more focus on the gameplay and not enough on the commentary, script, and voice work. The fans sound like they are in the large stadiums and the in game sounds are realistic. Overall, a good job but, hopefully, one day there will be an equal balance between great sound and great commentary to help make the sports genre even more realistic.

Replay Value

2006 FIFA World Cup showed a lot of promise and new touches added. While still in need of a few tweaks, you won’t find a better or larger soccer game on the 360. The challenges and achievements are a bit difficult to beat or unlock. Then again most fans will welcome this challenge. Any sports title that shows improvement and new features gets points from me. While I hope they don’t stop here, EA offers a great FIFA title worthy to wear the Xbox 360 name with it. This game is loaded with replay value especially if you take advantage of the online mode and the 2-on-2 games.

Overall Score

Overall Score: 8.5/10 [not an average]

Additional Comments

Again, this is a great effort from EA. I would have liked more in the way of real ball physics and smarter AI goalies. It sets the bar and I hope that EA and others will set out to beat the mark with the next soccer game due out. It offers plenty and delivers a solid gaming experience. Just know that there are certain areas that still need tweaked. If you enjoy soccer and were waiting for a title loaded with teams and features, this is the best you’re going to find for this year. It showed changes and a new direction for the series and I liked that.