FIFA 12 - SoccerBible Pre-Launch Review
Regular FIFA players - and that includes SoccerBible - have been eagerly awaiting the latest instalment from the most successful football-sim franchise. We got our hands on a copy and put it through its paces to see if it justifies the hype surrounding its release . It does. We found that creators EA Sports have delivered a truly beautiful game packed with improvements that go way beyond the expected year-on-year tweaks.
Last season, serious gamers (and sales figures) seemed to unanimously settle an age-old debate by crowning FIFA 11 as the best-ever football game ahead of Konami's Pro Evolution Soccer 2011. FIFA 12 betters FIFA 11.
Of course, it features updated players, kits and the latest boots. And the menu screens have had a shiny new facelift. The graphics are stunning too, with intricate details from hair transplants right down to the accuracy panel on the Nike T90 Laser IV boots (and that s just for one player!). You quickly find yourself immersed in the game.
The camera angle makes you believe you could be watching a game on TV and players dashing after the ball to take a quick throw-in add to that experience. But it is the alterations to the gameplay that make FIFA 12 a real game-changer.
The most immediately noticeable change is to the defending system. A completely revamped engine makes controlling the position of defenders and the timing of challenges crucial, bringing the simulation closer to the realism of a football match. Defending is harder and FIFA veterans may at first find adapting a frustrating experience.
Be prepared to be humbled by CPU teams a few times as you learn the ropes. But as you do, your reward is the most satisfying football computing experience to date.
Players now have Precision Dribbling which means more skills, more directions and ultimately more variations of goals to score. A drop of the shoulder can win you half-a-yard and a well-directed first touch will leave defenders for dead. Not all players have the ability of Messi or Ronaldo, but playing as top players offers you a freedom of expression on the pitch that we have not seen before.
A new Player Impact Engine effectively fixes a flaw from previous FIFA versions where the ball would always break to better teams.
The game also introduces addictive new game features. Throughout the season, recent real-match scenarios are available to download in the form of Challenges. So you could find yourself clawing back a 2-0 deficit, or holding on to a narrow lead with nine men!
In all game modes, you collect experience points (XP) which determine your overall FIFA level. You can see how you rank against your friends in a leaderboard. A Support Your Club leaderboard adds a further tribal twist as you represent your favourite team, even if you don't play as them. It is ranked by the average XP per fan, not the accumulated total, meaning that Barnet have as much chance of topping the table as Barcelona.
