It is well known around the GamingShogun dojo that I am a football fanatic. When FIFA World Cup arrived, the first thing I thought to myself was ‘Wow what a long title’. As I started playing over the next week, I realized that this wasn’t just the normal re-hash that usually comes out for EA Sport’s World Cup Games.
PRESENTATION
The presentation for 2010 World Cup is simply fantastic. Not only did the developers use what was already a great format from FIFA 10, but they made it really feel like you were there in the arena. Starting right off in the main menu you get a splash of African colors to your face and you almost feel like you are going to pack your bags for a trip. The main menu’s design has been streamlined a bit for the casual player and everything is much easier to understand.
From the opening moment of actually entering a game you are presented with a TV-quality experience. From the announcers going through the opening lineups to camera shots of the crowd going nuts, it does a great job of setting the mood for a match. One nice change in 2010 World Cup is the addition of camera shots showing the actual team managers. This is a small feature that I have always wanted in previous titles. Seeing such big names as Fabio Capello standing on the sidelines giving orders to his team really wraps up the package. Another nice addition is the deeper crowd shots. Instead of just cardboard cutout looking people you actually see them going bonkers in the stands. It seems football fans really do have a fascination with different colored afro-style wigs!
During actual gameplay, the crowd will shoot confetti on the field and there is never a moment where there is not some sort of chant going on. One minor complaint I have is the crowd chants are drowned out a bit by the commentators and it needed to be pumped up a bit. I am thankful though that those awful African horns are not out-of-control. To add to the presentation during gameplay the on field cut scenes are a bit ramped up. When a ball goes out of bounds it will cut away to a field or manager shot. If this is not your cup of tea you can turn them off in the settings menu. When you make substitutions the subs actually interact with the manager which is a nice addition. Presentation is where it is at in this game and the EA Sports team deserves a standing ovation for ramping up the feel of the World Cup.
GAMEPLAY
In previous World Cup games, the gameplay has just been ported over from that year’s FIFA title. When I first sat down to play this game I expected more of the same. Thankfully, this is not the case with this one.
The controls are identical to that of FIFA 10. If you are are FIFA 10 player you should be able to hop right in with no problem. The big catch here is the way EA Sports has reeled in the casual player. For those that may be a bit scared by the many different button actions for a football game EA Sports has introduced a 2-button control system. Yes – Pass, shoot, and tackle all done with two buttons folks! This makes the game easy to play and fun for everyone. I was actually able to get my fiancee to play a game with me without her throwing the controller in frustration.
2010 World Cup has also made some tweaks to the way players react on the field as well as the overall control. Players seem to react a lot better to lobs and through balls. One big frustration I had with FIFA 10 was that the players often just stopped in their tracks instead of following a through ball. So far, in playing World Cup, I find that they are hungry to get that ball into the net. Lob passes seem to be handled with more then just a header and I saw a lot more players bringing it down with their chests. While a small tweak, this makes things a lot more ‘open’ on the field. The final big change to gameplay is the new penalty kick system. In the past it was all just about aiming, shooting and hoping for the best. The new PK system throws in the composure meter. In order to hit that goal home you better make sure you are stopping the slider in the green or your country is more than likely going to hate you forever. Not only does this make PK’s more challenging but it adds to the overall presentation of the game.
2010 World Cup offers plenty of game options choose from. Right from the start you can pick your country and head off into the qualifiers and friendlies. The presentation ramps up again as you are presented with a daily team page that provides a wealth of information and news. Once you pick your squad it is all about heading off into normal gameplay. This would be your normal manager mode except the developers have really made it feel special to the World Cup by adding in those new informational menus.
One of the new options is called ‘Captain Your Country’. It is similar to the previous mode except you are working to be that one rising star who leads your chosen country to glory. The cool part about this mode is you can upload your ‘Be A Pro’ from FIFA 10 and bring him into the mix. As you play your one chosen character your rating changes depending on your actions. Get caught out of position too many times or mess up that big shot and you just might miss the chance to wear that armband. This is a great mode for people that want to potentially see themselves hoisting that World Cup trophy over their heads.
The biggest new mode is ‘Story Of Qualifying’. For the time being you can replay pivotal moments in the the qualifying rounds where players have three objectives to hit. When the World Cup actually starts the developers have promised that as major events happen in the tournament there will be DLC added to this mode for players to have a crack at. This is a great way to extend the lifespan of the game and add some overall fun as well. More sports game should add these type of ‘Live Season’ elements to their games.
2010 World Cup has limited online play but what is available is pretty solid. As with any of the FIFA titles you can play against a friend in a one on one battle. The difference in this game is the developers are keeping track of which country has the most wins in a ranking process. As you load up the main menu the first thing you are going to see at the top is the current ranking for all nations. This adds a nice bit of national rivalry and will hopefully get more people playing the game online.
GRAPHICS AND SOUND
The graphics for 2010 World Cup use the same engine that FIFA 10 uses with some tweaks here and there. The player faces have been refined to look a little bit more like each player and it also makes them look not so robotic. The cut scenes are well done and add to the presentation as a whole. One change that I loved was the cut scenes that show off the crowd. Long gone are the days of cardboard cutouts. As stated previously in the review the fans have a life of their own in the stands now. The on-field graphics have improved by an all new pitch or grass system. The pitch looks a lot more lifelike and my eyes may have been fooling me but I swear I saw some wear and tear on it. All in all the graphics engine may be slightly outdated but what it gives the players is a very pleasing experience to the eye.
Sound in 2010 World Cup is the area that needs the most improvment. While I love the big name announces the commentary really felt like a broken record at times. Hearing the same track on a repeated basis can really take away from the tv style presentation of the game. The on field noise also needs to be bumped up a bit. It would be a nice touch to hear something coming from the actual players on the field (or managers!). As with any EA game the EA Tracks selection fits the style of the game perfectly. a nice well rounded selection of world artists for the worlds game.
FINAL THOUGHTS
If you are going into 2010 FIFA World Cup with the thought that this is just a re-hash of what is already available in FIFA 10 then you are dead wrong. 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa is a fun game with an outstanding presentation that will fit great with the actual tournament. For football fans and casual players alike Shogunites should give this one a go.
*DISCLOSURE: A copy of the game was provided to us by the publisher for review.
