Those that follow my Twitter feed know that I am an avid fan of the English Premier league. Every year around this time it is like Christmas morning for me when the new FIFA releases. For this year’s review I decided to do something a little bit different and not review the title on day one. FIFA 11 is just too deep of a sports game to fire off a rapid review. This year. I put the game through it’s career mode paces so let’s jump into the changes to the gameplay.
GAMEPLAY
One of the biggest changes to the FIFA series is the addition of ‘Personality +’. EA Sports sent out hundreds of scouts around the world to rate each player that will appear in the game. Once done, all those numbers were fed through some code and were attached to the players in game. What this means for FIFA fans is that players will react and move a lot like their real world counterparts. For example, in the past if you were playing as Sol Campbell you could pull off some crazy ball tricks and fast turns. In FIFA 11 the player performs like an actual defense man and if he attempts those type of moves it is often met with error. Where this is most evident is in flashy players like Christiano Ronaldo. The speed and grace they move with the ball is almost like watching them on TV.
Now, if they would throw in the flopping it would be perfect. Another new add to the gameplay this year is a change to the passing mechanics. Long gone are the days of passes that seem to attach to the player feet like magnets. the passing is now all about skill and which direction you are trying to pass the ball. The longer you hold down the button the harder the pass will be and believe me that is not always a good thing. Where this really hits home is that it brings skill to multiplayer games. The final new singleplayer mode is ‘Be a Goalkeeper’. Have you ever wanted to step in goal and knock away shot after shot? I have too but this isn’t the mode that you are looking for. While the idea is great, there is just not a whole lot for you to do in goal. If you are playing for a team with an amazing defense you will find yourself kicking the grass waiting for something to come your way.
VIRTUAL PRO AND CAREER MODE
The always fan-favorite Virtual Pro mode is where you want to start out your career in FIFA 11. There is no feeling like seeing yourself in game scoring that winning goal to win the league. The ‘Be a Pro’ series has changed to ‘Virtual Pro’ this year and unfortunately you need to start from scratch as importing from FIFA 10 is not an option. The Virtual Pro creation process is quick and filled with a lot of options for not only avatar creators but stat hounds. After creating your VP it is time to import your face into the game. If you used GameFace last year then it will import it right onto your VP. The only downside would be if you want to make changes the options are still really limited for such a cool service. The next step is to pick your club and off you go into the Arena.
The Arena is the menu-based, free-play area which is a must starting point for any new VP. In the Arena you can practice shots and skills which will level up your VP. New to this year’s VP is an achievement book that is much easier to unlock and track certain skill ups. These rewards can range from physical kit items to player celebrations when you score a goal. This UI is easy to read and makes for a great experience to anyone who is new to the series.
After you are done messing around in VP you can choose to jump right in and start your career. Once your club is selected, you are presented with three options: player, manager, and player manager. Manager mode allows you control over every aspect of the entire club including the new transfer system. The new transfer system is more authentic with the manager having to not only negotiate with the club but with the player himself. This adds a deeper experience to transfer saga’s and is easy to sue for all levels of player. For this review, I decided to start out just as a player. I signed my contract with Manchester United and was told that by the end of the season I needed to reach the reserve squad.
The pre-season started and you are presented with a great new news page that looks like something you would be presented with on the web. The screen is easier to find information and offers tons of stats including top stories. As a player, you aren’t allowed to view much but what there is proves a great resource. A few friendlies were scheduled and I was being given my first chance to show of my skills in front of my boss. At the end of the game, you are presented with an option to continue to the next week and read any emails that might come in. There was an email waiting from the manager who advised me that I was not going to be picked for the next game. I continued to advance through the weeks and noticed a bit of load time problems especially with weeks during a transfer season. As you get to the next game you are presented with a ticker tape style stats screen if you were not picked to play. This is a fun way to keep the player involved but you can skip it if you want to. As the season went on, I earned a reserves slot on the team due to some injuries by major stars. My performance was good enough to get in on the rotation and eventually earn second place in the league. Who knows what will be next for my VP. The changes to career mode really show and keep the player engaged instead of just staring at useless stats. This mode is simply awesome.
ONLINE PLAY
FIFA 11’s online play is a huge part of the season and this year boasts only two big changes. I have to admit that I am not a huge online player but the following for this portion of the game is huge. The big change to this year’s online mode is the ability to create or join a created league. You would think that this could be done right from the in-game options but, unfortunately, it is all done via the web. Any user can log into the creation center and make everything on their team down to the kit logos. This is a great system but really needs to be moved in-game. Having to log out of the game and go to a PC just seems like a waste of time. The one or two games I played online were smooth and there were no real problems with the excellent service. Keep in mind that as with all new EA games it requires an EA Online Pass.
PRESENTATION
The presentation in FIFA 11 is fantastic. When the game loads you are whisked into a world where you can truly believe that you are watching something on SKY Sports. The graphics are crisp and the weather effects really shine. Where improvements still need to be made is in the stands. The fans in the game arenas still look like cardboard cutouts and could use a dose of life. While I admire the in game substitution cut scenes focusing on the player instead of the crowd this can really take away from the immersion factor. The player models for those that allowed their likeness in game are pretty spot-on. The player generic player models for those that did not allow their likeness comes off a bit cartoony and all around… creepy!
EA Sports has always prided itself on their use of sound and FIFA 11 is not exception. The EA Trax feature a wide range of artists from around the globe and the chants in game are great. The commentary in game is getting a bit stale as I found Martin Tyler a bit bland at times. It almost seemed like he was phoning it in on this one. Where the star shines is the new ability to put in your own chants, theme songs, and half time music. This is a simple process on the Xbox 360 that involves ripping an audio CD directly to the HD and a quick import via the in-game menu. There is simply nothing like importing real world chants for your team into the game and hearing them while you play. The transitions to ripped music is seamless and a huge win for EA Sports.
FINAL THOUGHTS
FIFA 11 is the ultimate football video game experience. While not perfect, the franchise has set the bar for all competition and told them to ‘bring it’. If you are a fan of football then head out and buy this game right away.
