FIFA 10


Before the time of Playstation 3, the FIFA franchise had never really interested me. Pro Evolution Soccer was taking over Playstation 2 and everything was well. We were treated with strange updated versions of the WE/PES series every 6 months or so and whether each version was an improvement of the latter had not really been an issue. WE would win over FIFA in a fight on any given weekend. Unfortunately, and apologies to die-hard WE fans, Konami did not ‘bring it’ when it came to the next-gen console installments. WE 2007 and WE 2008 were both quite disappointing in a lot of areas, specifically in terms of branding and licensing. You see, it didn’t really matter to PS2 users that Konami never got any of the licenses for their games because the fact of the matter was that the gameplay triumphed over any other football simulations out there. With PS3 users however, HD gaming demanded more attention to detail and gamers were less forgiving. That was when EA released FIFA 08 / 09 which in my view was the nail in the coffin for the WE/PES franchise. Slick player movements combined with intuitive dribbling made the game so enjoyable to play and with EA’s longstanding licensing agreements with major leagues around the world and FIFA, which meant that you get to play Roberto Carlos instead of Roberto Larcos.

It was a foregone conclusion that a lot of WE fans were shamelessly crossing over to FIFA in 2009, albeit quietly. Deep down in their hearts, they were gunning for the little guy to come up with a miracle of a football game come 2010. A lot of us were muttering around street corners “serves them right” and “they’ll think twice before coming up with that shite again”. Nevertheless, by the time FIFA 10’s demo came out, everyone was already sold.

I am not going to a review because there are a lot of reviews out there already. I would just like to write down the reasons why I think the FIFA franchise is on the up and up.

First of all, unlike other genres, sport games are all about simulation gameplay. Prime examples can be chosen from the likes of Grand Turismo, the Madden and NHL franchises and various Tiger Woods reincarnations. One thing FIFA has done well over the years is to ensure that all their products carry the unique authentic quality of a live sport telecast. Everything from camera angles, motion captures, down to the commercial aspects of the sport had been given the full attention it deserved. Most football fans all over the world do not have the luxury of watching their favorite teams week in week out in England. We have had to make do with live telecast from ASTRO or gratuity from a nearby mamak franchise. And to be honest, sponsorships and the commerce is a big part of the game today. Tell me that you weren’t secretly rooting for Norwich when they had Proton as their sponsors.

Secondly, presentation. Believe me when I say that I bought WE 2008 when it was released, and as soon I got to the menu, I immediately thought “I must be dreaming, its 2005 and I am playing on my PS2”. A lot of people would agree with me when I say that the menu was a lot left to be desired. EA, however, has had years of experience when it comes to this. Even before the new millennium, their menus were slick and tidy, reminiscent of Apple commercials with their white backgrounds and silver trims. FIFA 09 and FIFA 10 both benefited from a well designed menu, and as I have mentioned earlier, HD gamers demand a lot more value from their games today. We buy originals nowadays and they are not cheap.

Third, gameplay. In ancient past, this was the single bastion of why you would always choose PES over FIFA any day. The speed of a PES game combined with its intricate movements and realistic team play crushed FIFA’s sluggish and awkward gameplay. I was talking to my fellow gamers about what they remembered most about the old FIFA games and one thing made us laugh: the invincible goal keepers. You couldn’t score if the game didn’t want you to score. There were cheap goals abound too. Solo runs from the center circle, ridiculous long shots etc. The new game changed that completely. FIFA 08 and 09 intuitive dribbling system was superbly done. FIFA 10’s 360 player control however, pawns. Finally it felt like you are playing on Playstation 3, and not the old Playstation 2. The Virtual Pro addition is remarkably and insanely good. After Fight Night 4’s image upload became an instant hit, the same concept was brought over to FIFA 10. To be honest with you, it is a really underrated technology. As I was reviewing a lot of reviews on the internet, not a lot of them really scrutinize this new element in gaming. I am predicting that in the near future, most games will incorporate this into their gameplay. I see a lot of massive potential in RPGs and the GTA series.


The game is however, not without fault. The EA server, is in my opinion unforgiving to Malaysian Streamyx users. In my experience, frequent disconnections from the EA server is common and lag issues remained unattended from the previous version. FIFA 10 actually felt worse online compared to FIFA 09. The copy that I got suffered from jittered replays which didn’t flow as smoothly as the FIFA 09 version. Free kicks are too easy to convert. Stoke City will convert their free kicks 100% of the time. I kid you not. But you guys know that already.

Alarmingly, however, EA is customarily releasing a World Cup version of its game. This is truly worrying and potentially disastrous. It is hoped that this move is not merely economical, but substantial too. April 27th is the day to get this game, and foolishly, I will get a copy and gleefully I will do it too.