The Good: Superb animations, stadiums look great, giant number of teams and leagues, intelligent AI, very strong replay value, refined game play, great trick system.
The Bad: Monotonous commentators, tiny text size on SDTV’s, defensive players can get stuck running on rails for short runs on occasion, odd close-up frame rate issues, Be-A-Pro mode is incomplete.*
Learning Curve: Slightly Hard, 30-45 minutes.
Buy or Rent: Definite purchase for all football fans.
FIFA 07 on the 360 was considered a disaster by nearly all football fans, but thankfully FIFA 08 continues EA’s trend of releasing excellent sports games this year. The game features 30 official leagues, 576 licensed teams, over 15, 000 players, and 35 licensed as well as 25 unlicensed tournaments, and even licensed stadiums such as Old Trafford. Not only is this the largest FIFA game to date, but also is the deepest one in terms of game play, and replay value.
The Be-A-Pro mode was touted by EA as a huge revolution to the FIFA franchise, but sadly it isn’t... yet. In this portion of the game, the user will be only be able to control a single player on the pitch. This mode has a brand new camera angle (Pro camera) which can also be used in regular matches as well. The camera follows the player on the pitch from end to end, and zooms in and out depending on where the player is. Furthermore, sprinting near the opposition’s goal will create a roadie-run effect. This new camera angle creates an unparalleled atmosphere, and most of the players will ditch all of the other camera angles for this one. During the match, the player will have to constantly position himself correctly, and guard whichever danger-men he is assigned to. Arrow guides and circles around the attackers the player must defend can be turned on, making this mode accessible to players who have little or no tactical knowledge. Players also have the ability to call for the ball or through passes, and will be evaluated on their overall performance. Unfortunately, Be-A-Pro’s downfall is its depth. It is very clear that this mode was rushed to meet the release date of the game. Instead of having entire seasons as a single player (similar to the Superstar mode in Madden), the Be-A-Pro mode only be applied to exhibition matches. However the Be-A-Pro mode is a great addition nonetheless and players should be looking forward to it being updated in the future.
This could be you... virtually of course!
The most significantly improved part of FIFA 08 is clearly the AI. The AI players are able to calculate one thousand decisions per second, causing the game to play more like an actual football match. It should be noted that FIFA no longer provides an arcade-like experience, but opts for a more realistic simulation style of play. The days of the old pass, pass and shoot formula for FIFA games are gone. Ultimately, this creates a steeper learning curve than any other FIFA game before it, but also creates a far more enjoyable experience.
FIFA 08 also includes a trick system. By using a modifier button and the right stick, players will be able to pull off a wide variety of moves ranging from crossovers to flip flaps and even 360 spins. Not everyone can pull off these tricks, however. The trick system was designed to separate the weaker players from the stronger players such as Kaká. The tricks are implemented very well and do not feel overpowered because of two reasons: only the stronger players will be able to pull them off, and the fact that in a full 11 vs. 11 match there is seldom enough room to perform awe-inspiring moves. Just like in real football, pulling off tricks is not something the player can do often.
The core game play and controls have been refined in FIFA 08, and are much more enjoyable than EA’s previous offering on the 360. Passing controls have been fixed; meaning that holding down the pass button will create a longer and stronger pass. Shooting mechanics have been changed completely. Shooting is now much more realistic since the game takes into account ball speed, wind, the pressure that the player is under etc. The intelligent AI and the revised shooting mechanics cause the matches to have much more realistic scores and make goals feel like an accomplishment, as they should be. Ball and player physics have also been improved, but in some rare occasions the ball will behave rather oddly. It is regrettable to note that once again defensive players can briefly get stuck on rails. When the in-game player is stuck on a rail, the person playing the game is unable to move the player because the in-game player must finish running that rail. This problem doesn’t occur too often, but when it does, it is a nuisance. Defensive players getting stuck on rails has been a problem that has haunted football games for years, and recent offerings have been able to minimize the issue. EA has taken a step backwards regarding this problem in FIFA 08.
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