EA Sport Fifa 2012 by Ryton

Rating : E
Now available on : Xbox 360 (currently tested), PS3, PS2, Wii, 3DS, Ipad and PC.

This week review is another sport title and another yearly released game. The 2012 sport season is open my friends! Play hard but stay fair!

The anticipation in the US for Fifa 12 by EA Sport is surprising to say the least. Indeed, Football (soccer) games are not that popular this side of the pond. The Fifa series thanks to the increasing popularity of the MLS championship is getting more and more attention from gamers. This year edition is a very good opus as it improves from last year edition (11 obviously) on many fronts (4 in particular):

1. More recognizable players thanks to improved graphics
2. Better control of your players thanks to a faster frame rate and improved animations
3. Fun is back as the development team added new defense moves. So you won't be outpaced too often by the AI (players controller by the computer)
4. New online modes : the most compelling mode is the one that let you build a global reputation and ranking for the club you're playing with. Other online gamers from around the world playing with the same club are also impacting this global online ranking. This is a very good idea mister EA! 

But don't be fooled by other fancy new features such as Precision Dribbling or Player Impact Engine  (PIE). Indeed, the first one is supposed to help you take on opponents easily and the second one is meant to make players on the field more resilient. Well, in my experience as a novice Fifa player these features are difficult to master. The PIE feature for example, makes AI players too resilient. It becomes almost impossible to win some 1-on-1, if you are not the Messi of the controller.

Not as easy as it looks to outrun your opponents

Talking about controller, I've always found these input devices not appropriate for Football games. Your fingers slip, you can't accurately control dribbling and passing. They usage makes the whole experience randomly effective as most often times, you'll find yourself giving the ball back to your opponent instead of a teammate.

Too resilient AI players

To wrap things up, although Fifa has evolved drastically over the years, I found myself more satisfied playing with PES (Fifa main competitor). I never thought I would be on Konami's side. Technically (graphics, sounds and environments) speaking, Fifa 12 is superior but gameplay-wise PES 2012 wins by a margin in my opinion. It feels more satisfying playing this later than Fifa. It feels less random more in control with the Konami's game.

But don't let this discourage you from getting Fifa 12. My advice is to try both demo available on Xbox Live or PSN (Playstation Network). Then decide which one suits best your taste or style.

In my case, the look is almost as important as the gameplay.  So I've chosen Fifa 12 over PES 2012...this year.