FIFA 2006

Reviewed on:
Playstation 2
Also Available for:
PSP, Gameboy Advance, Gamecube, Nintendo Dual Screen, PC, Xbox, Xbox 360.
The Good:
Next Gen game play development and unprecedented skill moves that allow lots of options and unbelievable control over your players. Team chemistry and player styles are also great additions to further help the game bridge the gap with the real thing.
The Bad:
Direct and indirect free kicks and corners are not as user friendly as they used to be. Further, while you are given a great deal more control over the placement of the ball when striking, it is not an easily learned skill and promises to take a while to master.
The Verdict:
A great addition to the EA FIFA franchise. If you enjoy sports games with a great variety of menu options and player versatility, FIFA 2006 is a must have.

REVIEW:

As one of my good mates said the first night we sat down to meet on the digital pitch of FIFA 2006, it just gets better with every release.

This is evident in the first 20 seconds of loading the game up as a video medley of live action highlights from over the years begins to unfold. With Clive Tyldesley and Andy Gray replacing the old familiar voices of John Moston and Ali McCoist, the stage is set for a substantial amount of change in this, the latest addition to the EA sports soccer franchise.

FIFA 2005 brought the revolutionary introduction of first-touch and multi-player control that allowed gamers more natural and intuitive control over their squad. 2006 has continued to hone and build on creating that natural feel, forcing the gamer to now pull back on traditional full-throttle play.

While in the earlier version a quick first touch forward would always put you past the computer's defense, that is hardly the case now. Increased player and ball control also gives an increase in defensive player control. Essentially, EA sports has built up the defensive AI, no longer allowing the less-skilled gamer to clumsily plow through a defensive line. So where brute force and speed used to be the most reliable strategy, a need for finesse moves and fine ball control are now paramount.

The developers at EA sports have also continued to integrate more buttons on the controller to add more variety to both defensive and offensive skill moves no matter which game mode you are playing. Where the last version introduced multiple offensive player control by holding down the L2 button, 2006 now integrates the L1 button in conjunction with other buttons for a whole myriad of shot and pass types unique to this release.

Like any other well developed video game there have always been 'special' moves embedded within the FIFA series that allowed the well versed gamer to show off a little. However never before in FIFA have they been so integral in general play.

The tutorials, which are also exclusive to this release, are great visual illustrators for learning the new moves and options - such as pace control, dummying the ball, and lane changing - which are great additions to this already skill-heavy game.

If you're like me and enjoyed getting away with the odd dirty slide tackle in earlier versions, you will find the referees to be much less lenient and calling just about everything. This does remain consistent with matching the game to the real thing. However, I would still like to be able to sneak in the odd leg-breaking slide tackle and not get called for it.

Further, the introduction of the ability to change your teams "tactics and mentality" on the fly (instead of pausing the game and choosing it from the menu) is also a welcome addition, but the option lacks the specificity in execution given to most other aspects of the game. The players on your team that are being controlled by the computer at the time do not seem to respond to the change as drastically as should be the case.

All in all, the FIFA 2006 offers a lot of menu options such us retro releases, on-line play, manager mode, and career central, which will keep gamers busy and appeal to a broad user base. Further, the actual execution of the game is very realistic and the best release yet in terms of both graphics and player control. It does take some time to perfect control of the various moves and situations, though, so do not think it will be just like all of the previous releases.

That said, should you wish to put the time into learning the intricacies of this game, you won't be disappointed.