Good:
Amazing graphics that are more realistic than ever.
Player impact engine creates more realistic animations
The online game modes are exciting.
Bad:
Very little change in the single player modes.
Giving gamers a realistic experience of a soccer matches isn’t easy. It requires integrating the atmosphere of a soccer match, the passionate fans, the tension between player’s and referees and the general feel of a match. It also requires giving the player a choice of how they want to play. Some players like to mange the teams and have total control of the game, some want to channel their passion for the sport into the game and some want to use their gaming skills to compete against the best in the world. But, although everybody wants to play the game differently, they all want as realistic an experience as possible. FIFA 12 lets gamers do this while retaining the sense of realism expected while paying. Tactical defending, player impact engine and head-to-head seasons are just some of the excellent features that the game offers. The new EA Sports Football Club, however, is the most complex and innovative feature of the new game. It brings with it a levelling-up system and also allows you to track your progress and your favourite team’s progress as well. Because of all of this, FIFA 12 is the best game in the series and can compete with all of the top sport’s games out there.
Most gamers who have played previous games in the FIFA series will receive a shock when the see what changes come with the new Tactical Defending feature. Previously, to tackle, it was as simple as “pressing” the opposition player and winning the ball back. This no longer works, however. The player now just simply tracks the attacker, remaining a few feet away from him. To win the ball, you have to time the tackle correctly, rather than just rushing in on top of the attacker and winning the ball. If the player gets past you, you have the option of jostling the attacker, by pulling their shirt or tugging at their arm. However, continued jostling with result in a yellow, or possibly red card.
The player impact engine also improves the animation of the game. It adds a physics system that simulates the impact between two players during tackles or other forms of contact. If you go in for a particularly aggressive tackle and slam into the player, the resulting animation is rarely the same twice, depending on the build and strength of the two players in question. Both or just one of you may end up in a heap on the pitch, while passing players leap over fallen bodies to get past. The system doesn’t really affect gameplay too much, it just adds an extra layer of realism. Although, like everything, it’s prone to glitches.
More tweaks to the controls come in the form of precision dribbling, which enable you to control the ball more accurately in close quarters. For example, when you get near the touchline, your player automatically knows he’s there and retains tighter control of the ball to keep it in play. The system also affords you the ability to use small, quick touches to control the ball, letting you perform sharp turns and making it easier to beat the opposition’s defence. You can shield yourself from other players while dribbling too, rather than being rooted to the spot like in previous games, giving you another way to get past defenders. These enhancements make FIFA 12 the most realistic representation of the sport yet. Scoring goals is trickier, with teams working together to implement strong lines of defence, but the game is all the better for it. You have to work harder, with a greater amount of skill required than ever before. These changes make those moments when you manage to score all the more satisfying.
You can break out your newfound dribbling and defending skills in a number of modes, many of which have carried over from last year. These include Career mode, which lets you compete as a single player working through a 15-year career; as a player manager, where you manage your team’s lineup and compete on the pitch; or as a manager, where you take a backseat to the on-pitch action and instead focus on tactics and building up your squad. There’s something for everyone, and if you tire of one mode, you can easily switch between them at any time to mix things up. There’s also an array of tournaments to play through, from the F.A. Cup through to custom leagues and knockout tournaments.