ic-games Review - FIFA 06 - Reviews, Previews and Interviews for PC, Xbox 360, PS2, PS3 and Wii

ic-games Review - FIFA 06 - Reviews, Previews and Interviews for PC, Xbox 360, PS2, PS3 and Wii ic-games Review - Home - Review, Preview and Interview for PC, Xbox,Xbox 360, PS2, PS3 and Wii

FIFA 06

Information
Reviewer: James Collins
Developer: Electronic Arts
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Reviewed: PC, PS2 and Xbox
Genre: Sports Simulation
UK Release: 30th Sep 2005
Article Date: 29th Oct 2005
Difficulty: Medium
Retail Price: £39.99
Price Comparison:
0

Score Breakdown

Experience:
Game Play:
Graphics:
Sound:
Overall Score: 79%

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Pros

Great Presentation

Solid Multiplayer Title

Cons

Slowdown Issues

Lifeless Manager Mode

Screenshots

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You can set your watch with EA, every single year at this time the latest and hopefully greatest edition of FIFA is released to an eager fan base. Last years effort was in our opinion one of the best version to date. So with that in mind, this year EA Canada has their work cut out to take the franchise onwards and upwards, something we all want to see.

Again only two titles are battling it out to become the supreme football sim. Pro Evolution Soccer, as ever, successfully mixes some deft gameplay with a sophisticated engine whilst FIFA relies on polished presentation, and thanks to licensing, the correct names, logos and players. We already know that Pro Evolution Soccer has managed to improve somewhat since last year’s effort so what does FIFA 06 offer over its rival?

Well if you want to take your game online then FIFA 06 is still the only way to go at this moment in time, and for most parts it’s a pleasurable experience. You do religiously have to agree to EA’s terms and conditions before you get to kick a ball but once done you should be up and running in no time.

The usual game modes are present and correct. The tournament mode allows you to compete in a multiple of different official competitions from the League and FA cup to other competitions throughout the world. The management mode has always been a nice addition even if it does appear poorly implemented at times. It’s here that you can take the squad of your choice and must complete certain goals by the end of the season and maintain that for 15 years. As you would expect these goals are linked to the team you have selected. Pick Chelsea and expect high demands from your Chairman and fans, such as winning the Premiership or the Champions League. Pick Boston United or Lincoln City and you can expect more realistic demands. The amount of squads to choose from is quite impressive, and all of them come with the correct strip and logos for that authentic television experience.

The presentation is not the problem with the management mode though, despite the flashy menu’s and correct strips the actual management side feels a little stale. You have a transfer market, you can train the staff and you pick up lucrative contracts from sponsors but it never goes into enough depth in any of the areas. Understandably the game mode was never going to compete with the likes of Championship Manager but what we were left with was so simple it rendered the whole experience pointless.

What certainly hasn’t changed is the fine tradition of worthy unlockables and if anything this year’s edition trumps everything seen yet. The developers at EA Canada have obviously done their research and have rewarded players with a pretty compelling challenge mode. This challenge mode has you playing and competing against classic teams from the past in a series of challenges with specific goals. For example you might find yourself starting 2-0 down and have to reverse the deficit and such like.

Also new to FIFA 06 is the interesting EA Sports retro section. Not only do you get a fully working copy of FIFA 94 chucked into the game for free but you also get some other interesting morsels of the twelve years of EA footballing history for your perusal. And if you are hungry for some real football history, the greatest ten goals scored are always worth a play especially when they feature gems like Rooney’s first goal and David Beckham’s infamous goal from the half-way line. Finally the classic players bios, and the only thing that needs to be unlocked in the retro section, features classic players that can be brought with points earned elsewhere.

Even though you have access to some 500 teams, FIFA 06 doesn’t really reward fans of lower league clubs. To show a difference in skill between the higher and lower clubs actual player speed seems to be the largest barrier. With two players playing lower league clubs, games are slow affairs with little of the glitz that can be found with more skilful teams. Now whilst this might be realistic it certainly doesn’t make for good gameplay.

The EA Sports Extras menu also brings a few other nibbles to the table. In the first, aptly named Eto’o Interviews, Samuel Eto’o gets to show off for a few moments before nervously answering questions about the arcade game, the real game and how to get into both games. The tutorial quickly goes though some of the more advanced moves you can play such as pace control, dummying the ball and tactics. Finally you have the locked season highlights with feature action from the German Bundesliga to the FA Premier League.

The graphics are highly polished but do not appear vastly different from last year’s effort. The players are still animated nicely, and the stadiums are as impressive as ever but actual improvement was difficult to detect. As you would expect from a licence which prides itself on presentation FIFA 2006 still proudly shows off the players kitted up in the correct strips whilst doing its utmost to replicate a television style experience. There were sadly some noticeable frame rate issues during matches which were specifically problematic on the Playstation 2 version but evident on the Xbox as well. These problems were most noticeable when the graphics zoom in. The graphics on the Playstation 2 also didn’t seem as sharp as they were last year either with some noticeable haze blocking their otherwise good looks. That being said the FIFA series does still remain the best looking on the market.

The Audio is as diverse and as impressive as least year. Featuring music from a wide spectrum of bands from throughout the world you’ll have to be audibly inept not to find something to your liking. As in previous versions you can allow the game to pick random tracks or disable certain songs if you find them irritable. However impressive the soundtrack may be credit must again go to the developers for making the actual sound effects in game so realistic. Commentary is now handled by Clive Tyldesley and Andy Gray and while you're sure to hear some repetition the scripts are large and varied enough to keep things interesting for the majority of the matches. Still it has to be said that Andy Gray isn’t a good replacement for the smooth talking and lets be honest here, more interesting Alan Hanson. Fortunately most of the commentary is via the more competent Clive Tyldesley although Andy Gray will pop in with the odd sarcastic comment.

FIFA 06 will ride the highest waves of the game charts despite what anyone says. The FIFA brand has a legion of faithful followers that will snap up the game year after year no matter what anyone says. FIFA 06 does deserve a purchase but it simply doesn’t offer up anywhere near enough improvements for owners of FIFA 2005 to part with cash this year. That being said, if this is your first purchase, or you have stayed away for a few years this one certainly makes a good refresher course.

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