Overall: I have some clear problems with the game but overall due to Xbox Live support this is definetly a game worth picking up and is well worth the numerous hours you will spend trying to get shooting down and figuring out the online stuff.
Gameplay: A slight slip from last years despite the whole game was ultimatly the same I did have some issues. First off the control works quite well and this year instead of having to do the through balls manually you can now do it automatically with a touch of the Y button. You can still do it the old way if you want but the new way is easier. The AI has been improved, the computer will now change formations on the fly and knows better then to run down the center of the field. It is now a little harder to score off freekicks and corners which make for more believable scores even against easier difficulties. The shooting system in this game is impossible from long range because of the camera angle and it is very difficult to get in close because of the AI. This can lead to some frustrating moments in the game but once you get used to it the game is very fun. Graphics: Similar to last years, improved but not by much. The faces look decent at best and the croud is clearly a cardboard cutout but the player models and animations all look fantastic. This is not to say I disliked the visuals the were fantastic all I'm saying is that they could have been a little bit better.
Sound: Same as last year as well. The sounds put you right in the middle of the game and the commentaters although they sound good are still using the same phrases as they were when FIFA was first introduced. This didn't bother me personally but some people might be bummed by those tiny little details. The soundtrack contains a nice variety of foreign music which is suiting for the game because football is mostly popular in the rest of the world as opposed to the US.
Overall: Every year EA throws out another FIFA game, up until FIFA 2003 it was always basically an updated version of the last game, but since then, it's really began to move on.
Alot of people seem to be opting for Pro Evolution these days, and past editions I agree were better than FIFA, but FIFA 2005 is my pick of this years competitors. Gameplay: FIFA feels more like football than ever, the ball used to be glued to your foot, and it was as simple as get the ball, run the length of the pitch and score, but now, the ball can roll away from you if you're not careful, players collide and the ball runs lose, and things generally just react more realistically.
FIFA 2003 and 2004 were both very solid games, and FIFA 2005 has built on those vastly, playing better than ever.
Create A Player and Tournament are back in, which is good news for all, especially those who have missed these features in the last two incarnations.
Career is a great improvement, more minor trophies included now, and you're forced to start as a poorer team and work your way up.
The addition of online play adds some extra life into the game, long after you tire of career mode and creating tournaments you can beat those around the world on Xbox Live. Graphics: Visually FIFA has moved on from last year, not vastly, but enough to notice, alot more players are realistically modelled, crowds look outstanding, stadiums are more detailed, and everything is generally improved.
There's still to odd dodgy texture and really awful looking player, but it's slowly improving from previous games. Sound: Sounds are great as ever, commentary is slightly disapointing, despite being more accurate and entertaining, quite a few lines are repeated from last year, and sadly, it's some of the more annoying lines too.
Crowd chants make the TV experience complete, with individual voices being heard above the general crowd adding to realism, along with some club specific chants.
The sounds of the balls, whistles and whacks are also top notch. Suggestions: Keep going in the same direction, add a higher level of customisation and better player creation features.
Also, one thing that really annoyed me, is how league bages are textured onto shirts, so you can promote a team to the Premiership but still have Championship badges on the sleeves, same for numbers, promoted teams still have the plain numbers rather than Premier League ones...
Overall: the addition of online play is a major boost for this title... gameplay is prety much the same as it has been since I first tried fifa back in 96, sprint, pass, shoot, lob.... thats all you need to know to play the game, but to master it... well, thats another story... Gameplay: gameplay is nearly the same as every other fifa game... weather you find that to be a good or bad thing. you decide. The horrible off the ball system has been tweaked, but it is still to complicated to be of use... but there is a new addition to the controls, and this time they have got it right!! It is the 1st touch system, which allows you to direct a recieving ball away from onncoming attackers, set yourself up for a classy goal, or just look good... it is a very good addition, and works a lot better than EA's previous ''innovative'' ideas.
In a fifa followers mind the gameplay is again flawless... but in a pro evo fans mind it the opposite... but this review is about my opinion, and my opinion is that gameplay is great, with the few extra neat touches, of course live play, and fun multiplayer modes, I feel that it deserves a solid 4
Graphics: it looks like the fifa games have been running on the same engine since fifa 2003... and I think it is time to change it... dont get me wrong, it still looks nice... but on an xbox I dont think nice is good enough... there is some slight uncalled slowdown at times, but it is mostly smooth. Graphics are good, but dont really impress... character models are okay... but in my mind polygons are not hidden well enough. Still, it looks good... but is maybe in need of a little makeover Sound: commentry is some of the best out there... with celb commentators and decent music, an option to rip your own tracks would have been welcomed, but the absence of that does not take away from the fact that this is a really good sounding game. Suggestions: graphical improvements, sound ripping,,,, and better player and team customisation... like the one in tiger woods 2005
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