Playing FIFA 12 makes you appreciate just how much work goes into sports
games. Each year, thousands of player profiles and team rosters need to be
updated. Numerous new features need to be implemented in a relentless
pursuit of realism. FIFA 12 does all of this effortlessly while surprising
the long-term fan with new features and upgrades that make this the most
impressive soccer title we’ve played on HD consoles to date. Starting with
the way that players collide with each and extending down to every mode of
play, EA’s FIFA Soccer 12 offers a fundamentally different title that
changes and improves on nearly every aspect of the series. Start with the
game’s much improved physics engine, called the Player Impact Engine. This
gives each movement a more realistic, physical feel. When two players come
into contact with one another, the results change dramatically. Instead of
the same result each time, factors such as speed and level of impact make a
huge difference in how things turn out. A minor contact won’t have much of
an effect, but a major challenge will definitely change your player’s
momentum and speed. The AI is much smarter this time, and opposing players
will aggressively try and block your shots, making goals much more
difficult. Your shooting accuracy depends on both you and your player’s
skills. A good player should be able to connect easier, while a bad one will
have a hard time no matter how hard you try. Making shots is hard to
accomplish, as it should be and there are many close calls which can make
thing frustrating at times. You can improve your odds by practicing shots in
the arena and can also adjust FIFA 12’s difficulty level to match your
skills.
Adding to the pressure and realism is the new player physics engine, which
makes opponents react and perform much more realistically, better
representing their real counterparts. It gives then an almost life-like feel
on the field, with realistic reactions to your commands. This makes on the
field contact feel more unpredictable and gives the gameplay an authenticity
most other sports titles lack. Players collide with each other in a more
believable way each time, and this makes for a more challenging and physical
game. This comes into play when you get on the field and find basic
techniques from previous FIFA’s have evolved in terms of complexity. For
example, passing the ball between players is much harder than in previous
games, since opponents will step in and try and block the ball. You can
still make some smooth connections between players, but you need to pay much
more attention to player positioning than you did in previous games.
Likewise, shooting is much more difficult with the opposing team acting much
quicker, giving you less time to aim at the net. Sprinting doesn’t have the
same super-charged effects it had in previous titles, so you won’t get as
much of a boost as you’d expect. It makes for a more strategic and deeper
style of play, and this authentic approach gives the game a much better flow
throughout each match. You definitely feel like you’re on the field.
This is especially true in the favorite “Be a Pro” Mode where you take on
the role of a single player during the match. Here, the object isn’t to help
the team, but to focus on your own moves on the field. During the match, you
score more points for staying in position and keeping yourself ready for
your big moment. When it comes, you had better perform. Your player is
indicated by a star on the field and you have to be constantly aware of
their position and what they need to do. While the previous games had you do
this for the regular strikers and defenders, the new game allows you to play
as a goal-keeper as well, which is fun and challenging enough to make it an
entertaining game in its own right. As your player/character progresses up
the ranks, your skill level will increase as well, which can affect your
performance on the field in a big way. When you’re dribbling the ball,
passing to a stronger player early on will earn you points. Later, when
you’ve built up your status, take the ball yourself and aim for glory. This
progression gives this mode and RPG element while helping to immerse the
player further into the game. When the camera zooms and while you sprint, it
creates a dramatic effect that pulls you in. You can definitely feel the
changes in this mode as well, with more realistic outcomes, even injuries
for aggressive players, that makes the game feel all the more authentic in
its approach to the game.
One of the more unexpected things about FIFA 12 is how natural these changes
feel. There are some changes in momentum and changes to the dribbling system
and player AI make a big difference. However, EA hasn’t changed the basic
controls and interface too much, Those used to the older games control
scheme will find it almost the same, but its subtle changes in the way
players perform after colliding with others makes a huge difference in your
strategy. Once you’re in command of the players, you’ll find a much more
coherent set of team mates who feel like they’re reacting to your movements,
not mindless robots following predetermined paths and moves. As a result,
FIFA 12’s on the field action develops and flows much better than previous
installments. One of the most impressive aspects of this is how the game
mimics the pacing of real soccer, with impressive ‘builds’ that gradually
increase in their intensity. Interceptions lead to dribbling then, passes
lead to possession. These build into attacks down the field and finally
climax near the net with a final shot at the goal. Its definitely more
noticeable this time around. Also improved is the overall team strategy
controls, which allow you to set your squad’s offensive or defensive posture
at several levels ranging from a tight defense to an aggressive attacking
mode. These actually significantly affect not only where players are
positioned on the field, but how they react to the action, which makes the
game even more intense.
Players will also notice that the AI is much stronger this time around.
Defenders on your side do an excellent job in protecting you and passing
that the previous games lacked, they’ll converge on your position when you
get the ball and help keep the other team at bay for awhile if they can. On
the other hand, your opponents are also quicker to get in your path, but
your players have improved dribbling techniques that help to balance this,
making for a more authentic experience. The game’s new controls in this
department are more precise, giving you a better feel for the ball and
making you feel like you’re in command of its direction. As in the last few
games, you need to look ahead and time your runs or else face a brick wall
when you approach the goal. Once you get there, you’ll find that the
goalkeepers are much smarter, giving you less leeway in your shots. They
won’t hesitate to attack if you leave yourself vulnerable, so you have to be
careful when setting up your shots. Thanks to rules changes, aggressive play
such as hard tackles is discouraged more this year. It’s easier to draw a
foul, even when performing minor challenges, so you need to use these
carefully and sparingly. When you’re on defense, it pays to keep a little
distance but you can still put pressure on opponents if they come into
dangerous sections. FIFA 12’s new physical play sounds a little
intimidating, but the realism makes up for the added complexity. Most
players will find the game is still easy to play after you get over the
learning curve, but its a little steeper this time around.
Using
the online pass unlocks the game’s online and multiplayer modes and begins
your access to the new EA Football Club, which will keep track of your
progress and activities through multiple titles including next year’s
FIFA Street
reboot. Its fairly easy to sign-up and activate your account, and once you
do, the sheer scale of the online game is quite impressive. While the
improvements in the single-player game are extensive, the online component
hasn’t been ignored. Once you log in, you can use your created player or a
real-life one to compete in a seemingly endless number of match variations
and themes. FIFA 12 lets you compete in a number of real-life leagues with
your character, then share these customized players and even entire teams
online. After you’re done with a single match you can then compare yourself
against others with leaderboards, compete in multi-tiered tournaments with
others online plus these are fully customizable as well. You can also play
through a real season with your favorite teams week by week or in customized
form. This is a really cool feature that allows you to follow and play along
with real clubs’ progress through the season. You can play against others
online with your customized team in leagues, upload your own created
characters’ stats, get online stats for real teams, read match updates and
much more. If this isn’t enough, EA has added several significant features
this year that include the ability to play friendlies online and compete in
season mode head to head with other players. All of this gives FIFA 12 an
extensive and deep online component that’s easy to use and navigate and
integrates seamlessly together to create a deeply engaging gameplay
experience that sets a new high standard for online play.
In terms of its production values, FIFA 12 has enhanced the series’
presentation in some important areas. The game’s menus have been streamlines
and are easier to navigate, making it easy to find and switch between
different gameplay modes. As expected, the television-style presentation
adds an exciting flair to the matches, and the accompanying in-game
commentary is succinct and occasionally clever. Atmospherics remain
excellent with crowd-chanting and the roar of the crowd when you’re on the
attack. Backing off from the excessive music from previous installments, the
tracks this time seem to blend in better this time around. You can adjust a
number of factors such as the match length, time of day and weather with the
options menu and turn the chants, commentary and music on or off as well.
There’s an excellent selection of camera angles which range from a top-down,
side-view perspective as seen in most soccer titles to more elaborate
on-field modes, seen in the be-a-player mode which are effective at making
you feel like you’re on the pitch. The player animations remain fluid and
lifelike this time around, and there’s been some slight improvements in
appearances with improved facial animations and more celebration routines.
This remains one of the slickest looking sports games on the market, and the
complete package is impressive on all fronts, creating the most believable
soccer game experience on an HD console, from a visual perspective.
FIFA 12 excels in most areas, but there are a few minor problems that reduce
its otherwise flawless gameplay. One of the things you’ll notice is that
many of the customization features are grayed-out when you first play the
game. These are now unlockable, which is annoying – you have to earn some
customization areas and many other individual items during the game. There
are also some sections of the game that take a long time to load, which is
understandable given the game’s depth and its large array of game modes.
These are minor problems when compared to the larger picture, and in that
sense, it seems like you almost have to search for negatives on purpose.
When you look at the game in totality, it doesn’t fail to impress. Its new
physical player contact engine adds realism to the game’s already superb
play, while its intuitive controls keeps things accessible for the average
player. Its extensive strategy becomes evident as the matches unfold with
pushes and pulls, plus the occasional sudden change that keeps things
exciting. FIFA 12 is quite playable from the start, but unlike many other
sports titles, it becomes more enjoyable as you delve deeper and discover
the subtle strategies and nuances that set it apart from other soccer games.
When all is said and done, this is an impressive game by any measure.
Earlier installments set high standards, but this year’s edition surpasses
all of them. FIFA 12’s quality, depth and challenge are unrivaled, making
another crowning achievement for the ascendant series.
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Michael Palisano
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