FIFA 07 is EA's latest soccer title for
the Xbox 360 and includes dozens of licensed leagues, teams and players,
though not as many as seen in some other versions for some baffling
reason. features, modes and extras players have come to expect from the
series. In addition to its basic solo matches in practice or competitive
modes, players can peruse a number of other options and modes. You can set
the difficulty level of each match, adjust the length and difficulty and
also edit your lineups before each game begins. You can also choose
different formations and strategies before each match, change players and
make adjustments to your tactics as well. The game offers a number of
other options including weather and time of day as well. Players can
choose to play either solo against the AI or with friends online or via a
split screen mode. What's really impressive about the online mode is that
it supports up to eight players total, which shows how impressive this can
be. FIFA 07's Lounge is nicely implemented and winning games here lets you
unlock extras when you play the game, including classic teams, extra
uniforms and stadiums. When you log in, you can also catch up on the
latest soccer news as well, along with updated stats and news. These
standard gameplay modes are complimented with a cool challenge mode, where
you have to complete certain tasks, such as winning without getting a red
card or allowing a goal which adds to the overall depth of the gameplay.
You can also create custom characters for use with your teams, with an
extensive editor that allows you to change their appearance, physical size
and attributes and positions, along with name and number. It's quite
impressive and you can spend a lot of time tweaking and adjusting these
characters to create the perfect player. This definitely adds some
versatility and depth to the usual modes and extends the game's longevity.
In addition, those who want a more cerebral approach can play the game in
management mode.
When
you are enlisted in the Manager mode, you can play through a single or
multiple seasons with the same team. You can control virtually every
aspect of your team including player contracts, team budgets, ticket
prices, trades, scouting and transfers. You can choose to play matches in
real time or simulate them so you can concentrate on your decisions. When
you win games, you'll earn more money for matches, increase you job
security and prestige. As you win points, you'll be able to upgrade your
coaching, medical and specialty staff in order to build on your success.
You can also purchase upgrades for your player skills, which makes them
more effective on the field. As you play through the mode, you'll also
have to make decisions, such as allowing players to rest before big
matches or how many autographs they'll sign. Making mistakes can prove
costly, since attendance and sponsorship declines can create a vortex that
sucks you in, making it hard to transfer players and turn things around.
If you don't meet expectations, the team won't hesitate to fire you, so
you can't rest on previous accomplishments. FIFA 07's Manager mode is an
enjoyable diversion and that can be surprisingly addictive once you get
into it. However, the menu-based gameplay becomes a bit dry after awhile,
and you'll probably find yourself craving some on-field action.
When you're on the pitch, you'll find
many things to like and some that will probably annoy you. One of the best
features in FIFA 07 is that you can change tactics on the fly using the
d-pad to change. This system is effective and lets you change attacking
and defensive styles to forward players. You can also substitute players
fairly easily, and the game allows you to edit formations and tactics
fairly easily. The game's controls are superb and allow you to move around
the field easily. Most of the basic controls like dribbling and running
are failry easy to use and give the gameplay a good flow. You can perform
some cool moves using the first-touch method that allows you to control
the direction and pacing once your player gets the ball. Some of the moves
are fairly elaborate and you can use the first touch to switch directions
quickly, change direction and to perform cross shots. Using these moves is
the only way to consistently keep control of the ball, since the AI is
smart enough to take the ball from you. You can perform either short or
long passes which adds to the strategy. Passing between players is fairly
easy to accomplish, though you need to be careful; the opponents always
seem to be waiting in anticipation of your next moves. FIFA 07 features
several levels of difficulty and while the lower levels offer little
challenge, the harder difficulty settings are next to impossible. At these
levels, the play can be ferocious since you need to work hard to defend
possession and move down the pitch. When an opponent attacks, you need to
keep them off balance and try to knock the ball out from under them by
tackling or kicking it from under them. However, this can lead to
penalties if you're too aggressive so you need to approach these
encounters carefully.
As
in real soccer, a key element is keeping the ball on your side of the
pitch, while on defense tacking is a key strategy. Mastering the tackling
moves can be difficult since the game doesn't give you much margin for
error, frequently resulting in penalties and yellow cards. It makes for a
somewhat frustrating game that penalizes even the smallest amount of
aggression, which is very annoying. Another key element in FIFA 07 is
coordinating your team's movement and position to enable set pieces and
goal shots. It takes some practice, but keeping an eye on the radar helps
to see the full field better. When you make pass-through shots, you need
to aim the ball at your forwards and strikers, which keeps the goalie off
balance and increases the likelihood of a goal connecting. Switching
player under you control is fairly easy to perform and doing this allows
you to move in front of the ball and head off passes, but the defensive
mainly involves trying to keep up with the computer AI opponents. The game
succeeds in creating an straightforward control system, but most players
will have trouble with some of the key mechanics which aren't as intuitive
or effective as they could be. Pressing down increases the shot strength
indicator, the longer you press, the more the shots go higher. When you
approach the net, you need to be careful not to let the ball get away from
you, since the keepers don't hesitate to grab loose balls. Shooting is
also something you need to practice, since the goalies are smarter this
time around, it makes lazy shots into wasted shots. You definitely need to
think ahead and try and outsmart the AI this time around. If you do get
into position, you need to worry about overshooting the net. The direction
your character faces and length from the goal means you need to be careful
at these points. It can be an exercise in frustration and learning the
precise timing is harder than you'd expect it to be. While there are many
good points in FIFA 07's controls, there are also many flaws that can
become frustrating leading to a mixed result where some elements are
better implemented than others.
Unfortunately, there are other key areas
where the game falls a bit short of the mark. Surprisingly, the game
doesn't offer as many leagues and teams as you'd expect. While the big
European clubs are included, many others have been excluded. For example,
while Landon Donovan of the LA Galaxy appears on the cover of the US
version, neither that team, nor any other in the MLS appears in the game.
This is a huge disappointment that makes the game feel very limited in its
scope, which is doubly annoying since other versions of FIFA 07 have the
MLS, even the humble DS includes the league. From a visual standpoint, the
cut scenes between rounds look fantastic as usual, but the in-game
graphics are disappointing, and don't deliver the high definition title
you expect. The game locks you into a limited number of camera angles, all
of which are fairly distant and lack the detail and vivid animation you'd
think they would have. The game looks decent, but still doesn't offer much
improvement from EA's previous soccer titles on the console. FIFA's
in-game commentary is well done, but it can't save the title from feeling
a bit empty in many aspects. You'd think, as the company's third FIFA
release in a year, that the 07 edition would offer more depth and polish
in this department, but this title still falls short of expectations. In
the end, these flaws drag the title down. FIFA 07 offers some interesting
modes of play, but doesn't add significantly, in terms of gameplay, depth
or visual quality from previous Xbox 360 titles. There are some decent
elements in the game, but FIFA 07 still suffers from the same glaring
flaws that keep it from claiming the cup despite repeated attempts.
- Michael Palisano
Grade:
B
FIFA
07