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 FIFA
Street 3 (Playstation 3)
EA's long-running street sports franchise gets a much-needed overhaul with
the release of FIFA Street 3 on the Playstation 3. The game's
action-packed play emphasizes speed and skill thanks to its new
Gamebreaker mode, which enables players to perform some pretty spectacular
moves for a brief period. FIFA Street's standard play has also been
improved with better-feeling controls and a faster overall pace. Superb
production values with cartoonishly animated players make this a more
accessible and visually dynamic title. With its arcade-style gameplay,
multiple online modes and excellent looks, this solid title delivers
intense urban soccer action. |
While it's not nearly as elaborate or
inclusive as the main FIFA franchise, EA's FIFA Street has brought some
exciting, arcade style action to the football field. The third iteration
on PS3 is no exception to this rule and offers a fairly enjoyable, if
somewhat superficial experience. Instead of relying on realism, the game
emphasizes speed and tricks on a variety of non-traditional pitches to
make for a more accessible soccer title. The game features about a dozen
international teams with several well-known players including Ronaldo,
David Beckham, Landon Donovan and Michael Owen to name a few, which helps
to create an authentic feel. Players can also unlock many additional
players for each team. FIFA Street 3 sees these super star players
participating in five-a-side matches on generally enclosed fields, making
for a more intense game than you'd normally see from the FIFA series. Each
team's roster features a variety of players and more can be unlocked as
you complete tournaments and win games. These additional players generally
bring new skills to the pitch which makes them more effective than you'd
expect them to be. This gives players strong motivation to stay with the
same team and keep playing, while also broadening the selection of players
available, which seems quite limited at first. There are several different
game modes available - you can choose to play a single friendly match,
compete against other teams in several matches in tournament mode and set
the special features and gamebreakers on or off in the game's options
screen. Players can also set the match length, rules and different camera
angles here as wel. When you complete and win matches in tournament mode,
you'll be able to unlock additional items such as extra players, pitches
and new ball-types. FIFA Street 3 also offers some decent online support
for up to six players at once with a variety of modes available including
standard and tournament modes as well. Overall, the game offers an
acceptable number of gameplay options and modes that give it some legs at
least.
 As
you play through the game, you'll find that the pacing and gameplay is
much faster than you'd expect. Playing FIFA Street 3 is a bit more
intuitive than previous installments, since EA's developers have made
passing, kicking and shooting much easier than in previous games. Using
the controller is fairly simple and most players should have very little
trouble learning the basics. Your team's AI is surprisingly intelligent
and you won't have to worry about passing or switching players for the
most part. Getting the hang of shooting is a bit more difficult than you'd
expect, though you can generally score a goal if you are close to the net.
Aiming the ball is fairly simple as well, and your opponents don't tackle
as frequently as you'd expect. Of course, the gameplay is a bit faster on
the pitch than normal, but that's to be expected. The rules are much
looser in FIFA Street 3 than in standard soccer, and you won't have to
worry about the off-sides and other annoyances. Instead of worrying about
rigid formations and player positions, you need to learn to perform tricks
and stunts, such as dribbling through the air, running across the sides of
backboards and performing spectacular bicycle kicks. These moves are
fairly easy to perform, with most used by rotating the right analog stick,
pressing down one of the shift buttons or a combination of both. Chaining
these together allows you to move the bar much faster, but this extra
energy is vulnerable and recedes quickly if you don't make a shot on goal.
When you do this, your energy gauge increases which can then be used to
trigger what are called Gamebreaker events. When these are enabled, your
team is given superhuman powers with increased speed and shots that are
almost impossible for your opponents to deflect. On the other hand, when
your opponents grab one of these, it can be annoying since they can score
almost automatically. You only have a short time to use these gamebreaker
moves, since the energy bar drains very quickly. Using these strategically
is a key element to success, and it helps to position your players a few
seconds ahead of time to maximize your goal scoring opportunities.
FIFA Street 3's next generation debut
brings many visual improvements to the series, with its newly brightened
color palette the biggest change. As you'd expect from an EA title, the
character animations and visuals are incredibly slick and appealing. The
action takes place in a variety of different fields which range from
tanker tops to beach-side resorts, there are more than a dozen different
arenas where you can play with additional areas able to be unlocked. While
there are only two different camera angles from the side view or a close
in range, they both do an excellent job in presenting the action. The
character/players also look more appealing thanks to their newly
cartoonish appearance, which brings the series a much needed sense of
humor. The game's urban sensibility is evident in the action sequences
after you score a goal, where the action stops and a screen splashes onto
the screen showing the goal-scoring player. Musically, FIFA Street's
soundtrack is fairly excellent with an industrial/techno feel that
compliments the action perfectly, with some truly thumping tracks used to
punctuate the action perfectly. Unlike many other sports titles, you won't
have to listen to stuffy play-by-play announcing, which helps to keep the
action visceral and exciting. FIFA Street 3's production values are above
average overall and do an excellent job of transporting players into the
action.
 While
FIFA Street 3 isn't as deep or realistic as a standard soccer title would
be, it's still an enjoyable soccer game. Its deliberately streamlined
gameplay makes it easy to pick up and play with its accessible controls
and interface giving it instant appeal. The gameplay is faster and more
frenetic, and this arcade-style approach allows players to focus on
performing special moves and attacks. Building up a sequence of these
unlocks the game breakers, which add a cool layer of fun and strategy to
the gameplay. The game's cartoonish visuals and smooth animation give FIFA
Street 3 an appealing look overall, and makes the game feel bright and
fun. FIFA Street 3 isn't the deepest or most elaborate soccer title on the
market, but it is an enjoyable and occasionally challenging game that
should please sports gamers looking for instant gratification.
-
Michael Palisano
Grade: B
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