| It's in the game | |
| Aabhas Sharma / New Delhi November 08, 2009, 0:17 IST | |
 FIFA 10 is an excellent upgrade on FIFA 09. In the latest addition you can play alongside greats such as Ronaldo.
If there is one game that I eagerly watch out for, it’s FIFA’s football edition that is released once every year. EA Sports’, the Canada-based company which brings out FIFA football games, does so with elan, overshadowing others. FIFA 10 is an excellent upgrade on FIFA 09, and it seems football lovers will be spending quite a few hours of their day in front of their consoles enjoying themselves.
FIFA 10 takes match day experience to a new level, improving player movement while incorporating new features, and game play modes. Be A Pro is one mode which will get fans excited as it allows you to to rise through the ranks of the club’s reserves and become a global superstar.
The attention to detail in FIFA 10 is extraordinary. For instance, you can upload your photo and add it on to your player. You have the option of creating your own player and have him compete with others through the online mode. The idea of becoming a superstar and having clubs chase your signature is something that gives you a big kick.
Where FIFA 10 scores the most is the game play experience. From the dynamics of passing the ball to your teammate to jostling with a defender for the ball, it makes you feel that you are actually out on the pitch! FIFA 10 makes you feel like a footballer. The biggest grouse I used to have with the series was that the goalkeeper was nothing but a mere showpiece. Not anymore though, as the keeper involvement is much more in FIFA 10.
In the last few versions of the game, most goals were scored in and around the 18-yard box, and they had ditched the long range screamers. They make a comeback in
FIFA 10, and let you score some spectacular goals, a bit like Cristiano Ronaldo. The 360-degree control gives you a chance to pull off some incredible moves with the ball. And there are several other things like long passes being more accurate, the much improved sliding tackle feature which make the game play experience a far better one than the rest. New stadiums have been added and weather conditions updated. The graphics are decent, though not too different from the previous edition of the game. The only major difference is in the way you can spot the away section of the crowd in the stadium with ease.
As much as I love Martin Tyler and Andy Gray’s in-game commentary, EA Sports could have done better with giving them more “dialogues” to describe the game play. At times, the commentary does feel slightly off the pace as well. But it’s a minor flaw which can be overlooked in what otherwise is an excellent game.
Be it the Be A Pro or the manager mode, FIFA 10 is addictive. The add-on features push you harder to do better in the game, as is the case with real life football players. Though I haven’t played Konami’s Pro Evolution Soccer 10 — FIFA’s biggest rival — it is safe to say that FIFA will continue to be top of the mind for football gamers. Available on both PlayStation and Xbox consoles, the game is priced at Rs 1,299. And it is worth every penny. With the kind of experience it provides, one thing is for sure: you will want to play it again and again. Try the manager mode for a week, and you won’t be leaving the house too often.
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