FIFA SOCCER 2005

GAME DETAILS :-

Developer : Electronic Arts Canada

Publisher : Electronic Arts

Engine : Not Revealed

Genre : Soccer Sim

Release Date : October 12 , 2004

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS :-

Operating System : Windows 2000 / Windows XP

CPU : AMD Athlon XP 1800+ / Intel Pentium 3 Processor

Memory (RAM) : 256 MB

Graphics Hardware : DirectX 9.0b Compatible Video Card with Memory 32 MB

[NVIDIA : GeForce FX 5500 Series
ATI : Radeon X700 Series]

Hard Disk Space : 1.5 GB

GAME FEATURES :-

This is EA Sports' best soccer game to date on the pitch, but it's really unfortunate that the career mode isn't more user-friendly. Like the on-the-ball skill moves that allow you to beat opponents when you're en route to their goalmouths with the ball in your possession, first-touch controls are all performed by tapping the right analog stick in the direction that you'd like your player to take the ball. The actual animation that transpires when the ball arrives at your player's feet is determined by the player's position in relation to the ball, as well as his skill level. Some players are able to flick the ball over their heads, while some can turn defenders without even thinking about it or without ever letting the ball move more than a few inches from their bodies. Others will struggle to perform even simple turns without letting the ball stray far enough away from them so that opponents have a shot at stealing it. Also, like the on-the-ball moves, EA Sports has gotten the balancing of the first-touch controls nigh perfect. There will be occasions, of course, when you're able to run a single player through your opponent's entire midfield and defense en route to a spectacular goal, but these moments of individual genius are few and far between--just as they are in real life. FIFA Soccer 2005 is to pass the ball around and successfully pick out players that are making good runs off the ball. Sending other players on runs is as easy as tapping a single button while you're in possession of the ball, and the system is as effective at beating defenders as it is easy to employ. If you prefer to play an even more active role in the movement of your players, you can actually assume control of a second player using the right analog stick. Perhaps the most disappointing feature of FIFA Soccer 2005 is its 15-season career mode. It's actually quite an engaging gameplay option, but every aspect of it has seemingly been designed with the impending arrival of Total Club Manager 2005 in mind.

It's a terribly cynical thing to say, but the management aspect of FIFA 2005's career mode is so cumbersome and unnecessarily time-consuming that it's as much an advertisement for the upcoming management title as the billboards that appear in the game's stadiums. When you start a career in FIFA Soccer 2005, you'll only be able to take control of certain teams, most of which play in their countries' lower divisions, and some of which you'll almost certainly not even have heard of. When you decide that you want to augment your team via the transfer market, FIFA Soccer 2005 makes it about as difficult as possible for you to search its player database. If you have a specific player in mind, then it's not too difficult to locate him, provided he's still with the same team he plays for in real life. If and when you manage to find a player that you're interested in adding to your squad, you'll notice a figure next to his name that represents his value in career points. You earn career points by stringing together wins, keeping clean sheets, scoring goals, and basically playing well. To make an offer, you'll hit the negotiate button, at which point you'll have no opportunity whatsoever to participate in any kind of negotiation. When you assume control of your team, you'll be handed 100 management points to spend on backroom staff. The people working under you include coaches that specialize in fitness, goalkeeping, defensive play, midfield play, and attacking play. There is also a finance department; there are scouts; and there's a medical staff. As you progress through the game, you'll be awarded additional management points to spend, and, as you spend them, you'll find that the benefits of having a good staff are actually quite significant.

The online options in FIFA Soccer 2005 include playing friendly matches or participating in tournaments with up to seven other players. The presentation of the EA Sports Online service menus and suchlike is impressive, and we never had any problems locating and joining up with other players with good connection speeds. There have been occasions when the game's quick-match option has spent a few minutes scouring the globe for opponents and come back with a negative response for us, but spending a few moments creating our own matchup game would invariably result in our being joined by another player within seconds. One thing that we have noticed about the online play in FIFA 2005, incidentally, is that most players are so concerned with improving their EA Sports Online rankings that they're happy to drop their favorite teams in favor of the likes of Brazil, France, Real Madrid, Arsenal, or Manchester United to improve their chances of winning. The EA Trax selection in FIFA 2005 is about as eclectic as they come. You'll find artists such as The Streets, Scissor Sisters, and Morrissey playing alongside the likes of Debi Nova, Ivete Sangalo, and Los Amigos Invisibles. The English-language commentary in the game again comes courtesy of the BBC's John Motson and Ally McCoist, who, for the most part, both do excellent jobs of talking about matches in accurate and timely fashions. There are rare occasions, though, when one of the two will randomly spout something wildly inaccurate, such as "That could've been 2-2!" when a shot that might have leveled a game at 1-1 narrowly misses the target. You also might hear "No! The ref has waved play on!" as the referee stops play to award a penalty. This year's player animations are the best to grace the series to date, and, thanks largely to the introduction of the first-touch control system, there are far more of them than ever before. It's unfortunate that the impressive stadiums in the game are packed full of cardboard-cutout crowds, but the only time you'll notice just how bad the supporters look is during certain set pieces and in specific action replays.

GAME REVIEW :-

9/10

FIFA Soccer 2005 Trailer :-