FIFA 06

Author: Chris Pickering
Published on: 22-10-2005
Views: 26627


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Introduction

An Introduction to FIFA 06

It’s long been a reviewers dream to get their hands on a copy of the latest in EA’s FIFA series of footballing titles. It gives the perfect opportunity to utilise those ‘style over substance’ mocking’s they’ve been practising all year long. In all honesty, these little pops at this particular football series haven’t always been without reason, with EA consistently providing a game that may have all the official licenses, and delightful little soundtracks, but always lost out on the pitch to Konami’s Pro Evolution Soccer series.

The beginnings of another football season mean the introduction another iteration of the FIFA series. This year’s big introduction is the ‘Manager Mode’ giving you the opportunity to basically take on the managerial duties for 15 seasons at a club of your choice. Taking on all responsibilities from team moral, to hiring and firing staff. In trying to take on the ‘Master League’ mode of the aforementioned PES series, EA have obviously attempted to introduce a little longevity to the single player game, and for the main part, it works. The ability to transform a lowly team with your skills on and off the pitch (you’ve the opportunity to either play, or merely watch games in Manager Mode) is an experience which will no doubt provide all of those who take the time out to concentrate on this area of play a great thrill. However, the actual managerial sections of the game feel alarmingly tacked on, and don’t come close to the depth of the Football Manager series, or even EA’s own managements titles. It’s a start, but one that needs more structure, and much more to do to really become a necessity.

Another introduction sees the ability to freely utilise your pad’s d-pad/analogue stick to select differing tactics and mentality. A quick flick of your finger and you can encourage your wingers to fly down the touchline, bring an extra player into the attack, or even enforce the offside trap. The introduction of an extra layer of strategy is never one we’re going to complain about, and while its use isn’t coming into question, the fact that it seems to go completely against the ethos of the FIFA series means that it’s going to be something passed up on by many of the great unwashed. Over a lengthy period of play, you can find yourself utilising this new feature quite perfectly, helping you up front, and at the back. But even remembering the four set controls can prove to be difficult, especially in the ‘heat of battle’ for FIFA veterans, what about newcomers to the game? FIFA has always been about instant accessibility for newcomers, allowing these players to compete with the very best in an instant, and this introduction does seem to cut out what’s quite a large demographic of players that could become quite disillusioned in a short period of time with the game.

But it’s the action out on the pitch where FIFA 06 is going to live or die. And to be honest, things are not much different to last year’s effort. Unlike in the past, dribbling through a whole team with your aging centre back proves quite the impossible act, and for your first few games at least you’ll find yourself being embarrassingly beaten by some lowly opponents. But once you’ve find yourself set in the groove, you’ll be holding up the ball, spinning the last defender, and dummying passes with great aplomb. To watch, it’s quite a delightful footballing spectacle. To play however, things do begin to tear at the seams.