Having long played second fiddle to Konami’s Pro Evolution Soccer series, EA Sports’ FIFA franchise finally came into its own with its 2008 iteration, and the developers continue their dominance of the genre with FIFA 09.
Although not a great leap forward for the series, this year’s instalment sees the introduction of a number of small refinements that make it the smoothest and most realistic soccersimulation around. As one would expect of any EA Sports release, FIFA 09 bears the official sanction of 30 real-world football leagues, with the English Premier League, German Bundesliga, Spanish Primera Liga and Italian Serie A, among others, being fully represented.
With the introduction of the new Adidas Live Season feature, the game will even adjust its player statistics based on teams’ real-world performance by downloading updates from the Internet. The developers claim they’ve introduced upwards of 250 refinements to the core game dynamic, and though you’d be hardpressed to single these out individually, they combine to make the most fluid and realistic FIFA experience to date.
Ball physics have been refined, animations are more lifelike and, for the first time, the physical size of the players influences how the game plays, with bigger players noticeably jostling smaller players for possession. The AI has been improved too, and it’s not uncommon to see computer-controlled strikers signalling to you before they make a run, helping you to set up successful plays.
The ‘Be a Pro’ mode makes a return in a more fleshed-out capacity. It once again puts you in control of a single character, giving you the option of choosing a real footballer or creating your own, and then playing through four consecutive seasons, all the while earning experience points and rising through the ranks of your club team, with the eventual goal of representing your country in the World Cup.
The game also gives you greater control over your team’s tactics, allowing you to create a variety of different strategies, tweak them to your liking, and map them to the D-pad for quick selection during matches. The Manager Mode also makes a return, and although it doesn’t quite stand up to Pro Evolution Soccer’s Master League, it’s still an interesting enough diversion.
Visually, the game is crisp, running without any stutters, with character animations that look more fluid than ever. A solid soundtrack and convincing effects back up the commentary of Andy Gray and Martin Tyler who, though hardly electrifying, are relatively competent. Additional commentary packs are also available for download from the PlayStation Store.
FIFA 09 is a polished and well-refi ned soccer simulation that simply oozes class. It’s enjoyable, realistic and has enough depth to put itself firmly ahead of the competition as the best game in its genre at the moment.
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