Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2215 in Computer & Video Games
• Brand: Electronic Arts
• Released on: 2006-09-29
• Rating: Universal, particularly children
• Platform: Windows XP

Amazon.co.uk Review:
In a nutshell:
It’s the game football fans wait all year for and to usher in the next generation EA Sports have given FIFA its biggest revamp in years, changing not just the way it looks but the way it plays in what aims to be the ultimate marriage of realism and fun.

The lowdown:
Every new FIFA game gets its expected improvements in graphics and presentation but this year the success of Pro Evolution Soccer seems to have driven EA to concentrate just as much on the gameplay. As such the game features better passing, crossing and free kicks as well as greatly improved goalkeepers. There’s also a new "finesse" shot if you get the time and space to use it, while every kick is calculated in terms of space, composure and technique so that it’s accuracy is determined by exactly what’s happening on the pitch and not just some random factor. Add in completely new ball physics, more than 510 teams, 27 leagues, 4,000 licensed players and all new international crowd reactions and you’ve got EA’s most concerted attempt yet to make the definitive football game.

Most exciting moment:
As well as all the individual improvements to ball and player control many of the game’s best strikers have their own signatures moves and free kicks, such as Ronaldinho, Frank Lampard and Roberto Carlos. This includes the ability to, quite literally, bend it like Beckham.

Since you ask:
As befits its global reach FIFA 07 has perhaps the most multinational soundtrack ever in video games, with everything from Argentinean rock band Bersuit Vergarabat to Spain’s The Pinker Tones and German group d.o.c.h.! (As well as Britbands such as Muse and The Young Punx.)

The bottom line:
FIFA gets serious in its attempt to out-football Pro Evolution Soccer
.HARRISON DENT

Manufacturer's Description
With the 2006 FIFA World Cup over and the glamour of international football fading fast, the players are now back to their daily jobs of winning glory for their club in EA SPORTS FIFA 07.

From the first whistle, FIFA 07 throws you into the rollercoaster ride of a football season and the intense stadium atmosphere of every home and away match.

Relish every satisfying victory over bitter rivals and live through every gut-wrenching poor performance at home. Savour the spine-tingling stadium atmosphere, home and away, as your team battles their way up the league table. Listen as your supporters chant your players' names and bellow all the rousing club songs through rain and shine.

You have the power to shape your club's destiny in the EA SPORTS Interactive Leagues [F.A. Premier League, Bundesliga, French League, Mexican 1st Division], a new online mode that enables you to pit your club against supporters of your real-world opponents. Play your games according to the real-world schedule. When they play, you play. Track your team's progress as the aggregate results determine your club's position in the league table. Now you actually take to the pitch for the glory of your club.

New intelligent AI ensures that your 11 men on the pitch make realistic decisions, finding space and passing like professionals. A complete overhaul of the game engine now means that you have to employ real world tactics, make realistic decisions and think like a player in order to win matches.

Take on the updated and improved challenge of the Manager Mode. Player values and wages have been tuned to be even more realistic. Managerial decisions have even more tangible effects on player performance and welfare. Smarter CPU decisions mean rival managers are even more strategic in their own pursuit of silverware.

Customer Reviews

Bugs bugs bugs
I had high expectations for this game after reading some very good reviews for it. Sadly there are a decent amount of bugs which EA don't seem to be keen on releasing patches for. The main one is jerky, unsmooth graphics during gameplay AND in cut scenes. There are work arounds posted all over the net. Some work to an extent, others don't work at all. Even on a high spec PC which far exceeds the minimum requirements, these problems still occur.

Not a completely positive experience
There are still a number of frustrations attached to this game. Firstly it has cost me more than it should. Using a controller (and PC adapter) which hails from the days when the household boasted a Playstation2 and a PC I found it impossible to get any response from the right stick. As the controller action was less than perfect in any case I surmised the PS2 controller was faulty and purchased another only to find the same problem. By this time I was mad and determined to see what the damn thing did so I then purchased a Logitec analogue pad with success this time.

If I had checked the forums before my rash spending spree I would have seen evidence the problems already being experienced with controllers. It would appear from my own experience that, despite there being a PS2 version of the game the PS2 controller cannot be used effectively in the PC version.

Of the game itself, improved though it is, there is still a fundamental lack of balance when the playing against the AI which Konami have successfully addressed in PES. (I appreciate the on-line and LAN experience is highly regarded but not everyone has the opportunity or need to play against human opponents) Basically the AI plays like the Dutch `total football' of the 70s but on speed. If adopting a 4-4-2 formation you will be in trouble as it will not be uncommon for 2 or 3 of your team being met by 8 defenders. When the AI breaks the imbalance becomes obvious. You would imagine that you might have 7 or 8 defenders yourself in this scenario but no, your lads appear to have continued up field while 4 or 5 AI players descend on your depleted ranks with even the most gifted of players in your side being incapable of matching pace with the attackers over a relatively short distance.

Despite the various formations there is little evidence of a midfield actually operating for much of the time with a serious gap between the human controlled teams `strikers' and the rest of the team which is not always resolved.

The game has a number of playing modes with management mode offering more than its share of frustrations. While we should not expect anything approaching `Football Manager' status the management element of this game is downright sloppy at times. You begin the season with a set of objectives which, in some cases, can only be described as nonsensical. The nonsensical element might include tying a less than impressive player in your squad to a new 3 year contract. Then in-year Board demands do not always align with the seasons objectives (some might claim this reflects life but not to the extent the format of these contradictions take).

The commentary has become more intuitive but I could only manage half a season before the repetition finally wore me down.

There is no denying that FIFA is by far the `prettiest' of the fare on offer but even here there are quirks in the coding. I use the long side-view for playing and the AI players positioned in the middle channel travelling from box to box are out of proportion with the rest of the proceedings. At times they look almost `Shrek-like'. A minor point you might think but I can't keep my eyes of them now.

On the plus side, the crowd reaction more or less follows the on-field action which does add to the experience. Also, when you get the right stick to work the trick actions it allows are quite satisfying.

All in all it is a definite improvement from the early days but you can't help wishing just a little less was expended on the eye candy and more dedicated to the game play and content itself.

Quality
I have always been a fan of the FIFA series, believing that every sequel is getting better and better, and this is no exception.
Even though I've been a fan of FIFA, Pro Evolution has been gaining on me. This is because it does have slightly better gameplay and some better graphics, however this does not affect my opionon on FIFA07.

The latest FIFA addition has lots of new and improved features:

Gameplay:
The gameplay is very good. New ball physics add more realism and a more satisfying challenge when playing.
The crowd reactions are very effective. When you're on a break through and looking as though you are about to score a cracking goal, the home crows will start cheering franctically, before stopping at the relevant times.
The goal scoring is what i was most impressed with. It is much harder to score the same goal over and over as in FIFA06. The new 1500+ animations and motions make the game feel a lot more pleasing when watching the keeper performing different dives/saves.
As this is the first FIFA I've owned on PC, the controls have been tricky to get used to. But after 5-6 games or so I was fine! Plus, the manual is not very detailed/clear.

Graphics:
The graphics are pretty decent. The majority of the players look very real, although there are a few acceptions (eg. Ryan Giggs).
The net effects are very good when scoring. This may seem like a very small thing, but on Pro Evo they are not good and this does seem to take something away from that game. However, FIFA has provided quality graphics all round, let alone net effects.

Other Modes:
Manager: The Manager mode is back, and more or less similar to the previous ones. However, there is real money. This also adds to realism which makes the game more authentic and proper.
Craete a team: You can now create a team on FIFA! I was happy about this as I do play for a football club. You make the kits, make the standards and choose the players. You can even design you're own entire team full of your mates!

All in all, this is a great football experience. And althought I only own it because I got it quite cheap of a friend, had I known this game was a good as it is, I would have got it of here anyway!

This game does compete with PES6, take it from a football gamers point of view. Worth buying, whether you own PES or not.