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FIFA 06 Online >> FIFA 06 Review
Added On Oct 18th, 2005
Gameplay – 8/10
First touch was a great introduction last year and remains in this year’s version. This year the major new control introduced this year is the “pace control”. If you have played the Pro Evolution Soccer series then you would have a fair idea how this works. By holding the pace control your player in possession slows down to almost a walking pace. This then allows him to stop the ball, perform drag-backs and side-step with the ball. As you become more experienced with the gameplay you will learn that using this is very useful while waiting for supporting players.
One of my criticisms from last year’s version was in fact that there was not enough supporting runs made by the players without the ball. In FIFA 2005 the players seem to stick to their position too much, meaning most attacks were created and finished by the strikers. EA have addressed this issue and support now comes from all parts of the pitch, with the wingers also making central runs into a goal scoring position.
The tactics are also adjustable on the fly. In a similar style to the American sports games, attacking and defensive tactics can be switched with a click of the D-Pad. You can choose wing play to send your full-backs on forward runs, or set Box Overload on so your players attack the opposition’s penalty area from all areas. Defensively, you can set the line you want your defence to play at and whether they are going to press or stick to a zone.
The controls are very sharp, that is, if you play with skilled players in good conditions. A team with less skill need noticeably more time on the ball to balance and execute what they want to do next. One-touch passing, shooting and heading is all executed well in FIFA 06. However there are times when I am trying frantically to hit the ball into an open goal, or clear it from danger, and it doesn’t respond immediately. The controls are very good, but still not quite to the level of PES. Although one particular area I prefer it to PES is that the players cannot just do a 180 turn and easily keep control. I found in PES4 that it was far to easy to turn the defenders one way and the next using this, leaving space open for the shot. This is one of the few areas FIFA 06’s gameplay is more realistic than PES..
I am still not 100% convinced with the shooting in FIFA 06. It hasn’t improved a whole lot since FIFA 2005. Even in harder difficulties it is too easy to get a shot on target. The goalkeepers balance this somewhat. On the harder difficulties getting a long shot past the goalkeeper is quite an achievement as they react and move across their line very quickly. When closer in and one-on-one with the goalkeeper, it is too difficult to score across the goalkeeper, something that attackers normally do successfully in real life. However scoring from close-range at the near post is too easy, as the goalkeepers seem to position themselves too centrally, leaving an inviting gap between themselves and the upright.
The opposition vary their attacks this year. English clubs playing 4-4-2 tend to prefer crosses from the wing, while Italian clubs prefer playing the counter attack with a more central mentality. The opposition also make good use of the skill moves on offer and this year take more long shots than last year. The AI is still a fair way off the AI you see in PES but it is improving each year.
Overall I still prefer the gameplay from the PES series, however FIFA 06 does have its advantages. The main one is that the gameplay in FIFA 06 is more flowing than what I have seen in PES4. I am yet to play PES5 yet, but PES4 had a ridiculous amount of free kicks that the ref seemed to pull from nowhere. FIFA 06’s refs don’t disrupt the gameplay and pay the advantage rule intelligently. However if you were buying a football game purely for gameplay, PES would still be the way to go as it has superior controls, ball physics and AI.
Graphics – 8/10
Authenticity has gone even a level above this year. This has always been one of FIFA’s strong points. Now it seems that every club from the 21 licenced leagues have their own authentic logo and kit. Player likenesses have also been improved. More players than ever before now have their own realistic face. Take a major club such as Man Utd or AC Milan and you won’t find one generic face in the starting line-up, with many reserves and benchwarmers also accurately represented. However, as there are so many teams in FIFA 06, most players have to do with a generic face.
My favourite graphical improvement this year is the nets. The net physics from previous FIFA’s didn’t give you a great sense of satisfaction when you scored. Now when you score watch the ball bulge into the back of the net as your player goes off to celebrate. Talking about celebrations, they are now more varied. In FIFA 2005, when Thierry Henry kicked a goal, you knew his celebration would always be the same despite the situation. In FIFA 06 celebrations are now based on the situations. A goal when you’re 2-0 down near the end will see the player rush to pick the ball out of the back of the net, while a goal when you’re 3 goals up will typically result in a more casual celebration.
Graphics during the gameplay seem sharper this year. The colours also seem more realistic. Adding to this is a new “Dynamic” camera. The camera is my favourite in the FIFA series yet. It is closer to the action but you can still see a lot of the pitch. The angle also adjusts depending on which part of the ground the ball is.
I have tested the graphics on two different versions, PC and Xbox. Both have their advantages and disadvantages. The texturing of the player faces is smoother on Xbox than the PC version. However, the graphics during night games on the Xbox are toned towards green for some reason, something that doesn’t exist in the PC version. The reflections on the Xbox version during night games also produce strange results. If you have a reasonable PC, I would suggest getting it on PC. When set on high resolution the graphics look superb. It’s still no Half Life though.
Sound – 9.5/10
Atmosphere. This game has it in bucket loads. If you shut your eyes and listen to the crowd sounds, you would think you’re at the stadium. FIFA 06 has chants of all kinds. If you are in Spain you won’t hear the same chants that the English belt out. The major clubs have their own specific chants as well.
When the home team scores a goal, you’ll hear the home fans roar as one. When the away team scores, you can almost hear a pin drop, with the only noise coming from the small section of away supporters. The roars are adjusted on how large the crowd is as well. It’s not all perfect though. If you’re playing a neutral cup game the crowd sounds as if it is a home and away game. So if you score with the team listed as the “away team” in a cup final, you won’t hear the crowd roar when you kick a goal or lift the cup at the end of the match. That aside, the crowd sounds during home and away matches is almost lifelike.
FIFA 06 features two new commentators this year. Clive Tydsley makes his FIFA debut as play-by-play commentator, with Andy Gray returning from a two year spell with his special comments. I much prefer them to the previous duo of John Motson and Ally McCoist seen in previous FIFAs. Tydsley adds to the atmosphere with his enthusiastic call, which is noticeable right from the off. His play-by-play commentary is by far and out the best seen in any football game to date. Andy Gray chimes in with special comments, but isn’t a nuisance like McCoist was. In FIFA 2005 McCoist would often go on about something unrelated even in exciting moments of the match. In FIFA 06 Gray keeps his comments short and simple and doesn’t disrupt the flow of the play-by-play commentary.
Presentation – 10/10
The presentation of FIFA 06 is superb. The menus are slick, simple and easy to navigate. While the presentation during matches is almost exactly how you would see it on TV. The on-screen displays tie in with the commentary very well. Other sports games should take notice, as FIFA 06 is the benchmark on how it should be done.
Game Modes – 9.5/10
Career mode returns in a different form this year as “Manager Mode”. It is similar to last year, with a few differences.
One of them is the introduction of “Team Chemistry”. Team Chemistry is always low to begin with no matter which team you choose. Your job is to build your team and gel them together to improve this rating. It varies with a number of factors. One of them being individual player’s “team experience” in the position he is playing in, which obviously is improved with the more matches he plays. Team Chemistry affects your team’s momentum when they run out on the pitch, so you better keep an eye on it.
At the beginning of your career you can choose from any team except for the 5 star teams. That privilege must be earned by gaining prestige. This is okay if your favourite team is not rated as 5 stars. Otherwise, you will have to either play for a few seasons or unlock this option in the FIFA Shop before you can have a career with your favourite team.
You can now loan players in and loan players out. The transfer system now includes a search feature. Now finding the player you need is much easier to find. Signing them is different matter altogether. Players may reject your offers if they don’t think it’s enough, or they simply don’t think your club is prestigious enough. Player Scouts have been introduced and help to make this process much easier, but they come at a cost as well.
Manager mode does not quite have the depth of some management games, but it is more than enough. There are also plenty of challenges for you to accomplish outside of career mode, along with online play to test yourself against the world.
Overall – 9/10
FIFA 06 is the most complete football game ever to hit the shelves. It has it all: Great sound, a plethora of game modes, authenticity and the necessary solid gameplay to back it up. Still, it’s your decision. If you except nothing but near perfect gameplay then you may want to stick with the PES series. For everyone else FIFA 06 is a great buy and highly recommended.
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