FIFA SOCCER 12 by EA SPORTS Review
PROS
- The clapping and cheering of the crowd really gets your adrenaline pumping.
- Once grasped, the controls have you passing and shooting with fluidity.
- Ridiculous amount of leagues and teams.
CONS
- Gameplay keeps getting interrupted to explain additional controls.
- Overwhelming for new players.
VERDICT
It's FIFA. While the controls have been streamlined and a robust manager mode has been added, whether you drop the money on this year's release comes down to how big a fan of the series you are.
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It's that time of year again when all the new annual iterations of EA Sports' line up get released, and us reviewers are stuck with the task of not only treating these titles as their own game, but simultaneously comparing them to every previous yearly release and seeing how they stack up. So how does FIFA 12 stack up in the world of electronic soccer simulation? Let us delve in and find out.
First off, for those who bemoaned FIFA 11 for neglecting a comprehensive football manager mode (our own review being one of them), you might be happy to know that FIFA 12 has such a mode front and center. You pick a team out of any of the leagues included from all over the globe, and it's up to you to renew contracts, lure talent, train your team, win games, and complete objectives given to you by your backers. This mode alone gives the game longevity as anyone who has sunk their hours into a football manager simulator can attest to.
For those not interested in that level of involvement, there is the normal exhibition mode where one can pick a team and play a game with their own preferred options, and for those unsure of what they want to play, there is also a daily challenge mode. During the actual game, controls are very similar to last year's offering. The buttons are packed more into the corner, and simple touches and swipes on the field can be used to pull off complex maneuvers. The control scheme will take a little while to get used to, and how the game initially interrupts play to tell you new things is annoying, but once you grasp how to play, you'll be passing and shooting with the greatest of ease.
If there's any lacking part of FIFA 12, it would have to be the presentation, specifically the visuals. The fields and players look very drab, and there wasn't anything striking about the player animation. The sound on the other hand is top notch, with the cheers of the crowd fueling adrenaline during play, and the commentators not being overly intrusive.
This is FIFA. Fans are either going to purchase this version or keep playing their old versions. For those who are looking for a soccer game, FIFA is among the best and you definitely wouldn't run out of play options with this title.
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$4.99
