October 5, 2008 Print Preview

Review – FIFA 09

Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions reviewed.

Fifa 08’s expected follower has arrived. It always gets better each year, tweaking this and that by fractions. Last year with Fifa 08 (PS3) the version improved more compared to the PS2 version than most of the previous years. Now with the ability to go much further than the PS2 (which was successful), Fifa 09 has arrived.

The first thing you notice is the basic black background with red hexagons – in high definition. Good start for the potential. Then you come to the setting up of My Fifa 09... which has been made longer and more annoying. You just want to get in and play, none of this fiddle with that, change this, make sure my favourite club is correct.

Once you get it, it introduces you to the main feature – EA online. This gives you an option to download the latest club updates from around the globe to your console. You will also have the option to download player updates with Adidas Live Season. Let me explain - if someone plays well in real life, then this will be reflected in the game. You only get this until the end of the 08/09 season though. After that, you will have to pay for the privilege.

As far as settings are concerned, you don’t have to have 2 massive front teeth (Ronaldinho) during practice 1 on 1. You are allowed to choose from any player on the game. As far as I see it, an extra option which won’t bug you to choose is a positive for me. The 1 on 1 gets even better before matches, too. It will give you a 3-second countdown to when it’s ready, then when it’s done it changes to the stadium you are about to play in. It’s much nicer than having the same old boring look, so another positive here.

In terms of becoming a pro mode, there is a lot more detail. There is a performance bar which varies depending on what you do. It tells you where to go for positioning and what you have gained/lost for. Examples include: Jostle, dribbling, positioning. These can work both ways. However, I find there to be one issue with positioning. As a centre-forward, you take a shot and it is saved – standard. But when you come to positioning, the game wants you well back for their defence. But you are half way up the pitch more than they want you to be, and you have about 5 seconds to get down. You lose sprint, rating and if you get the ball back are unable to score without sprint. Not a perfect system, but definitely an improvement. If you manage to score, you get to choose your celebration, another new feature. Press start to get to the list of 36 different celebrations. Maybe unnecessary, but why not when you don’t have to use it?

For manager mode, there are only ever 3 sponsors to choose from, with less details. It’s much less down to you and more down to the board, it seems like they are the manager. On the plus side, if you play it you get a pre-match scout report to edit your last minute tactics as well as fantastic graphics. If you simulate, you get a question to think about whilst it simulates. Eventually questions get repeated, but it is still better than nothing. It will also give a full list of results to give you an idea of the table. The table itself is also put on the front page, along with top scorers and fixtures, rather than club stats. Overall, manager mode has changed for the better. You get a lot more control over your players, and the attention to detail is fantastic; you can change even the minutest of details in your team.

FIFA 09 is fantastic, and with the addition of Adidas Live Season, its definitely worth the upgrade from FIFA 08. However, if you're not connected to either the Playstation Network or Xbox Live then the other improvements don't justify the extra £30 over FIFA 08.

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