FIFA 12 & FIFA Soccer = an amazing gaming experience - DJ's Blog

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FIFA 12 & FIFA Soccer = an amazing gaming experience Stuck

Posted on May 23, 2012 at 11:13 AM.

(11)

OK, I've said it before and I'll say it again; I'm not what you would call a soccer fan, more a ****** observer of the sport. I couldn't tell you what teams play in what leagues, unless I was looking at the breakdown in the game or the Internet, have no idea what championships the teams play for and outside of a handful of players, I don't know who plays for what teams.

So, with all that going against me, and the fact that outside of the old World Cup games on Genesis and FIFA 09, I went ahead and picked up both FIFA 12 for the 360 and FIFA Soccer for the PSVita the other day after being impressed with the Vita demo.

Holy crap!

After just a very short time with both games, I now see why FIFA is so popular. The game is amazing! FIFA 12's player movement is much better than what I've dealt with in Madden and NCAA. Playing against the CPU is a real treat; when they are behind you will see them change tactics and become much more aggressive trying to get that equalizing goal. Likewise, if they are leading, they'll do whatever they can to keep you from scoring.

Teams play different styles, too, and it is noticeable. The ability of players is also noticeable. You can tell the difference when you use a star player as opposed to a lower-rated guy. They run different, handle the ball different and the shooting accuracy isn't the same, either.

The atmosphere is what NCAA should be! The crowd is alive the entire game and when a team, particularly the home team, scores, my gosh! It sounds like Stone Cold Steve Austin just came through the curtain at a WWE pay-per-view back in 1999. That just adds so much to the immersion and makes scoring a goal truly feel special.

The commentary is very good, too. I've even learned a few soccer terms.

On the PSVita, the game is a bit different from 12 as you don't have the tactical defending, but all in all, the game controls really well for a portable and the touch-screen shooting controls were an awesome touch. I don't use them much, but have a couple of times. Graphics are real sharp and the crowd and commentary sound great on the Vita, although I'd recommend using headphones to get the full experience.

I'll likely pay homage to my Italian roots and play Career Mode in the Italian Serie A. I'm looking at one of the 2 clubs based out of Sicily.

I'm using JD's sliders, but playing on Professional and Assisted controls. The game plays like a charm and the great thing is, if I get better, the sliders will still translate to the bump up in difficulty and maybe one day, I can try manual control. For now, I'm happy with where I'm at in that regard, and won't bother with the custom tactics until I get more games under my belt.

To all you ****** and non-soccer fans, I encourage you to give FIFA a try. You will be rewarded with an outstanding sports-gaming experience if you do.

Comments

# 1 jyoung @ May 23

FIFA is unquestionably EA's best sports franchise right now.

# 2 DJ @ May 23

I had heard that for years, Jason, but never gave the game a chance. I'm so glad I did. I still have a lot to learn about the sport, and the game. I'm looking forward to the experience.

# 3 DJ @ May 23

Chris or Steve, thanks for running this on the main page. The photo makes my blog post look 100% better. Hopefully guys like me that are fed up with other sports games will read this and at least give FIFA a shot.

# 4 LucianoJJ @ May 23

FIFA 12 is EA's best. The series continues to evolve and improve. It's a nice balance between core gameplay, presentation, and replay value.

# 5 ShadowBot @ May 23

I can understand why as a ****** fan, you would find fifa amazing. It is easy to get into and it seems to be a deep game from your perspective. As a hardcore soccer fan, i cannot say i share your opinion. In fact, we are completely juxtaposed to one another when it comes to opinion. I would argue that EA's best franchise at the moment is the NHL and i am also a hardcore NHL fan. That being said, to me, both franchises are disappointing.

# 6 DJ @ May 24

Shadow, interesting to hear you say that. It's how I feel about Madden (and slightly less, NCAA) at this point.

I really enjoyed NHL 08-10 but the past 2 years just felt too much like re-treads and there's hardly any attention given to the offline gamer at this point. At least with FIFA, I see a difference between star players and second-tier guys.

I wish NHL had the team tactics/strategy options of FIFA. The Blackhawks should play much differently than the Kings, yet in the NHL, they play exactly the same.

# 7 fearwhatnow @ May 24

I think Shadow is right.DJ, is weird that the cons in the game are pros for you.Cpu AI is questionable at least,they change tectics 1 out of 10 times,their substitutes are illogical most of the time and players individuality is nearly non existent.Finally to see more playing styles you need to manually edit tactics for each team.Game is very good for head-to-head matches with human players but it clearly lacks the offline immersion because of the bad AI both for teammates and cpu.

# 8 cadalyst17 @ May 24

Man! You kids can complain. I wonder if this spoil generation will ever be satisfied on anything? Anyway that is my take.

Glad you like the game DJ. FIFA 12 is a great game that is only getting better.

# 9 mpt54 @ May 26

FIFA Soccer for the Vita was my first game for the system and the only game that I play lol

# 10 bigdoc85 @ May 27

The takeaway from this conversation is that FIFA12 is a great game but there still is room for improvement.

# 11 DJ @ Jan 17

Going with a big bump here ... I'm still playing FIFA Soccer on the Vita, but haven't picked up FIFA 12 for the 360 in several months. I was curious if I should look at picking up FIFA 13 or just stick with 12?