FIFA '08

8.0
Great

Gameplay	8.0	"The PS2 version has other versions by the balls."
Graphics	7.0
Sound	7.0
Value	9.0

By Angus Deacon

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As my mother used to say to me every morning, looks aren’t everything. Despite the massive shortfall in the graphics department, many may be surprised to hear that the PS2 version of Fifa ’08 offers a lot more enjoyment than its prettier, more expensive 360 alternative. However, the reasons for this become apparent when you realise that the older generation console versions have a different development team altogether.

The differences are really highlighted when the ball hits the pitch. The 360 version, although brimming with eye-candy, seemed painfully clunky and slow. Passes failed to connect with defender AI, which itself ranged from impossibly difficult to just plain stupid. Even the players seemed unresponsive at times - so much so that playing Fifa ’08 on the PS2 seemed like a religious experience. The action is intense straight from the kick-off with fluid dynamics and an almost Pro Evolution Soccer arcade feel about it. However, as many Fifa fans will know, EA have always added in more finesse and detail to their titles than Konami. With the flick of the right analogue stick you can pull off tricks, pin-point through passes and string together impressive plays from one end of the pitch to the other.

Many of you will roll your eyes when I state the pace of the game but Fifa is very well balanced. Don’t expect to see eight or nine goals scored in the first half. Although there is plenty of action from end to end the final score-line is kept realistic mainly thanks to the super-human goalkeepers. These agile and rock-solid goalies can reach out and grab point-blank shots on goal that would usually decapitate a regular mortal. Luckily though, there is even a separate difficulty setting for the goal-keepers if you want to see more balls in the back of the net.

A lot of you may be thinking, “Oh joy – yet another Fifa title. Why should I buy it when I have ’07 gathering dust?” Well I’m glad you asked. Fifa ’08 does have plenty of snazzy new features but the most important one in my opinion is the introduction of several new leagues to partake in - primarily the introduction of the Hyundai A-League, complete with New Zealand’s own Wellington Phoenix FC. Anyone who watches the A-League knows how thrilling this small league of eight teams all battling it out can be. It’s especially great to have something so close to home.

Another welcome addition is the ultra-stylish “Be a Pro” mode where you control a single footballer of your choice and learn to play as part of a disciplined team. Of course, you could just grab the ball and run around the pitch for 90 minutes, hogging it and trying to score. But the built in stamina bar will soon have your player having a cardiac arrest on the side-line. I found this out the hard way. Fifa ’08 also lets you create a player using a fairly standard array of faces, haircuts and… wristbands. Perhaps the level of customisation is limited, but inserting a digital likeness of yourself into your favourite team and seeing your name on the back of a shirt when you slot that winning goal past the keeper is uber cool.

Fifa ’08 even caters for those who are sick of the on-field action with the Management Mode letting you play around with player stats and more numbers than an accountant’s wet-dream. Being the officially branded game, Fifa ‘08 comes packed with details and information. It includes 620 Fifa licensed teams, 30 unique leagues and more than 15,000 players. Before you get your abacus out, that’s 20% more than Fifa ‘07. Players will be dribbling with David Beckham in the LA Galaxy one moment, winning the Premier Division with Chelsea and then cleaning up with the Yukong Elephants in the South Korean League. There are honestly hours upon hours of soccer madness to be had here. Plus not to mention the online mode where you can take your favourite team and play in interactive leagues with other Fifa nuts around the world.

Finally, if this still isn’t enough to tempt you to upgrade to the 2008 version, there is one more new feature added. With a click of your right analogue stick, you can take direct control of your number 1 shirt, the goalkeeper. If an opponent striker has busted through your defence and is now one-on-one with the keeper you can either let the AI deal with the threat or try and stop the goal yourself - whether it’s holding your ground and trying to guess which way it will go or charging at them before pressing the triangle button to dive at their feet. It does take some getting used to, and many may prefer to watch and hope – but this is certainly a very clever feature that will satisfy the more hardcore players. More importantly, this goalkeeper control comes in handy when defending free kicks. First you can move your defensive wall before shifting your keeper a bit to the left or right depending on where the gap lies. Of course when I tried it the ball went soaring into the other side of the net, leaving my teammates mouthing some rather colourful words. But with practice, Fifa ’08 is a very comprehensive soccer game. Thankfully this includes a vast commentary which is supplied by the ever entertaining Martin Tyler and Andy Gray.

Sadly however, many 360 owners will buy this game and be slightly disappointed with the gameplay aspects. With the different developers involved, the 360 version doesn’t include some of the features like the manual through-ball that gives you a lot more control over the fluidity of the game. Sure, PS2 owners on the other hand have slower loading times and big polygon heads running around the pitch. However I’m willing to sacrifice aesthetics for a good kick-around any day.

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