FIFA 09: A Review

I myself have been avidly playing FIFA since 199 on the Microsoft Xbox consoles. Previously, I played FIFA 09 for PS3, but then I decided that the social community on Xbox Live was more enjoyable for me than the Sony Online FIFA community. I've played FIFA on my cousins PSP, but I was unimpressed with the results. In my opinion the PSP controls inadequately support a game such as FIFA 09. EA Sports have made astounding improvements from FIFA 08 making FIFA 09 an astounding game.

The gameplay in FIFA 08 is smooth and is extremely user friendly resulting in players scoring tons of goals, but I find more goals are scored in the 2009 version of the game. FIFA 09 has significantly improved graphics which makes the players seem almost real on your television. The game looks astounding in if you play with HD Gaming.

Playability Of FIFA 09:

FIFA 09 has great playability that favors smooth, attacking soccer. Controls are all the same as FIFA 08, but scoring goals has become much easier. Overall the game runs extremely smoothly because you can control the actions of each player much closely. The extent of control that you have over each player really brings a level of intricacy to the game. New controls include pressing as a team, sending defenders to attack, and performing an array of celebrations after a goal is scored.

Improved Referee System:

In FIFA 08 the match officials were not seen on the field with the players as they would be seen in a professional soccer match. An improvement that has been made to FIFA 09 is that the referees are seen in high definition right next to the players. The AI refereeing system is extremely fair compared to the '08 version of the game. This allows more room to utilize strategies such as the off-sides trap and combination plays.

Shooting:

Scoring has become much easier in FIFA 09 because of the increased speed of passes and players, but not because of the ease of shooting. Shooting has become increasingly difficult in '09, but this adds to the realism of the game. This is a game that can be enjoyed by the likes of professional players as well as novice soccer players.

Music & Environment:

Unlike FIFA 08, '09 offers the game in tons of different languages. Soccer is a sport played in every country in the world so I find that this feature is extremely helpful. Playing the game in different languages is interesting and exciting because it gives you the feel of playing in a different country.

EA Sports truly portrays the games extremely realistically in terms of chants of fans and comments from the commentators. This makes you feel as if you are right there in the game, playing in a professional match.

Team Selection:

FIFA 09 allows you to play as every professional team on the face of the planet. I love this feature because it allows anyone to go out and play as their favorite team. You can even play as a national team which can result in some exciting match ups. I sometimes find myself playing as the U.S. (I live in America) playing against someone from Mexico playing as the Mexican national team. The game is so real that sometimes I feel as if I am representing my national team!

Final Product:

Overall graphics are significantly better in the 2009 version including player movement and the stadium view itself. Having the referee on the field and sideline makes the game more real and the soundtrack is wonderful. Music in '09 portrays the true culture of soccer.

The video demo leading up to the game got me really excited about the game. In my opinion the game lived up to my expectations. Online modes in '09 are exciting and allow you to find matches much quicker. There is reduced lag in 09 and I have experienced significantly less connection problems with players half way across the world.

FIFA 09 is a game that anyone can enjoy if they have the slightest interest in soccer. The gameplay is extremely realistic and portrays principles of soccer surprisingly accurately. In my opinion the game could even be used as a tool to teach young players the finer point of the game. If you love the game of soccer you will fall in love with this astounding game from EA Sports.