Fifa Football / Soccer 2005 - Xbox - Review

Over the last few years there has really only been two soccer games worth playing (with a few exceptions). They are off course EA's Fifa Football and Konami's Pro Evolution Soccer (known as Winning Eleven in Japan). Each year each games boasts new features and updates to hopefully improve each new title.

Fifa 2005 -New additions - Online play and First Touch

Fifa 2005 is no exception and has two big new things. The first is its online capability and second the new first touch manoeuvre. Xbox Live gamers have been long awaiting a big title football came to make its online debut. England International Football was released mid 2004 but was a very average game with a poor response from online gamers. The first touch move has been introduced to allow a more realistic game to develop. It involves flicking the right analogue stick just before the player receives the ball, which then will touch the ball into the direction moved.

Fifa 2005 - Physics

The physics in Fifa Football 2005 have also been improved and the whole game now plays with a much more realistic feel. Deflections and the movement of the ball are now much more real like. The throw in procedure has been modified and it is now much easier to throw the ball to a player in space. The new corner facility is a downside to the game. It involves picking one of three corners ( near post, far post or driven ) and picking one targeted player out. It then involves using the left and right analogue sticks to move and push your way into space for the incoming corner. However in my experience the keeper simply comes out and catches or punches the ball in 80% of occasions.

Fifa - Off the ball movement

The Off The Ball movement was introduced in Fifa 2004 and retains its place in 2005. I feel that with a lot of practice this can be used to great effect but it is really not necessarily needed to beat either real opponents or the CPU. It works by pressing the white button, then picking out a player with a pass or making them run into space then play a pass to them. It is hard to master and is a bit of a lottery whether it comes off.

Fifa 2005 - Single Player game

In the single player game, the season campaign has also been improved. It allows you to play your way through the leagues starting at a low division team. The duration is up to 15 seasons and don't expect to manage a big club like Manchester United in the first 6 seasons without a bit of luck. The mode has been designed to work alongside the managerial game Total Club Manager 2005. It will allow you to import your progress from it into Fifa Football 2005. One of the downsides to the game is that if you are looking to sign a certain type of player you have to physically scroll throw each player till you find your target signing.

Authenticity

The authenticity of Fifa Football / Soccer has always been excellent and this release is no different. The teams kits, new signings and stadiums are very realistic and some of the very best seen in any football game ever produced. The clubs new signings are up to date with say Wayne Rooney and Michael Owen at their new clubs Manchester United and Real Madrid respectively. The player animations and looks are also very very good. On a small tv it would be hard to say if you are looking at a full CGI face or real television. Such players like Christanio Ronaldo and David Beckham can easily be spotted by their own running style.

Fifa Football - Sound and Commentary

The commentary and sound of Fifa Football 2005 is truly excellent. Ally McCoist and John Motson provide the commentary and even after many games they come up with new comments and views not previously heard. There are some flaws to it but all in all an excellent part of the game.

Fifa Xbox Live Play

This is a major part to the game and what this website is dedicated to - Xbox Live Football games. There are now an estimated 30,000 gamers that are online with Fifa Football / Soccer 2005. The online part of the game is good with no big problems although there are a few flaws. Firstly the whole menu system is slow and could be speeded up. You can also exit a ranked game in the first half without being given the loss / win on the rankings board. There is very little lag, EA's own servers host the online play and there were a few doubts about this pre release but it has worked well. The competition as always on Xbox Live is very high. Their are players that play the game for many hours each day and have just about perfected the game. These players can be beaten though with a bit of luck and a good bit of skill. It is relatively easy to break into the top 10,000 and even the top few hundred if you put in the hours and have a reasonable standard of computer gaming skill. Online play can be set up in a single ranking or non ranking game or by playing in an tournament. The ranking system shows only the top 10,000 player which should be increased in many players opinions. The Xbox Live online play with Fifa 2005 is good and plays very well. It is however, possible to score the same goals over and over by using the same techniques and tactics. As previously mention the physics of Fifa have been improved but could be improved further to a standard that has only recently been seen in the Pro Evolution series.

Review Rating

Fifa Overall Score 8.5 / 10.

A great game with authenticity, graphics and good game play. However not meeting Pro Evolutions realism.