Fifa Soccer / Football 2006 Review for Xbox
Fifa 2006 Review
Date:- November 3rd, 2005Improved Each Year
Each year Fifa has had a new game released in late Autumn. This year is no different with the release of Fifa 2006. The big question is how does it fare from last years offering and how does it compare to its arch rival Pro Evolution Soccer.
Fifa has always been an authentic game with the stadiums, kits and players. This year it is even more realistic and its sometimes hard to tell the difference between it and a real game of football.
Manager Mode
The manager mode is something that was quite weak on last years offering but this release will have you tinkering for hours. Its nothing quite like Championship manager but as an side option to a football simulator its a great feature. It allows you to do 15 seasons, and you will need most of them as you wont be able to manage a top team straight away. You will have to build your way up like any manager in the real game of football. There are some great options and features in it, such as working with not only players, but scouts, coaches and negotiator's. You also can chose sponsorship packages which will get you on your way financially.
Friends Mode
There is a 'play mode' which allows up to 7 of your friends to battle it out in a league. These leagues can even be saved for future party's you will want to have. Be warned though there is a few tricks up EA's sleeves for the better Fifa players. The players at the bottom of the table gather power ups that they can use against other players throughout the game. They can use 'cheap shots' such as tiring opponents players to 50% , awarding yellow cards to a bunch of opponents players and benching opponents stars players before they even start the match.
Commentary
The commentary from Clive Tydsley and Andy Gray is great and adds to games appeal immensely. Ok you hear some things repeated but it would be almost impossible not too. The last few years, Fifa's commentary has been great but this years is even better.
In Match Options
The new in game options allow you to change your tactics on the fly. You can set up tactics such as wide play, over load the opponents box, play the offside trap or play a sweeper. These tactics can be very effective against your opponent if used correctly.
Game Play
The in game play has gone back to basics ditching the ludicrous off the ball runs and the free kick set up has also been revised. The games physics have also been improved and the game is much more realistic and dynamic. The free kick set up has gone retro.There is no target, you now just see right behind the player and where he is looking. You now have to guess and with experimentation you can get it on target with power. Although in my experience the keeper saves the vast majority of them.
Sound
The sound is very very realistic and if you have surround sound you are in for a treat. Some of the songs sung by fans are exactly the same as the real fans sing at various grounds. I can only imagine that recordings have taken place at the matches. There is 38 music tracks that comes with Fifa and there is something for everyone.
Xbox Live Play
Online the game plays very well. There is very little lag through the Xbox Live system. In my games only one out of 20 games would lag. There are a few annoying things though. One is that if your opponent quits out roughly 35 or less minutes into the match you are not awarded the points. I think the reason for this is that if the game is lagging a lot you get a chance to quit the game without losing ranking points. 35 minutes though does seem a long time to decide this however. The ranking system seems to be fair with the harder games coming against the higher ranked opponents. Disappointingly Fifa is a very unsociable game online with the vast majority of gamers having their headsets turned off. Some people take it very seriously and you can even get some abuse if you beat them which is a bad point of the Xbox Live Fifa experience. Something that many Xbox Live gamers have asked for with Fifa, is a two v two option. Unfortunately this is missing again from Fifa 2006 but maybe in a future release we will hopefully see it.
Conclusion
Fifa 2006 is a better game than 2005. The whole games plays and feels much more like a real football match. Its authenticity, graphics and sound cant be beaten. The gameplay isn't as good as Pro Evolution Soccer but its getting a lot closer to it every year. The online play through Xbox Live is the best available on any platform. Fifa 2006 is a game that no football fan should be without.
Score
This Fifa 2006 Xbox Review gives a score of 9.1 / 10.