FIFA 10 has only just been announced, but we’ve already had a kick about with an early build. Is it a PES beater? Will it be confined to the bench this year? Read on to see what we think.
The FIFA 10 code for PS3 we played was only 45% complete, but most of the big new features were evident (360 degree dribbling, improved player movement and urgency) in the Manchester Utd vs Chelsea game we got to play.
It takes a few minutes to sink in, but you do start noticing how much smarter the players are in FIFA 10. As you pass around, you see players moving to control a ball in ways they wouldn’t before: if it means taking two steps back to trap a ball better, they’ll now take them rather than magically summon the ball to the ground from chest height. Goalkeepers too now distinguish between balls, going for the easy standing take where possible instead of rolling to the ground dramatically every time.
Momentum also plays a factor: it’s difficult to change direction when you’ve built up speed, meaning a skilled player can shift and now move the ball from foot to foot to dodge past a defender. That takes finesse though, so it’ll take some practice at FIFA 10 to pull it off, a touch we definitely like. Needless to say, we weren’t the ones pulling out the dummies, but falling for them.
Controls have been revamped slightly – and crucially – as well. Ridiculous, crunching tackles made from metres away have been given the red card: you have to get up close and time them very well, especially if you’re charging at speed. That’s combined with 360 degree dribbling: we’re not sure how EA didn’t think of this before, but opening up the field for true 3D movements makes it much more sophisticated. Weaving in and out is a joy now, and positioning has never been so important, but it’ll really take time playing the game to flesh out the intricacies of it.
Unfortunately, this was the only game we could play at this stage so that meant no manager mode to try out, and we were still seeing a bit of clipping as players clashed, but if the improvements still to come are any bit as good as the ones on the field, we can’t wait to try the finished thing. Has FIFA triumphed over PES this year? We’ll have to wait for Konami on that one, but it’s going to be a tall order for it to overcome this lead.
Out Autumn | £TBC | EA
