The world's sport is football (or soccer) and rightfully so. The World Cup is held every four years, making it the largest sporting event ever, with millions of fans pouring into stadiums to watch their teams either move forward with high hopes or fail to wait another dreadful four years to qualify out of hundreds of teams. That is why this is such a special time and why EA's FIFA World Cup 2006 focal point is set in the World Cup.
Compared to EA's first attempt at a next-generation soccer title (FIFA: Road to the World Cup), this one has substance and so much depth it is entirely possible you won't be able to explore everything until the next soccer title is released. Having the chance to play all of the sports titles on the Xbox 360 thus far, this one stands out in so many ways it makes us grateful that EA decided to finally put one in the net. GOAL!
With so many options where in the world do you start with this game? Well, first let's start with the game's presentation. Although you don't start out on a practice field like Road to the World Cup (though there is the Practice Mode), the menu is very user-friendly and filled with so many options. Going from one menu to the next is incredibly easy and doesn't require any loading time, although getting into the actual game does. And this doesn't bother us especially seeing the gorgeous fields and player models. The first thing I really liked about the menu was the 3-D globe in the backdrop. It serves a purpose, showing the location of your team, and also gives the game a grand appearance.
Since this game is a next-generation title, many of you are asking yourself about the graphics. Well, you can be assured that not one detail was spared to make this game beautiful, lively, and finally feel like the real thing. Finally, stadiums show true color and brilliance with eager fans waving large flag s, confetti, balloons fall into the roaring stands, and yes...even fireworks shoot for the sky during major tournaments. There's banners, streamers - you name it. Though the camera can be too far for players' liking, it is nice to be able to choose from various styles. Plus you can adjust the zoom levels and the height.
Yet one of the most impressive things was the attention to the atmosphere; the lighting and shadows are so impressive the game can easily be mistaken for a real broadcast. Frankly, this is what all sports fans want from their sports titles and FIFA World Cup 06 delivers. From the sweltering heat of daytime, to the hazed evening, everything is set to portray a real soccer game. Not absent is the realistic shadows, which are different for each stadium (of course), plus the fact that every stadium carries with it varied patterns of grass. No single stadium is alike. Especially noticeable when first playing on one of these larger-than-life stadiums is the confetti scattered on the field, either on the sidelines or in the area of the goals. To say the least, this looks great and adds a visual history to the stadium.
But what about the players, the heroic figures that make soccer the heart pounding sport that it is? Unlike the blurry player models in the previous title, World Cup 06 has some of the greatest looking player models on any soccer field to date. Player animations are even more stunning and there is no "popping" transitions and every brutal tackle looks painfully real. Up-close shots of the players give us a glimpse of disappointment when the ref holds up the yellow card or the numerous celebrations after making that definitive goal.
This time around in FIFA World Cup 2006, you can expect to score more often, but that all depends on the way you play the game...and the difficulty levels. Experimenting with defensive and offensive players along with your formations can be a lot to handle, but every player can find their zone and dominate the field with the right combination. Paying attention to your teams capabilities is important when combining all of these things together, making it both complicated but user-friendly at the same time.
For novice players of soccer titles, finding your sweet spot with offensive and defensive calls can be easy, but formations on the other hand are a little trickier. But defining your strategy by mixing and matching these key elements can help you out, but handling the ball is where the real deal com es in. The right stick allows you to perform various moves, which can allow you to sneak by a defender or two. On the other hand, you can lose the ball easily if you perform certain moves that are above an inexperienced player's skill level, which can cost you a possession or even worse: the opponent scoring. All in all, there is a heavy learning curve, especially if you are a first-timer to the game...or even soccer. "Star players" are in the game and their capabilities on the field stick out from the other players. You can control dribblers, shooters, speed-freaks (as I call them), midfielders, and so much more. It would have been nice, for novice players, to know what skill type the controlled player possesses. NBA 2K6 did this by displaying unique symbols by players when controlling them instead of a global star for all skill types.
All teams participating in the World Cup are playable in this game making it huge. When we mentioned the amount of depth in this game, we truly meant it. Although, sadly, Dynasty Mode is absent. Yet there is a load of exploring to do and the replay value is huge. First, you'll probably explore the "World Cup Mode," which includes many qualifying rounds to choose from. You can play in the finals, or for instance compete in the Asian finals. There are numerous continents (North America, South America, Asia, Europe, Africa and Oceania) and within them are the teams. Each of these teams is rated so you know if are choosing a team that is an offensive powerhouse or more focused defending the net. Either way, there's something for everyone, including those novices looking to learn and veterans begging for a huge challenge.
Mentioning challenges, one of the new modes is Global Challenges, allowing you to play historical matches. A spin to this is completing one major challenge, which gives you a Bronze Medal. Those of you seeking a huge challenge, however, will go for the two bonus goals and gain the gold. By all means, this is no easy quest. You have 40 Global Challenges, each one requiring you to perform different tasks, such as scoring a total of four goals (remember there's two additional challenges to gain gold on top of four goals).
After each match, you can mark out your defeated opponent in the EA Passport. This basically keeps track of all of the teams you defeat. A load of unique objectives, like a three win streak, can be completed to earn points to purchase new balls, uniforms, and even unlock historic players. Disappointing is the fact that there are hardly enough uniforms to unlock. It would have been nice to see more focus on uniforms instead of tons of soccer balls. But who can complain? At least it's there.
You can't have a good soccer game without some great commentary from Clive Tyldesley and Andy Townsend. It seems to me EA Sports did a great job with the commentary, as key possessions are pointed out, names are said on a regular basis with accuracy, and there is an excitement with every close goal, save, tackle, or score. One thing I enjoyed was opinionative comments, such as, "Oh...I do believe he dese rved at least a yellow card there."
The online portion of this game has also been given a nifty boost with the much-needed FIFA Lounge, which is great to see. There are both ranked and unranked matches, so you can experienced the world of soccer against a living, breathing opponent. Although there is some lag here and there, it is not very noticeable. And considering they allow 4 players on the field (two on either team), this makes matches even more tense and allow for some excellent four and eight player tournaments. Single player was enough, but improving the online portion makes this game royalty.
Of course, EA's FIFA titles have been known for their brilliant soundtracks. You can shuffle through your EA Trax, as they are called, and choose the music of your liking. It would have been nice to be able to play certain songs during celebrations or even in-game, as an extra option. But as it is, the sound effects are better than ever in this new installment. The crowd not only cheers constantly, but they chant phrases, celebrate during key moments, or become more silent depending on the mood. Honestly, music isn't needed when the crowd sound effects are this good! Of course, there is very few actual on-field sound, except for dribbling and kicking. It would be nice to see a half-time report, hear player voices, and especially hear their disappointment or excitement while seeing it.
Finally, in the end I have never seen a sports game that is this polished. Although we all know that NBA 2K6 remains as one of the better sports games on the lot at the moment, this time around I will proudly say that this is the best sports game to date. And I didn't say just the best soccer game either - so keep that in mind when picking this one up. Though it is lacking Dynasty Mode, there is enough replayability that you completely forget about it. It would have been nice to go on a 30 year journey with your team through wins and losses, but in the end with this much innovation FIFA World Cup 2006 delivers a replayable, plus enjoyable, game of soccer. It's perfect for the novice player looking to learn about soccer and go out on the practice field or play a friendly match, or the hardcore soccer fanatic in all of us!
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