FIFA 07 review

I have played an awful lot of football in the past few weeks. That's what you get for taking on the task of reviewing four games at once. However it really has been worth it. Playing four versions of the same game really does allow one to see where the series is going and evaluate how worthwhile many of the changes have been. I managed to get plenty of time in on PC, PS2 and Xbox versions before heading off into the wilds of Cornwall for my honeymoon, where the PSP version was rather handy.

This is a transitional year for the FIFA franchise. Later this week sees the release of the Xbox 360 versions, which is based on an entirely new engine and was developed apart from the PC, PSP, PS2 and Xbox versions. For that reason the Xbox 360 version of FIFA 07 will be getting its very own review next week. What we have here on the current gen systems is a celebration of the FIFA franchise so far, a game absolutely jam-packed with content and game modes.

The Gaffer

The centrepiece of the game is the return of the manager mode. While you can just sit and watch the matches don't be fooled into thinking this is a proper management game. Instead the manager mode adds more depth to the regular season gameplay. You'll buy and sell players, respond to press questions and try to keep the board, players and fans happy. I particularly like answering the press questions and wish there were more of these in the game.

Once you've chosen your team the club's board will make it clear what their expectations of the current season are. For a top club such as Manchester United the aspirations will be very high, such as winning two pieces of silverware and extending the contract of a star player. Meanwhile the more modest teams might wish to reach the playoffs in their particular league or in some cases simply avoid relegation.

A La Mode

Besides the manager modes there's plenty more to do and see. We're talking lots of leagues, teams, stadiums (including the new Wembley) and competitions. You can play and English Premiership seasons for example without having to bother with the manager mode. Or you can set up your own custom competitions.

When it comes to multiplayer the most important new addition is the new Live Leagues system. It's a concept that's been around for a while, I've certainly chatted to friends about the idea of something like this. The way it works is that you choose your favourite teams. Then a few days before each real world fixture, you get to play multiplayer matches against other players who have chosen the opposite team as their own favourite. The accumulated results are then totalled up and the points given to the team that came out best.

Over the course of the season it's going to be very interesting to see how this plays out. Are Manchester United and Chelsea going to top the table as they are currently doing in the real world or will the most skilful fans of Reading take the Premiership trophy. Live Leagues is a great idea and although it only covers a few of the leagues in the game it's yet another welcome addition.

System of the World

The other major change this year is the revamp to player animations and ball physics. As previously mentioned, for the total rebuild of FIFA you're going to have to go to the Xbox 360 version. But here on PC and current gen consoles EA has really done wonders with the game engine. FIFA has never been so crisp and fluid, giving so much control and ability to the player. Every aspect of the gameplay seems to have been improved and this really is one of the finest football games to date once you get on the pitch.

The new ball physics play a major part in that. No longer does the ball stick to players' feet. Instead it bobbles around and moves very realistically. Shooting really benefits from this and you'll see some very natural rebounds for goal-hanging strikers to knock in. The keepers too really work hard now and on the higher difficulty levels you will have to work hard to score goals. The AI teams put up a strong fight. FIFA 07 is a joy on the pitch thanks to all the detailed nuances in the animation such as the the ability to jostle in the air to win a high ball.

On PC

Perhaps the most disappointing version of the game is the PC version. Those of you with 1GB graphics cards and Core 2 Duo CPUs may be wondering why you have to play the same game as the PS2 owners and not the revamped version that's going to be enjoyed by Xbox 360 owners. It's a very good question. Instead your lumbered with the old gen version and it really isn't very efficient. I certainly struggled to get the same performance out of the PC version that I did out of the PlayStation 2.

The graphics are detailed and you do have a lot of content and all the game modes to play with, but I never found it a smooth experience or one I enjoyed as much as the console versions. However if you've got the PC horsepower to make it a smooth experience, a willingness to fiddle with config files and the yearning to download unofficial patches and content this should be the version you pick up.

On PSP

The PlayStation Portable version of FIFA 07 is my joint favourite versions. There's a surprising amount of content in the game and it's only lacking a few features of the big console versions. The most notable absence is the more detailed pre-game strategy section. However the on-pitch action is almost as good as you'd expect from the PlayStation 2.

It's not the smoothest of games on PSP, but the graphics are attractive and detailed and you've all the usual presentational goodies such as Clive Tyldesley and Andy Gray's commentary. I did find playing the game tougher on PSP than the other versions when playing at the same difficulty level. This could be down to the graphics not being as smooth, shots being hard to judge on a smaller screen or the usual problems of the PSP's poor controls.

However the PSP does benefit from one fantastic feature in that you can transfer your manager mode progress to and from the PlayStation 2. So you can play on PS2 then before you jet off on holiday, just transfer the data over, and continue the same season, with the same stats and players. An excellent feature.

PlayStation 2 and Xbox

These are the two best versions of the game in my mind and are near identical when it comes to content and game modes. As previously mentioned the PlayStation 2 version benefits from the link with the PSP version. However the Xbox game has the benefit of the best graphics of any of the current gen versions of FIFA 07 and the wonderful Xbox Live multiplayer service.

Both games are very smooth, but Xbox FIFA 07 looks absolutely gorgeous for a current gen game. If the Xbox 360 hadn't been released yet we'd be cooing over the Xbox version as though it was the second coming. As it stands though, especially in widescreen, FIFA 07 on Xbox looks really pretty, with very smooth motion, animation and gameplay. Should you have all formats and want to choose one to get the game on I would recommend the Xbox version, even if you how a pretty powerful PC.

Final Whistle

I've been very impressed with the latest iteration of the FIFA franchise. This is no mere cash-in update to appease gamers with little knowledge of what makes a decent game. It's a genuine and largely successful attempt to create a deep and satisfying football experience for a variety of platforms. And while we may balk at being fed the current gen version on PC, all versions I tried offered a great game of football with plenty to see and do.

In fact I'm so impressed with the Xbox version I'm now rather worried that the finished Xbox 360 version might not be half as fun or as deep. We'll just have to wait and see next week won't we? But for now it's perfectly safe to recommend the latest version of FIFA on current gen as the best the series has produced so far.