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FIFA STREET XBOX 360 REVIEW |
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The fourth
installment, dubbing by many as FIFA Street, is
an arcade soccer game that has been completely
overhauled by video game sports giant Electronic
Arts. The last entry was made back in 2008; so
fans had to wait four long years to break legs
once again for this FIFA-type madness.
Evidently, this version includes athlete
licensing, which gives the game extra appeal
with players rooting for their favorite stars in
the sport. With a new engine and reworked
animation, it is one of the most exciting
multiplayer-based soccer games around! But it
also has its bad moments and these technical
issues need to be addressed.
One of the things we admire about FIFA Street is
how it stays with the core elements of the FIFA
franchise: tactical yet easygoing; whereas the
previous installment relied heavily on intense
pacing and over-the-top approach to generate an
ongoing set of entertainment. When you are
playing with friends, you don’t have to worry
about “missed opportunities” here, such as the
ability to score again off of those bounced
shots, or needlessly switching to another AI
just to get to the ball. The fact that the
multiplayer features simple yet effective
control scheme makes shared work-load among
human beings a lot lighter! You and your friends
can solely concentrate on creating ways to score
and defending your side against unwanted goals.
Unfortunately, we can’t show the same feeling of
enthusiasm for the game’s single-player mode.
The main reason is that the AI (of your own
team) is so mindless that you’re just going to
play “catch-ups” more than anything else!
Defending has become quite difficult. For instance, when
your opponent is on a fast-break, the game
should automatically switch to the player
closest to the ball. More often than not, you
are diverted to your farthest wingman (who is on
the side of the defensive formation) instead of
blocking at the center. Another annoying issue
we noticed is that AI opponent is utterly
flawless in protecting the ball, doing various
body-shielding to dissuade any type of tackles.
This is not the case when you have possession.
At default setting, your player can no longer apply simple defensive skills
just so you can sustain the ball. |
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PRODUCT
OVERALL RATING: 8.0 OUT OF 10 |
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Playing
through the single-player mode, we have found
ourselves increasingly frustrated. The collision
physics in FIFA Street is terrible. You can’t
steal the ball without your legs being uprooted.
There seems to be a force field, churning you to
the side whenever you try to attack the opposing
player head on. When you get tackled down, it
takes forever to recuperate into standing form.
Passing is also a major issue in the game. It’s
so inaccurate that it leads to other team
intercepting the ball! It just feels like the
game does a bad job of locking in a particular
player. What’s more, goalkeepers tend to make
inexplicable decisions, leaving your goal
exposed. So as you can see, FIFA Street is meant
to be played in multiplayer. It just seems like
you have to do all the work to get the results
in the single-player experience.
FIFA Street offers a great reward system. The
way it's laid out is that you have to pay for
the special tricks. You earn them by performing
“Pannas” (actively crafting your own stylish
ankle-breakers),
Last Man Standing (a type of elimination match),
and competing in World Tour to name a few. These
tricks are amazing! You can do rainbow shot,
roulette crossover, and various types of fancy
juggling! They are relatively easy to use and
add enhancement to your dribbling. Not only are
they spectacular to perform but they also
work with a degree of practicality. Speaking of
dribbling, FIFA Street emphasizes on brilliant
mechanics, or at least it tries to give you
greater control of the ball. Holding down the
left trigger allows you to pin your player to
the spot. In this stance, you can manipulate the
ball and then embarrass your opposition when you
knock it pass him or through his legs upon
releasing the trigger button.
The game features various all-star teams with
top leagues and major countries being represented.
This is heightened by urban menu screens and
graffiti-inspired presentation. The part we like
most besides having authentic teams in the game
is the ability to create your own player and
build your own franchise! Then use this custom
team to compete in World Tour and try to make it
all the way to Brazil, where the ultimate
championship cup is held. You can even recruit
athletes around the league to be added into your
roster along the way. Though the stages in World
Tour are nothing like their real counterparts,
they have good level of details. They look
interesting and vibrant with great deal of
variety from each other. These environments
range from Cathedral, backstreets, parks, gyms,
and rooftops. Just don’t expect any colorful
commentaries. Instead, you will be able to
relish on some great Latin-mixed soundtracks.
FIFA Street is a great sports game as long as
you stick to its multiplayer component. The
controls are easy to learn and provide cool ways
to manipulate the ball. The animation is
incredibly smooth and the different environments
offer lasting replay value. The gameplay however
suffers from mindless AI. As a result, it is
difficult to defend your opposition. The
terrible collision mechanics send you in
frustrating tangles. The passing needs more
tweaking so that when switching, you can be the
closest to the ball. Needless to say, all of
these flaws can be remedied simply by playing
with friends, eliminating the need to rely on
chances alone. The new trick system is indeed a
welcome change that is both smart and stylish.
Overall, FIFA Street is definitely the FIFA game
you want to have for a fun soccer party. |
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