REVIEW >> FIFA 12: Hands-on

 

Will the new FIFA be a success on all gaming fronts?

In an interview earlier this year, FIFA Creative Director Gary Paterson conceded that it was getting harder and harder to improve on FIFA gameplay. So in a bid to keep the franchise fresh, a series of new elements have been introduced to make FIFA 12 even better than its predecessor.

Not due for a release until later this year. T3 managed to get some hands-on game time with the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions as well as FIFA 12 3DS and FIFA on the iPad 2 (which you can read about below) to see how EA Sports is bidding to make the beautiful game even more well, beautiful.

In our demo time, we got to play a pre-alpha version of the game which means there's significant time to still make changes before it is ready for release. We had the choice of playing with either Arsenal or Chelsea and while elements such as opening entrance scenes and commentary had not yet been added, FIFA 12 still excels in the graphics department delivering us the detailed, realistic player animations which impressed us so much in FIFA 11.

The physical impact engine is the biggest change to FIFA proceedings. This encompasses more believable momentum when players are tackled, jostling and pushing/pulling to retrieve the ball, and getting rid of the jerks that plagued the previous game when going into a tackle. Even at this stage the results are impressive, Players you'd expect to win 50/50 challenges come out on top and you are highly unlikely to see smaller framed players like Samir Nasri being able out muscle someone like Michael Essien.

At set-piece occasions there is more room to assert your physical presence on proceedings. Interestingly that also brings a new dimension to heading with a greater variety of outcomes introduced both from a defensive and attacking perspective. This coupled with the Personality+ feature added in last year's game is another step to delivering lifelike game situations and scenarios on a more consistent basis throughout a match.

Another new element is the dribbling system, so you can expect a more precise turn radius compared to what felt like a jittery 360 dribbling mechanism in FIFA 11. The results of this was one of the stand out aspects from our time with the game. Players swiftly changing direction appears more fluid, so someone like Fernando Torres would be shown to maintain possession freeing himself from a congested space in a much smoother manner. Also when holding up the ball, players use this precision dribbling to keep the ball further away from the opponent.

If your defensive game takes a backseat when it comes to FIFA, the new tactical defending system means frantically hitting the tackle or pressing button will simply not be enough. With a greater emphasis on positioning, defenders are now unwilling to jump into tackles with more focus on keeping a good defensive shape . Block tackles also means being able to interrupt build-up play right up to the last second, however the ball will not always fall in your direction.

'True Injuries' has also been introduced and along with the physical impact engine should produce more realistic outcomes to tackles whether it's an ambitious lunge at an opponent or just a simple trip. There were no great examples of this in our time with the game, so it's difficult to comment on how effective it is as a feature.

EA Football Club was also the other big announcement for FIFA 12 but we there was no opportunity to see that aspect of the game in action. Early signs suggest even at this stage, FIFA fans should appreciate the refinements being made which thankfully does not come at the expense of any of the great features introduced in FIFA 11.


FIFA 12 3DS: First look

Konami were first in bringing football to Ninty's new portable console and while it was an all-round impressive effort, many will be intrigued to see if EA's first 3DS effort will help assert its dominance on yet another platform. We spent some time with an early version of FIFA 12 3DS to see what it was made of.


- FIFA 12 3DS pictures: Hands-on

Like the console version we had the choice to play with Arsenal and Chelsea. In the 3DS layout the top screen hosts the action while on the screen below you'll see the radar screen giving you an overview of positioning, current possession of the ball and formations held by each teams.

Game speed appears slower than Pro Evolution 3D but this feels as if this has been done to establish a more fluid, tactical style of gameplay where the onus is on building up moves. Graphically, FIFA 12 is polished with close-up shots displaying great detail and lifelike accuracy. The impact engine feature rolled out for the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions looks well integrated and was quickly apparent in our game time, particularly when two players jostled for the ball.

But what about the 3D effect? Well, it still feels that football may not be the best partner when it comes to getting the glasses-free 3D treatment, delivering a similarly underwhelming and unsettling experience found with Pro Evolution 3DS.. A series of camera angles including Be a Pro camera, Tele and Broadcast does however offer plenty of variety in terms of viewing the action.

FIFA 12 3DS feels like it will offer more in the gameplay department than Pro Evolution did, but is likely to fall at the same hurdle in terms of its 3D appeal. If you're happy to play it in 2D however, you may be more impressed by it.


FIFA 12 on iPad 2: First look

Next up for for the EA Sports treatment is FIFA 12 on the iPad 2 which again, is not yet the finished article. Utilizing the same game engine used for the FIFA 11 iPad app, with a  few ''added touches', FIFA 12 unsurprisingly feels almost identical both in terms of the gameplay and visuals.

- FIFA 12 iPad 2 pictures: Hands-on

One of the frustrating aspects of creating football games for devices like the iPad 2 is having to sacrifice seeing the entire pitch to host the virtual controls. EA is looking to remove that problem from the equation by letting you use your iPhone or iPod Touch as a controller instead.

On the iPhone or iPod Touch screen, you'll find the same three-button layout and virtual joystick found on previous FIFA iPad instalments. Initially it was quite tricky coming to terms with the controls despite the supposed simplicity of the control system. Additionally, while this may solve one issue of freeing up space on the screen, at the same time it removes the idea of the Apple tablet being a portable gaming device. Would you really want to balance you iPad 2 on your lap while pulling out your iPhone to control the action?

Some of the more disappointing elements of the previous game such as slightly slow gameplay, and a jilted, unresponsive AI appear evident in the latest version. This was of course an early build of the game so there is still some time for that to change, which we imagine and hope will be the case before FIFA 12 hits the App Store.