Fifa 09

September 26, 2008 - Another year, another FIFA game, and another chance to see whether EA has realised its intentions to create the ultimate football simulation. And, of course, it's another chance to revive the aging debate over who rules the virtual football roost. Carrying on the momentum that EA has built up on the current generation since 2006's title, FIFA 09 makes a convincing case for trumping PES in being the definitive take on the beloved sport.

EA's pre-season talk has been full of self-belief in the build-up to FIFA 09 -- the sixteenth iteration of a series that first blossomed back in 1993 -- talking of the 250 improvements made to the already impressive engine that powered last year's game. But have they been enough to push EA's series to the forefront of the genre

Many of the improvements in FIFA 09 will be familiar to those who dabbled in this summer's take on the European Championships, and here they nestle well with a package that's as deep as any football fan could possibly hope for and that constantly glistens with an overwhelming amount of polish. FIFA's huge cast of footballers have been imbued with an added physicality that's apparent upon working your way through your first match, with collisions between two players now resulting in a series of bespoke and realistic animations. Players running into space will call for the ball, while defenders will raise their arms to alert the linesmen of an offside attacker.

It all adds to an engine that could already proudly claim to be the most realistic depiction of football to date, with FIFA 09 taking it to the next level. Matches play out with a slow and measured pace that rewards the patient and wily, and the best way to create goal-scoring chances is to slowly build up attacks, exploiting space, fiercely protecting possession and employing the right mix of brute force and delicate finesse.

With player's attributes now more pronounced it's worth familiarising yourself with your team and capitalising on the stronger members, while FIFA's unique trick system returns and an enhanced vocabulary of moves -- executed with a series of inputs on the right stick -- gives more skilful players another route of attack. It all adds up to one of the most faithful facsimiles of the beautiful game yet seen.


This slavishness to reality may be jarring to those who've plied their trade in other football franchises, and it's fascinating to see how FIFA has now set itself up as the more simulation-minded game in opposition to the instant gratification that PES offers. It could well prove frustrating to anyone making the jump from Konami's series, as, in FIFA 09, goals are genuinely hard to come by. All of which means that slotting one in is all the more satisfying, and you'll want to milk the player-controlled celebrations that return after their debut in EURO 2008.

Playing the ball around is now more assured than in EA Sport's past efforts, with crosses and through-balls proving more malleable than ever before. It's not all good news, however -- returning from the past FIFA are some erratic decisions made by the game when selecting a defender, and often the player's off-the-ball movements will leave you scratching your head in bemusement.