Arguably the best FIFA to date, and certainly able to overthrow PES this year!
The gameplay for last year's game was a completely new engine, built from scratch. EA Sports had been working on the new engine for two years, hence, the lack of features in the game - there was just no time.
However, FIFA 08 is a huge improvement. Working from the new game engine, the gameplay has been much improved. The pace of the game is now slower, making the game feel like a real game. The slower pace also gives the game an edge that makes your matches feel like real Premiership matches, or indeed, other Leagues across the world.
The passing is improved over last year's efforts. In FIFA 07, you would find that a lot of your passes would go astray, and end up at the feet of the opposition. Now however there is much more direction about your passes. You'll find that as long as you work a pass correctly it would turn out as expected, leading to creation of chances. Another great aspect of the gameplay is the fact that the game is now so much harder. Creating chances will require great skill and attention, especially in those top Leagues. The defending is so much better now, making it hard for you to get anything out of a clear-cut chance. Certainly, this can get frustrating, but it makes the game so much more realistic.
Gone are the days where you would constantly draw 3-3, or win 6-2. A much more realistic approach to FIFA 08 finds you getting lower scores of 1-0, and yes - you will appreciate a 1-0 win after you had worked so hard to get anything from a match/
On to the features then. Another aspect much improved from 07. Instead of just having a poor selection of six leagues, FIFA 08 features 30 Leagues from a range of nations. You will now be able to see Promotions and Relegations in your games, thanks to the inclusion of the lower Leagues. There are three new Leagues in total. These include the League of Ireland, Czech League and the Australian A-League. Certainly, these might not be the best of inclusions, as there is still a lack of any Argentine, Ukrainian and Greek Leagues. In every team of each League you will find a decent sized pool of Players, as even the smaller Clubs of top Leagues will feature a few Reserve or Youth Players.
The graphics are again great in FIFA 08. The kits look so detailed, as they are lisenced. Players are easily recognisable as are the Stadiums. However, you may be disappointed to discover the lack of weather affects again, as the only weather options include Sunny Day, Dusk and Night.
Manager Mode is as healthy as ever, cooking up some fine times. You no longer have to start with a lower-League club if you don't want to, as you can jump straight into the Liverpools and Barcelonas. There is, however, a lack of Pre-Season games, a feature which appears on the current-gen version. However, this doesn't take away much of the fun. Other than this, the Manager Mode is pretty much as it was in FIFA 07, which makes it the boss mode of the game.
Online is another great area in FIFA 08. You can now take part in the ever-popular Interactive Leagues as featured in the current-gen versions of FIFA 07. Interactive Leagues require you to play in real matches scheduled on a specific day. You can also set up your own online Leagues for you and your friends to take part in.
However, a real issue online is the ever-evident online quitters. You could be happily leading by two goals to nil when the annoying 'disconnection' screen appears. It is often obvious when the opponent quits, as they will usually do so immediately following a goal. No punishment for them however, no defeat appears on their records, and, aggravatingly, no win for you.
Other modes include Tournament Mode and Be a Pro Offline Training. Be a Pro requires you to take control of just one player. Be a Pro isn't that great at the moment. Eventually EA are scheduled to be releasing a patch, allowing for 5v5 matches online, eventually leading to an 11v11 by the 2010 World Cup.
So, a much better game compared to the disappointment of last year, but still with its flaws. A lack of Stadiums and Weather rejects from the game a little, but gameplay certainly makes up for it. Online can still be improved, especially when we are able to play 5v5 online. However, this is a massive step to stop PES, and, many PES gamers may find themselves unable to avoid FIFA 08. Rightly so however, FIFA 08 is an amazing effort from EA and certainly great fun. The Manager Mode will keep you going for a long, long time and theres of course the ever-going challenge of Online Play.
FIFA 08 is the best FIFA game to date, and this one shouldn't be avoided. Pro Evo - Watch Out!