The best football game for the current generation of systems.
Last year's FIFA was a big step forward for the franchise, while PES had yet another season of only minor alterations. FIFA 09 has changed dramatically this time around. The graphics have become more gritty (read: less "greasy" players) and the pace of the game has become much faster.
The major issue with FIFA 08 was the very sluggish nature of the passing. To speed up passing and give the game a more realistic pace EA have introduced a power meter even for basic passes, a feature which they attempted before (disastrously) in FIFA 2002. Thankfully they've pulled it off this time and it works wonderfully well. The range of passing animations means you'll quickly be clipping balls with the outside of your boots and producing all manner of disguised passes with the deft skill of United's Ronaldo.
Lobbed passes are now much more effective as well. In previous iterations they would hang in the air for too long, allowing opponents to sneak in and steal possession while you wait for the ball to arrive. The ball now moves faster in the air and lobbed through-balls are more intuitive as well.
Somehow they've even managed to improve the presentation. In the last two iterations of the series, your loading screen was a 1-V-1 game against a goalie in a stylised arena. When loading finished you had to press start to begin the match. Now though, the arena fades out and you find yourself playing during a warm-up in the packed stadium. It's a beautiful transition which captures stadium atmosphere like never before.
My favourite new feature though, is the ability to control goal celebrations. After you score you maintain control of your player and can use the left stick to run towards your fans while you pull the right stick in different directions (or use the face buttons) to gesture to the crowd. In 10-V-10 online matches this is great fun as you run to the corner flag with your mates.
The gameplay in 10-V-10 follows the style of 08's "Be-A-Pro" mode. This is where you play as one player in a team of other AI players. You need to hold position correctly and perform the role assigned by your manager. In 09 this is expanded to a career mode in which you create and develop a single player and it also forms the basis of 10-V-10 online, where you and friends fill out a full squad of players (except for the goalie). This is a great idea, but unfortunately it doesn't always work so well. You'll often find that matches look less Premier League and more Kids' League as players all become desperate for the ball and everyone just follows it around the pitch. Get in a game with more competent footballers though and you'll find an amazing and deep online experience.
Other new online features include Adidas Live Season, which is a subscription service allowing you to update player stats based on real-world form. So if Ronaldinho has a bad game for AC Milan in real-life, then he'll become less effective in the game until his real form improves. It's interesting in theory but paying extra for this kind of service is an unnecessary addition that won't add any extra gratification to the game.
You'll find the usual versus matches in ranked and unranked flavours too, which work the same as always, though they could do with a patch to cure the lag that blights the occasional game.
All of the usual kick-off, tournament and manager modes are in the game, but the final major addition is the custom tactics concept. This works similarly to car-setups in a racing game, allowing you to develop your own formations and tactics and then upload them for other players to try. Like so many of the new features it adds a lot of depth for those who are seeking out an immersive experience, but the majority of players will pass this by.
FIFA's core gameplay was made solid in last year's title, but the additions for this year have really made a difference, especially in the online space. Almost every complaint I had about last year's single player game has been addressed as well. With a game this polished and with gameplay that flows so well, both online and off, FIFA 09 is without doubt the best football game of this generation. Now its Pro Evo's turn to take some risks to reach the bar that EA have raised higher than ever before.