The Fifa vs Pro-Evo war goes on – and EA have just upped the stakes
Such Fence-Sitting is ridiculed by the footballing community and is purely reserved for the pundits on Match of the Day.
One game to rule them all (wait, isn't that Lord of the Rings?)! One victor - celebrating in a communal bath drinking champagne from a silver cup, whilst the loser sulkily brushes mud off of their dirty boots wishing they were somewhere else.
EA have arguably been losing ground in this debate these past years – Pro Evo has struck a chord with the purists, offering a more realistic feel and despite Fifa having all the usual glitz, glamour and outstanding graphics, it's playability and depth have let past games down.
Enter Fifa 09 then – a game, which many believe to be best of the series, and it certainly looks the part. Every player from the major teams (and even Manchester City lol) is duplicated in great detail – and yes Wayne Rooney does get uglier every year. Every team-strip, every ground is spot on perfect – something which we have, of course, come to expect. Commentary is probably the best on any sporting game, let alone footy, as Andy Gray & Martin Tyler ramble on about events, clubs and players – it's like listening to Sky Sports.
But what's really impressed me this time out this the level of choice you have. There's menu after menu for different types of gaming options – maybe a bit confusing at first, but you'd rather have too much than too little, right? And on Xbox Live, Fifa welcomes you with open arms to a massive world of gaming. Up to 20 people can play at once in one game – not 2, not 4, not 8 – Twenty! That's every outfield player. Of course, this can create lagging issues – which is something EA will have to look at for future games. But just imagine the scope of this! It's positively huge!
Adidas Live is also an interesting feature which marries real-life form of players from all over the world and brings them into your Xbox 360. However, you need to be pretty dedicated and quite well-off to carry on this experience past your free trial as it's quite an expensive add-on.
Be-a-Pro has been improved upon, lengthened and it gives you a different slant to the game by thrusting you directly into the action on the field, taking control of one player throughout. Although it does give you an alternative take on the gameplay, it probably won't be very rewarding if you choose a career with a defensive player – unless you choose to bomb forward at every opportunity like a young Roberto Carlos.
Actual gameplay has improved slightly – EA are getting better, but I think they are still some way off of re-creating a perfect match of football. Passes are still too precise, too accurate, too linear. It's very rare that you'll hit an errant pass and I think it gives Fifa 09 an artificial feel. The odd mis-placed kick, slippage or even the classic "two defenders going for the same ball" (Tottenham fans – you know what I'm talking about) wouldn't go amiss.
Unfortunately in Fifa 09, this type of school-boy buffoonery is only reserved for the Goalkeepers. Goalkeeping AI is sometimes quirky, rash, eccentric and downright laughable on occasion. By contrast, outfield players tend to be clever, spritely, quick-witted and determined. This game gives Goalkeepers everywhere a bad name!
Never the less, this no-doubt accidental side issue makes for entertaining matches – and that's exactly what the public craves.
So who will win the match between EA & Konami for footballing glory? Well, Fifa 09 has had a good few weeks headstart over Pro-Evolution Soccer. And in these credit-crunched times, not many gamers will buy both. I'm not going to tell you to choose Fifa, however – you will find everything you will ever need right here in this game. This has been a solid attempt by EA to improve.