First signs point to a great social game, but in typical EA fashion the game has too many irritating flaws.
Lets start with basics and the positives. The controls are pretty simple and easy to pick up. Yet they have a level of depth that will keep you experimenting with tricks, through-balls, lobs and varying defensive movement. Player control is pretty slick too. They're not as sluggish as in previous games and you can alter a players speed in particular situations, whether you be sprinting down the pitch or navigating a single player through a crowded opposition.
In terms of game content, you couldn't really ask for much more. You've got a manager mode that allows you to play through as many seasons as you wish with any team you like. You have a "be a pro" mode in which you can play as a single player within a team, building up attributes and earning places in your clubs 1st choice squad and your international squad throughout multiple seasons. You can play all but the manager mode with up to 4 players as well, and can even participate in 10 vs 10 player matches online. You've more official leagues, teams and players than in any other football game, and if you want you can have a go at creating any single person you want in the game and sign them to any team you wish.
Graphically the game is really good too. If you're bothered enough, through the use of replays you can zoom in on players so close you can see their sweat. Animations are smooth and for the most part are very realistic.
Now, importantly, we're going to review the gameplay in greater detail. It must be stated that if football isn't really your thing, you wont care too much for the flaws in this game. However, if you are a big football fan and you still haven't played this game, you'll soon find yourself as fustrated as I, and wonder why you persistently continue playing the game!
The most common issue to be seen in this game comes from the through-ball system. In Fifa 08 through-balls were incredibly tricky to pull off. Many a time you'd find yourself passing balls the the opposing teams goal keeper or directly to the feet of an opposing play. With Euro 2008, EA apparently found the perfect solution. There was a greater freedom of direction when playing through-balls and as a result you often found your intended target.
With Fifa 09 however, it appears EA have taken a step backwards again. With through-ball passes being played across the ground, you'll often feel you're either passing directly to opposing players or playing them away from a particular players run. The best solution to this problem is to use the chipped through-ball. However, when defending such moves you'll quickly realise how dangerous these balls are and for the wrong reason. As soon as the ball is played, any nearby defenders on the opposing team will either side step or stop completely to face the ball, leaving the attacking receiver miles clear of the defence by the time they receive the ball.
There are other notable annoyances too. Sometimes when crossing low in the box, you'll find the game purposely confuses a pass with a through-ball and see what should have been a simple goal become a simple pass to the opposing keeper. You'll also notice that at times your team mates will stop or run away from developing situations. This includes long passes up the pitch, in which the recieving player will take a few steps back automatically, and thus allow an oppising player to intercept the ball. Defenders will sidestep when opposing players pass the ball between themselves in the box and this can make tackling more difficult. Also your players will some times make very poor touches when recieving passes and will likely knock the ball perfectly into the path of an opposing player.
There are a few other annoyances with the game, including the fact keepers can sometimes knock balls wide without being near enough to touch them. However it's those which I mention that will fustrate you the most. Especially when playing against friends as its so easy to feel cheated. It's not unlikely to concede goals as a result of these flaws against the computer either.
Speaking of which, the AI in this game isn't particularly challenging. I have gone entire seasons in manager mode without drawing or losing a single game on the Legendary difficulty setting and have beaten top teams such as Man Utd, Chelsea and Barcalona with scores as high as 8-0. Still it's not the AI that makes this game enjoyable, it's the challenge of playing human competition. Whether online or against friends, you'll not find a better challenge.
I have altered this review from it's original state because I felt I was a little too harsh on this game. That's not to say this deserving of the critic scores it recieved prior to release. The annoying floors will become apparent to anyone who plays long enough and I feel many reviewers would not have given this game that amount of time. However, I recommend Fifa 09 to any combined football fan and online gamer. The online experience is pretty good. It's challenge will leave you coming back for more.