It will make you wonder, it will make you smile, it will frustrate you, and it will make you wonder in bewilderment.
Gameplay
Passing System
To be honest this game almost certainly mimics real soccer. There are some significant very minor detailed changes to the gameplay which have changed the game. Passing the ball has changed completely taking the game to the realistic level. You can no longer pass at awkward angles on the pitch which make even more challenging. FIFA 09 and 10 were notorious for the way in which they implemented passing in the series.
When you pass at awkward angles you can no longer put regular power and accuracy on the ball as effectively as a standing pass would. The players fall down immediately and the ball speed changes when you pass the ball from one end of the field to another if you were to try to pass with player facing the opposite direction. This is a must have and will create a more balanced game in the end and taking out the oddities in the game. When you use the passing button which is "A" (remember there is a very detailed tutorial in the game I highly recommend for new users and veterans) you can now either lightly tap the button to pass it to the nearest player or you can hold it down and power up for a longer pass to a player who is further up the pitch. This implementation would take time to get use to and the basics behind it is that you no longer have to button mash which has been completely taken out of FIFA 11 (And thank god for it). Do not get frustrated with the new implementations because as I have learned that you will get use to it after a while so I wouldn't think that the game is any less bothersome than other games. Halo Reach implemented new gameplay which takes time to get use to for new players. Continuing on with the passing system in FIFA there are some suttle things that are apparent in the game itself. For instance when you pass the ball the level of accuracy is determined by how accurately you direct the player to the ball which adds some other level of difficulty to the game the posture of the player, the position all of which can be easily adjust using the skills button.
AI (Artificial Intelligence)
The AI is frustratingly smart and can do moves that would shake the opponent (you) off in a jiffy. I must say that you would have to be on your "A" game when playing otherwise you would really be in for a surprise when you think you can hold down the tackle button for an easy tackle. You would have to hold down the "A" button while using the pace Button to stay in front of the player. This still doesn't guarantee that you will get the tackle since the AI is able to shake the opponent (you) off even though you use this implementation. This is an added necessity and frustration, and you will soon start doing things a little more cautiously because of it.
This game forces you to think about the past things you did in all the other FIFA franchises making it a little bit better every time and changing the mindset of the player these are needed changes that make the game a lot better and fair. Jostling is also a very much improved feature and is extended to jostling for the ball and even pushing. You will see a lot of pushing off the ball when you are dribbling and sometimes you would cry foul in some instances, but my biggest complaint is how the referees may seem robotic at times he gets every call right but I think that is needed because it makes the game fair and justified.
Goalkeeper and Penalty system
Another great feature which I was very skeptical about was the "Be a Goalkeeper" feature for which I thought it would be failure. To my knowledge it was masterfully implemented into the multiplayer system, and single player system which is very much one of the riskiest things EA has done in a while. Brave in my opinion I would rather call it a brave new system than a new one. Try it out for yourself. Since we are talking about Goalkeepers you must also notice that the entire system has been revamped and has undergone some very major changes including some new animations which cover some absolutely fantastic saves.
The changes to the keeper system are seen when you enter the 18 yard box. When there is no defender present at your position you should expect the keeper to come out almost 100% of the time. Along with that they have taken out the invincibility that the keeper has in the box. For example when you are in the box with the ball and you have your back turned the keeper is not given the ball automatically until you show him the ball or he come around you to get the ball. This will make shooting tougher and cause you to overpower your shot or hesitation, and also turning around too soon and allowing the keeper to scoop up the ball. Penalties have also taken a very steep overhaul adding some new challenges to make penalties all the more bothersome for the player and the Goalkeeper creating a very well balanced system of play. You will notice when taking penalties that there is a new shooting bar at the bottom left of the screen with a colored spectrum starting from red at the far end of one half to green which is in the middle half of the bar, and you can take a guess which color your suppose to target.
Learning Curve
Furthermore I must complain that the learning curve is quite steep indeed and is very difficult if you haven't played FIFA franchises in a while. Learning the skilled moves while playing the game could take a while because of how direction oriented the controls are programmed. Besides the learning curve is one thing I forgot to mention is the "Shooting" which has completely been overhauled, and is very different from FIFA 09, and may be FIFA 10 because everything is now taken into account even player balance, how fast the player is going, the distance from the goal, how the ball bounces (is it sitting up or down, is it spinning, is it curling), is the player off balance or in perfect posture, so many more things are taken into account that it is almost impossible to find a loophole through the system you must know what your doing when you play this game otherwise you can end up in some real problems if you're playing manager mode and you may have to refer to your Xbox dashboard or PS3 Main menu system or try to make a comeback (This is on Professional Difficulty).
Control
Control is one of the most controversial parts of FIFA 11 that make the game both interesting and also highly accessible giving the player power that would both frustrate and enthrall the player. In some ways the controller configuration is something not many people are willing to mess with and that's where the arena comes into effect to test out certain aspects of the control scheme if you're not willing to take a risk playing in manager mode. Going into the settings menu and fooling around with the system is very intimidating at times and not many would fool around with the controls and I encourage every player to fool around with it in the arena, and try to find out what suites you best without making any compromises.
The Controller Settings
Furthermore try to notice the suttle differences between Auto Switching for "Air Balls" and Auto Switching manually. These things will definitely affect everything you do on the pitch and can be detrimental to timing a tackle, and switching to a player quickly to break up an attack. Just know that Auto-Switching can take some time to get use to. I do highly recommend Auto-switching for "Air Balls" instead of doing so manually. This can be accessed in the "My FIFA 11" settings and looking at the Auto-switching tabs. I do however recommend that if you are just beginning to play FIFA you start on Auto-switching configuration for "Automatic Switching" which would switch to the nearest and most available player or the closest player to the ball while defending in single player or in multiplayer. This is somewhat effective although in my opinion I am not very sure about how effective it maybe after previous experiences with it. EA does make it clear that you are taking a risk and they clearly state it in the settings menu that "You're on your own" concerning some settings on "Auto-switching." Other settings like passing manually I leave to you at your own risk. This is very controversial.
Handball
The other most controversial feature in FIFA 11 is the implementation of the "Handball" if you go into the settings and go to "Rules" you can pretty much assure yourself that you can change what the referee will call. You have three different choices concerning what type of handballs can be called. You have the choice of choosing whether the handball can be called in the box for a penalty or you can choose to call a handball just a foul which is kind of an oxymoron if you think about it, and finally the third is just calling everything a "Handball" outright (This is the one you need to watch out for). It is however very much changing the game and the way it is played and this implementation certainly leaves the player with very much every choice you can think of in the game.
EA has chosen to give you complete control of almost every aspect of the game including which referee you want refereeing in a match and they also tell you how strict the referee will call your game. This is taking a step further in my opinion and giving the player a lot more power to change the game which is GOOD. I do have my criticisms about the new system though because it does change the game a lot but it must be perfected and it doesn't hurt FIFA to try this new implementation. I do recommend the oxymoron settings the "Handball" settings without the penalties because it is way too controversial to fool around with even then there is no guarantee that the settings would work 100% and this is another setting I leave up to you and at your own risk.
Just be aware of the consequences of this and be cautioned when switching it to pure "Handball without the exception of penalties is very risky and can totally take control of the game out of your hands and leave it to the computer to decide the handball and a PENALTY.. I do recommend the oxymoron settings the "Handball" settings without the penalties because it is way too controversial to fool around with other settings if you are looking for a more realistic game. But again I do think that it is very interesting and can still be used if you know what you are doing and are skillful enough. If you like the way the game is on its own; DON'T fool around the "Handball" settings. Don't say I didn't warn you.
Other Features worth mentioning
For the beginners who looking to start playing you will want explore the Formations menu which has the same look as FIFA 09, and FIFA 10 in which you are able to place the players in any position within role the player is playing. Along with some other things that can change the gameplay EA have totally capped out the growth on players and even made a new growth system that implements input from the "Assistant Coach" who tells you which players are worth putting on the pitch and which players are not going to grow a lot. There is also a new stamina system that has been overhauled and now you can see if you player is out of breath and needs a moment to regain his breath otherwise you risk tiring him even more, which is really helpful to know. Sometimes you will see your player in the red while you are playing. This doesn't mean that the player is fatigued it just means that the player needs to regain his breath or even to rest a bit.
Given that this game has implemented some new controls that are highly controversial I think they are much needed in the game to make a little more accessible and give the player more choices. Making a highly accessible game is a risk and I think EA has taken a considerable amount of risk making FIFA accessible. This is needed because giving me the power to turn off and on "Handballs," choosing which referees will ref my match is much needed. This may cheapen the way you play the game but if you like cheap so be it play cheap and win. The one thing I can say is that no one can complain about FIFA they totally given every player the control they need and have made very noticeable improvements on the game, and yes if you are going to complain about it I suggest you try PES. I think that EA has done a Solid job with FIFA 11
I do hope that this review would be helpful