There are over 10 skill moves that you can pull off by holding down the left trigger and moving the right analog stick in various directions. With the addition of the new shooting system comes the method of executing skill moves.
The advanced free kick controls work reasonably well, allowing you to put some spin on your free and corner kicks with the use of the left analog stick. It is different than what most soccer games have had, but it is also parallel with FIFA 08's new shooting system, which places the speed and trajectory of your shot in relation to the speed and position of your player. There were minor instances of clipping when players went in for a tough slide tackle or collided with the goalie, but that's about the extent of it.Īiming placed pieces, such as free kicks and corner kicks, is sometimes difficult because you can only move the camera from side to side. The virtual footballers move fluidly with and without the ball, and the extra amount of jerseys complements all of the teams. The amount of animations has definitely been increased from last year's version, which is apparent when you see the different moves, shots and passes that players make. There are only four camera angles to choose from, and each one allows you to see how good FIFA 08 looks. There's not much dialogue on the field, though players requesting a pass or encouraging you to shoot is not as prevalent as you might have hoped, which is unfortunate because it would have strengthened FIFA 08's presentation on the pitch. Honestly, first NHL 08, and now this?Ĭommentary is conducted by Martin Tyler and Andy Gray and complements the overall audio scheme of the game, which features stadium-packed crowds that could induce a riot at any time. When you score that one-timer from 30 yards with David Beckham (which I did), enjoy not being able to save that to your hard drive or memory card. They can only be saved by being uploaded to the EA servers while you're connected to Xbox Live. One huge downside to everything looking so nice is the inability to save replays. With as many teams as there are in the game, not every team's stadium could be included, but historic sites, such as Manchester United's Old Trafford, are in the game.
EA has once again made the FIFA license work to its advantage in relation to players and teams, and over 20 stadiums are featured. The amount of players and depth of presentation have never been an issue in the FIFA franchise. No matter who your favorite team or player is, you're sure to find them in this game.
FIFA 08 has 30 official leagues spanning from Serie A in Italy to the Barclays English Premier League, with smaller leagues from Austria, Brazil and Mexico in the mix as well. It also comes plagued with an intense learning curve and gameplay that still does not meet the standards of the Winning Eleven series.īelieve me, I really wanted to love FIFA 08 the game features teams from just about every soccer league that you can think of, so that should keep soccer fanatics cheering. Out of the gate comes FIFA 08, once again jam-packed with enough teams and players to make your head spin, a nice amount of game modes and decent gameplay. That has been the stipulation for years, with EA slowly making moves here and there in an attempt to dethrone Winning Eleven.
One game has all of the teams, while the other has all of the gameplay. As a soccer fanatic and an avid soccer gamer, I've come to both love and hate EA and Konami's take on their prized footballer games. Konami's Winning Eleven - these are just some of the major match-ups that occur in the soccer world.