XP counts towards the team's league position, although thankfully, teams are ranked by the average skill of their fans, not by the number of followers. Players pick a team to support and earn XP by playing games and completing challenges. EA Sports Football Club, meanwhile, is a brand new feature, which adds a community element to online play. For a start, card-trading, fantasy football mode Ultimate Team is available out of the box. Most of the effort has been put into the online side of things. The AI will use it to get out of tight spots on the touchline, defenders are able to better clear their ranks against an onslaught of eager attackers, while it's perfect for carving out shooting space from just outside of a busy penalty area.Īs for game modes, little has changed since last year's instalment, barring the usual bevy of tweaks and improvements. It allows players to better hold up the ball by taking smaller, deft touches in tight situations. Precision Dribbling completes the trinity of new features, although it's by far the most subtle in-game refinement. It's a completely new defensive system, which genuinely encourages players to react and adapt to a multitude of different scenarios. Players can also tug at sprinting players to slow them down, essential for those lightning quick wingers, although it can lead to fouls. Getting the timing right and making any sort of tackle is tricky, but immensely satisfying when mastered.Ĭalling for a second defender is also far more important this year, as it allows the user to sit back and survey the action, covering any potentially dangerous runs and passes when they occur. Impatient players will undoubtedly rush the tackle, inviting the attacker through on goal, while the smarter and more seasoned FIFA 12 user will wait and wait until the moment is just right before poking out a leg. While harrying the attacker, players can move closer or further away with the analogue stick, before pressing another button to actually make the challenge.
Holding one button (you know, the one that used to send your defender charging at the attacker with reckless abandon) sees the defender close in on the attacker without actually making a challenge. Be prepared to ship a few goals early on as you attempt to master the skill. Tactical Defending, on the other hand, demands an entire rethink to the way we defend and takes a good few games to get used to. While the Impact Engine takes a bit of getting used to, it's an organic addition requiring little or no actual input from the player. Jerky preset animations no longer exist, instead players react and recover (or not) almost exactly as they would in a real game. "Accidentally" clip Drogba's leg or barge into him as he shapes to shoot, however, and he'll lose balance and barely manage to hit the target. Sprint into the box with a powerhouse like Didier Drogba, for example, and you'll brush off standing challenges with ease, often sending defenders sprawling in the process. In fact, after a few games of FIFA 12, you'll wonder how you ever stood for anything less. Barring a few moments of madness when players fall over each other like the cast of Chuckle Brothers, the new engine really does, well, impact the entire game, eliminating the slightly formulaic gameplay found in previous titles. Take the Impact Engine, for example, a brand new physics engine designed to highlight pace, power, momentum and weight, leading to a far more robust and realistic football simulation. There can be no denying that even the most ardent and long-standing FIFA fan will be taken back by the gameplay changes found in the latest instalment. Like a multi-million pound signing from Brazil, FIFA 12's gameplay refinements sound great and promise much, but will they help to improve on what was already a top class football title, or cause unrest in the ranks? Also available on: PS3, PSP, PS2, Wii, Nintendo 3DS, iOS, PC, MacįIFA 12 arrives with enormous hype and fanfare surrounding its trinity of new gameplay features, a trio of changes that promise to revolutionise the way we play, or so the developers claim.