FIFA 11 Review (PS3)

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Well, that’s come along pretty quick, doesn’t seem like 5 minutes since the excitement of the World Cup in South Africa, and EA’s last instalment of their long-standing sporting franchise. To be fair I really enjoyed 2010 Fifa World Cup – South Africa. Some of the cynics out there may have claimed it to be little more than Fifa 10.5, but it certainly captured the look and feel of the summers “carnival of football”.

So there you have it, Fifa 11 is the greatest football based video game money can buy,

That was then, and this is the instalment of Fifa that we have been looking forward to. Would it improve on Fifa 10?, would PES 2011 reclaim it’s crown?
The answer to the 2 above questions is YES�and NO (in that order). Fifa 11 has most certainly improved on last seasons outing, and I’m afraid PES have lost out again (Although it was a better contest this time around!).

As soon as you load Fifa 11 up, and hear the now legendary- “EA�I’TS IN THE GAME”, this video game reeks of class. This is the Spain of Football games. Currently the best in the world. This game looks so good, that I was in the electrical department of a local supermarket at the weekend, when I shouted to my son to hurry up. He has watching sky spoerts live on one of the massive HD tv`s that adorn the walls of said establishment, I checked my watch�it was 3pm, surely the live game had finished. Then I noticed my son was actually playing Fifa 11 against some other kid�It looks THAT damn good!

Yep, graphically this is pretty awesome, there are loads more animations this time around, and the goalkeepers especially act more realistically, not repeating the same save over and over again. Up close during the cut scenes the occasional player still look rather scary ( like Beckham at Madame Tussauds),but if you sit and watch someone else playing, you can actually recognise individual players by the way they move. It`s uncanny, and a tribute to the bods at EA. It`s not just the players that have had a spruce up in the graphical department. The stadiums are looking more like their real life counterparts, and there is much more going on in general.

Apart from the nice new lick of paint, and loads more player animations, we have the latest gameplay updates, which include a mode where you can be a goalie, as well as the previous choice of outfield player, which also means online, eleven vs. eleven games�”result!” Improving last years Be a pro or Be a manager career mode, this time you can have your cake (or should that be slice of half time orange), and eat it by partaking in the Be a Player Manager mode�” back of the net!”.

Now then kids, I don’t know about you, but one thing I have loved in recent Fifa games, is the interactive loading screen that is the arena. Some nights I spent longer messing about trying out tricks and stuff on there, than actually playing a match. Well, the good news is that it’s back again, but this time two of you can play. Yep, you can get your mate between the sticks in some proper one on one fun, then swap controllers over once 5 goals are scored (doesn’t have to be 5 gaols mind, it’s just a personal preference!)

So there you have it, Fifa 11 is the greatest football based video game money can buy, and since the game will cost less than a single ticket to see a premier league game this season, I think you will find it’s value for money as well�”what’s that”, “you have bought it already”, “then I’ll see you online for some 11 v 11 action.”