Fifa 2012 review

It was clear to me that changes had to be made to the physics side of the game, the next generation technology was calling out for an engine which depicted real life footballing collisions. In previous titles we'd seen an engine where players would almost effectively take on the role of being ghosts, there was no weight to the players, no unpredictability to any movement or collision. Fifa 12 has definitely addressed this to a big, but not significant extent. We now see players collide in realistic fashion, taking in certain factors like speed and momentum to dictate the force of impact on a collision. There is no doubt, this has lead to some pretty spectacular sequences, where players can literally go spiraling in to the air, and inadvertently hit the ground with an almighty thud. The animations afterwards are beautifully polished, we sometimes see players struggle to their feet after taking such a big impact, on other occasions we see players injured as a result of the collision. This adds a new level of realism to the game; having an injury system as a result of the impact engine is equally satisfying, it adds a varied and unpredictable element to every collision that takes place. This consequently makes the game interesting for the whole duration of a match, seeing a feisty affair between two rival teams would further justify this, as it allows you to play the aggressive and intimidating match you crave, where injuries and bookings are a formality!
Overall the player impact engine has changed an underlying part to the game-play experience, players can appreciate the sophistication and complexity of the collisions on a subconscious level, however, the impact engine can sometimes be over exaggerated; we see players on the same team tripping over each others feet for example, this can be annoying, yet guiltily very funny in its own peculiar way. EA may also want to consider its age rating, some of the collisions are extremely nasty and disturbing, yet this is a very rare occurrence. This upcoming Youtube video will show the full grace of having a Football boot flailing into the depths of your face!

Precision Dribbling has overhauled the whole structure to possession Football on Fifa 2012, players are now able to dribble out of tight situations which may have previously not been possible. This adds a whole new layer of fluency to the game-play and makes a far more immersive experience for the gamer and audience. The new system gives the Gamer the ability to feel like they have generally more control over their players when in possession. What Precision Dribbling ultimately does is enables the gamer to express themselves at the touch of a few buttons (Helps with good hand eye coordination). The beauty of Lionel Messi taking on countless players can now be replicated in the game, or the jinking dribbling intertwined with pacey step-overs from Cristiano Ronaldo. Isn't it great that we can have our Footballing idols in the realms of our living rooms? Well Fifa 12 does this in shining colors, consequently adding a new level of detail and polish to a near perfect game-play experience at present.

The name reiterates it itself... "Tactical Defending", it's defending which has a big tactical element associated to it, for me, this is the most drastic change evident in the game. In previous Fifa titles Defending was something of a boring existence, I would say this is because of the ease associated with it, Tackling an opponent was the ability to press the "A" or the "X" button at a rapid pace which would eventually lead to nicking the ball off your opponent. Now it's a completely different story, to tackle opponents will require patience, and by that I mean using the newly implemented action "Contain". This allows the player to stand up the opponent and wait for the perfect opportunity to tackle them. But be warned, Defending on Fifa 12 comes down to a matter of skill now, it takes practice, practice, practice to become accustomed to the new system. I even have friends who are still struggling having played the game for around a month now. What makes this system so great is the fact any player can become a complete expert at it, if you've ever wanted to park the bus with 10 men, you can now do this (Or attempt to do so). Overall, the system has changed the way players have to approach a game, before, it was a case of I want to attack, attack, attack... Now it's a case of I want to attack, but keep my defensive duties responsible at the same time. I believe EA want gamer's to enjoy both sides of the game respectively, that being attacking and defending.

In conclusion it seems clear to me that Fifa 12 has stolen the show again, a new beautifully polished iteration of the game has wooowed plaudits from various ends of the globe. The three major game-play changes have enhanced the game to a huge extent. If EA Sports can continue this consistency, then God forbid what the likes of Fifa 2020 could look like!
Please give me feedback on this review, as I have other parts of reviewing the game on my mind, and please don't hesitate to contact me with any questions or queries about the game. It's just one of my huge passions!

Game-play: 9.1/10
Graphics: 8.2/10
Sound: 7.7/10
Longevity: 10/10
Learning curve: 25 hours or more
Atmosphere: 7.5/10
Difficulty: 1=Easy 10= Very difficult 7.9/10

Overall: 8.5/10 *Highly enjoyable and satisfying, a definite purchase.... Although improvements can still be made.