Overview

FIFA 07 for the Xbox 360 has been easily my most anticipated soccer game in a long time. EA Sports announced that they would be building the Xbox 360 version of FIFA 07 from the ground-up with brand-new physics, AI, and gameplay. After thoroughly enjoying FIFA 07 for the current-gen (Xbox) and EA Sports’ entertaining World Cup game on the 360, I was ready to be blown away.

Graphics 83/100

I love gaming in HD. Not only do the crisp, vibrant visuals make standard definition games an eyesore, but the widescreen format is ideal for football games as you get to see more of the field. FIFA 07 for the 360 supports 720p and as a result everything from the menus to the on-field action is sharp. Of course, resolution isn’t everything but, for the most part, FIFA 07 does well in the graphics department.

Starting off with the players themselves, the player faces are (for the most part) brilliant. Likenesses for the big name players are spot on and facial expressions and skin textures are phenomenal. They’re definitely a massive improvement from the zombies seen in the previous 360 World Cup game. Players’ skin is no longer super shiny and wax-like from the get-go and yet players still ‘sweat’ as the game goes on. Unfortunately, while the top players and most of the players for the top clubs are modeled well, the majority of players for the less prestigious teams aren’t done nearly as well.

The actual player models themselves aren’t particularly impressive and it’s difficult to appreciate subtle differences in player builds – though at least they’re no longer the muscle-bound zombie midgets of the current-gen FIFA games! The various licensed kits are incredibly lifelike and I love the representation of moving cloth you see from up close.

Player animations are quite impressive, not least of all because of the silky-smooth transitions between the various movements which give the visuals a very organic feel to them. Unfortunately, there are few exceptions to the overall stellar nature of the animations. Firstly, there are big deficiencies in the way player interactions (in particular body contact and jostling for the ball) are depicted. Rather than subtle dips of the shoulder or leaning you’ll see outright, hands-streched-forward shoving between players! Furthermore, there are many instances where to players will try to shove each other at the same moment and both stop dead in their tracks while the ball rolls away! Secondly, while the game does a good job of depicting the differences in movement (and particularly dribbling) between big-lumbering defenders and swift-footed, skillful wingers, there’s no middle ground – you don’t see the powerful, direct running of a Ballack, Gerrard or Viera. The game also doesn’t feature any special/skill moves so you’re robbed of seeing those animations. I know it sounds nitpicky, but these things stand out mainly because the rest of the animations look so damn good!

FIFA 07 features 23 different stadiums which is a far cry from the forty six grounds seen in the current-gen version. The list of stadia is as follows;

The stadiums themselves are definitely underwhelming and pale in comparison to those in other next-gen sports games like Madden. The paucity of structural and pitch-side detail is made more apparent by the detailed player models and kits. Also unimpressive are the crowds which are decent from far (animated, though everyone moves in unison which is a little freaky) but are ugly from close-up. Likewise, the nets are garbage and the mesh doesn’t move in a realistic fashion. Pitch-textures, on the other hand are absolutely gorgeous and vary by stadium. Lighting effects are equally as impressive with shadows along various parts of the field.

Unfortunately, there are NO weather effects whatsoever which is a real disappointment.

The TV-style presentation in FIFA 07 360 is where the game loses most of its marks in the visuals department. To put it bluntly, the TV-style presentation is absolutely crap and a shocking step backwards for the FIFA franchise. Firstly, the pre-match intro consists of about 10 seconds of the two teams in the tunnel, some players shake hands, the start to walk out onto the pitch AND THAT’S IT! You don’t actually see the players run onto the field, you don’t see any pre-match photos, you don’t see players standing for league anthems, you don’t see players in the background running or stretching while the line-ups are shown. Nothing. I know a lot of players skip these things after a few games but it would be nice to at least have them present for the big matches to add some atmosphere.

Player celebrations are also very limited and though you can unlock around 5 or so in the FIFA Fan Shop, the number still lags a long way behind the 50+ different celebrations seen in Winning Eleven 10.

Also disappointing are the replays–er, I mean replay, that you see when you score a goal. You’re treated to a single view replay and that’s it! There are no multiple replays from different angles so you can really admire a goal (or simply get a better sense of what the hell happened). For that you have to manually go into the instant replay menu which is limited and clunky, and where you can no longer save goals!

Speaking of limited and clunky, the game’s menus use the same bare, nested-tree format seen in EA Sports’ NHL 2007 which is not only as ugly as Ian Dowie, it’s also just as useless.

Sound 65/100

Yes, you read correctly. A FIFA game gets a 65% in the audio department – the team that made this game should be ashamed for breaking a decade-long streak of fantastic commentary in FIFA games. Martin Tyler and Andy Gray do the play-by-play and color and are absolutely dreadful. Both are sometimes so far behind the play it’s embarrassing. Numerous times I’ve scored a goal, seen the entire celebration animation, and am almost half-way through watching the instant replay before Tyler announces the goal. It’s pretty sad stuff and, unfortunately, it happens on a consistent basis.

Just as bad are the number of comments that are simply incorrect. For example, there have been numerous occasions when I’ve had a free kick from around 35+ yards away from goal only to hear Tyler mention that my set piece is on ‘…the EDGE of the area’? WTF?

Fortunately, the soundtrack is varied and entertaining and the game features a nice variety of crowd sounds and team specific chants (though no “You’ll Never Walk Alone” which was a disappointment for me, personally).

Options 60/100

The major modes of play in FIFA 07 are Kick-Off (exhibition/friendly), Manager Mode, FIFA 07 Lounge (for multiplayer on the same console), Challenge Mode and Xbox Live. The list of available leagues and teams has been more than halved for this next-gen version of FIFA. The featured leagues are as follows;

And that’s it! Okay, there are 37 International Teams (which don’t feature many of the teams that made the last World Cup), Juventus, a World XI and a Classic XI. There are NO lower divisions and, as you can imagine, the Manager Mode suffers a great deal. Now that you can only manage a top-tier team (there’s no promotion or relegation) AND you’re limited to a career of only five seasons (so all the long-term player development stuff is useless) I think I’d much rather play Winning Eleven’s tired Master League than this crap. This is particularly disappointing because the Manager Mode has been my favourite feature in the past two FIFA games providing an in-depth and incredibly addictive experience.

Just as damning is the fact that there is NO option to create custom tournaments! Yup, EA Sports included 37 international teams but the only thing you can do with them is to play exhibition matches! This is absolute laziness on the part of the development team and I’m surprised the haven’t received more flak from the mainstream gaming media for this absence.

On the bright-side, the game does feature a Challenge Mode with a staggering 85 scenarios to play through! I loved the Challenge Mode in World Cup 2006 – particularly as some of the challenges were notoriously difficult (ask anyone who’s actually finished ALL of them). Unfortunately, all of the challenges I’ve played thus far involve matches that start at opening kick-off and aren’t actually game ‘scenarios’. For example, you’d think a Challenge involving Liverpool and AC Milan would involve staging a 3-0 comeback using Liverpool, or winning the match when it’s at 3-3 with Milan. Instead, you start the match at 0-0 with Milan and have to win for your primary objective. That’s it! Some of the later challenges are absolutely crazy and involve things like scoring with your keeper (and also keeping a clean sheet in the same match!).

The online functionality (despite the shithouse NHL 07-style menus) is impressive with a live sports ticker and automatically downloaded ESPN Sports-Centre pod casts. I particularly like listening to the pod-casts and live sports-scores while I’m in the game menus or the arena/lobby. Online features a lobby, quick-matches, co-op and a nice set of tracked stats and rankings for players. Unfortunately, there’s no rematch option when you’ve finished a quick-match which is a bad oversight.

Finally, many of the on-the-fly menu options that were available in-game (such as making subs or changing formations) in World Cup 2006 are missing here which is a disappointment.

Gameplay 79/100

As mentioned previously, FIFA 07 for the Xbox 360 features a BRAND NEW game engine that’s been built completely from the ground-up. For that fact alone, despite the gameplay hits and misses, EA Sports deserves kudos for putting in the effort of going back to the drawing board to create something new.

FIFA 07 for the 360 features 2 different control schemes (neither are fully customizable) and one is very similar to the controls found in Winning Eleven. They are as follows;

As you can see the controls are fairly intuitive to anyone who’s played a Winning Eleven or FIFA game in the recent past. It’s important to note that there are practically NO ‘skill’ moves in the game (save for a crappy ‘lane change’ and a 45° quick turn) and I’ll speak more on this later. Shooting and crossing are controlled via a power-bar however it’s very easy to get a shot on target (the power bar moves slowly).

One of the brightest aspects of the new game engine are the excellent non-scripted ball physics. The physics are even better than those found in the current-gen version and are truly unscripted – the ball is no longer on a string and you frequently have random bounces creating the requisite havoc and panic in a crowded penalty box. That said, the physics still aren’t as good as those found in Winning Eleven and not nearly as good as some of the mainstream reviews make them sound. The game DOES have excellent ricochets and bounces that add to the variability of play but there are still areas to improve.

Firstly, ball control is still universal and pretty much canned. A player running full pelt onto a fast-moving ball will get it under control just as quickly (or FIFA’s case, just as slowly) and as effectively as a player jogging onto a slowly rolling ball. Compare this to WE 10 where the speed of the ball, the speed of the player, the angle of the player AND the individual stats of the player himself affect how a player brings a ball under control.

Secondly, there’s very little curve/curl on shots, and practically none on free kicks and corners! Just as importantly, the particular area of a player’s foot that strikes the ball has very little effect on curl or spin of the shot/pass. The best evidence of this is seen when you take a ‘finesse’ shot using Shoot + Right Bumper. Much like the R2 shot in Winning Eleven (or the finesse shot in the current-gen FIFA) this strike involves a player hitting the ball with his instep to add more accuracy and curl to the ball. However, in the 360 version of FIFA the ball moves in the exact same manner as a regular shot – the only difference is that the CPU-controlled keepers are less likely to hold onto the ball! The lack of curling on shots is very apparent if you cut inside a defender (without him shoving you!), are parallel to the goal line, and try to the curl the ball inside the far post.

Another important aspect of the game engine are the controls and in particular the dribbling. The basic dribbling model in this game is excellent and provides 360° of fluid movement that at times makes the dribbling model in Winning Eleven look archaic. Dribbling can be a great deal of fun as you twist and turn defenders inside and out in a very realistic (and entertaining) fashion. The game also does a great job of depicting the differences in dribbling skill between lead-footed defenders and skilful wingers. Players like Ronaldinho and Cristiano Ronaldo aren’t just quicker on the ball, they are a lot more responsive and visibly take more touches on the ball!

Against the CPU dribbling can be very exciting and a lot of fun. Unfortunately, there are several issues with the system as it is. Firstly, while the realistic twisting, turning, and deft moves are effective against the CPU, nine times out of ten they’re useless against a human player. You can moving in with Lionel Messi versus Titus Bramble, one on one, zigging and zagging – but the moment you move within a few feet of Titus, all your opponent has to do is hold down Speed Burst and A and Titus will nick the ball off Messi like Baresi in his prime! Or, if your opponent doesn’t want to embarrass you by stealing the ball in such a simple fashion (which, very randomly, can result in a foul) he can simply use the Right Analog Stick and SHOVE (literally) you off the ball and never  get called for a foul! As a result of these two things, you have to forget about all that deft, intricate dribbling and simply hold down sprint and take a wide berth around opposing defenders.

Furthermore, while more skilled players are more responsive and take more touches on the ball, there’s no depiction of (or differentiation between) strong, powerful players. You can block-tackle Essien and Gerrard just as easily as Jesper Gronkjaer.

Thirdly, even without the problems caused by the super block-tackling and the player shoves, the dribbling in this next-gen version of FIFA isn’t nearly as intricate as in Winning Eleven 10 or even the current-gen FIFA 07. Side-steps, step-overs, rabonas, elasticos, flicks and others don’t just LOOK good, they add more depth to the gameplay experience. FIFA 07 for the 360 doesn't even have a fake shot move!!!

Another issue with the controls comes from the fact that they’re not quite as responsive as they should be. Players take too long to bring passes under control and this makes quick passing movements in tight spaces unnecessarily difficult. Exacerbating this factor is the inaccurate (and sometimes aneurysm-inducing) passing. By default, the game has a ‘Passing Assist’ slider cranked up which mitigates some of the passing inaccuracies, however, this also reduces the freedom of passing with through passes or putting the ball into space. As a result, I turned this all the way down and it took several (painful) days of play before I identified which types of passes (which should be routine in real-life) couldn’t be done safely in the game, and avoided them.

Shooting, however, is very responsive and a lot of fun. You can get some serious zip on shots and there are a wide variety of different goals that can be scored from in-close and from distance. Preferred foot shooting is implemented and factors like balance and positioning come into play when taking a shot. Unfortunately, there’s no curling on shots and this absence really makes free-kicks boring (there are also no intricate free-kick routines like step over fakes or knocking the ball on so it can be hit by a second player on the run).

Aerial play in next-gen FIFA is garbage – particularly inside the box. The fantastic jostling mechanic present in the current-gen game is absent and inside the box most players head the ball like ME in real-life – i.e. softly, inaccurately, and look rather lame doing so. Players never attack the ball and there are no thumping, powerful headers (even if you create the space to do so). Subtle flicks ARE done well but sometimes you want to just bury a header into the back of the net with aplomb and you don’t see that here.

CPU A.I. is another area where this game has garnered positive press in the mainstream media and I don’t really see why. Firstly, while there are mild differences in playing styles between the super clubs and the just-promoted sides, there’s no middle-ground. Arsenal and Barcelona do not pass the ball around with any more zip or creativity than Blackburn or Newcastle. Secondly, while your computer controlled teammates often make good runs – they only do so WHEN YOU TELL THEM TO! It’s frustrating as hell to have to keep hitting the Left Trigger to make your forwards make positive runs when they should be eager to do so automatically. Furthermore, the support runs and overlapping movement of players pales in comparison to that seen in FIFA 07 for the current-gen Xbox. Players are also slow when it comes to making runs with a give and go – in the current gen games when the initial passer kicks the ball he’s instantly off on a run to be in a position to get the ball back. In FIFA 07 for the 360 he stands around for a second or two (perhaps admiring his pass?) before making a run.

Finally, AI-controlled keepers are too inconsistent – the same keeper that stopped your last 5 breakaways (they’re far too good in 1vs1 situations) will let in a floater from outside the box.

Okay, so despite the negatives and my nit-picking, how does the game play? Well, once you learn to work around the limitations in passing and the sluggish control there is a very solid game here that can be quite a lot of fun. Despite my qualms about the dribbling and the lack of skill moves it is still very enjoyable. You especially appreciate the freedom of movement afforded here when you go back to a more limited game like Winning Eleven. Despite the great ball physics, it’s a bit more of an arcade experience than Winning Eleven (or even the current-gen FIFA 07) and it definitely plays a more tactically naive game, but it’s still fun once you get past the kinks.

If I’m honest, a lot of the appeal of this game has to do with the fact that the game looks so nice AND that it’s the only new Xbox 360 soccer game in North America. However, the game still has many moments where it shines and there are wide variety of goals that can be scored. Most importantly, you do get a solid sense of satisfaction when you stick the ball in the back of the net. FIFA 07 360 also has the best online play I’ve ever experienced in a console game.

Of the 60+ matches I’ve played online, I can only recall TWO matches that had any sort of lag. I kid you not. Whether your opponent is down the street or across the Atlantic they might as well be in your living room because the responsiveness is silky smooth. EA Sports deserve major kudos for the netcode in this game. I just wish gamers would pick teams other than Barcelona, Man U, Chelsea, Arsenal or Inter! I once had a string of 7 matches in a row against 7 DIFFERENT opponents and ALL SEVEN picked bloody Barcelona!

Replay Value/Longevity 75/100

If it didn’t have incredible online play this game would rank quite poorly in the replay value stakes. The stripped-down Manager Mode is garbage and robs the gamer of almost all of the depth and immersion found in the current-gen game. The Challenge Mode starts off good but the later challenges border on the asinine. I also have to add that the Xbox Live Achievements in this game are absolutely INSANE! Examples include, 50 Man of the Match Awards with a Defender (yes, FIFTY), Winning 300 Matches, and Averaging more than 4 goals a game for 50 matches. I’m not sure I’d still be playing the game if I averaged more than 4 goals a match for 10 matches, let alone 50……

Overall 78/100

Coming to grips with this brand new FIFA engine was quite a journey for me. At first I couldn’t stand it – the limitations in passing, shooting, AI and overall control responsiveness where too frustrating. Yet, at the same time there were moments where the game and the ball physics shone – certainly the freedom of movement with the dribbling (despite its simplicity) stood out. The more I played FIFA 07 and the more I became accustomed to inherent limitations the more I began to not only ENJOY myself, but also appreciate that there is a solid core to this gameplay engine and EA Sports are only few (though major) tweaks away from something that could perhaps, eventually knock Winning Eleven off its lofty perch.

Should you get it? Well its pretty much your only choice for soccer gaming action on the 360 in North America. In Europe there’s PES6, but from what I hear that’s a stripped down, putrid port of the PS2 version. I suggest this as a solid rental and if you can get used to the simple gameplay the online play will keep you entertained for quite a while.

PS If you're playing online - stop picking Barcelona or Man U....try someone different for a change! ;)

Lavan Chandran - 16/11/2006

Overview

FIFA 07 for the Xbox 360 has been easily my most anticipated soccer game in a long time. EA Sports announced that they would be building the Xbox 360 version of FIFA 07 from the ground-up with brand-new physics, AI, and gameplay. After thoroughly enjoying FIFA 07 for the current-gen (Xbox) and EA Sports’ entertaining World Cup game on the 360, I was ready to be blown away.

Graphics 83/100

I love gaming in HD. Not only do the crisp, vibrant visuals make standard definition games an eyesore, but the widescreen format is ideal for football games as you get to see more of the field. FIFA 07 for the 360 supports 720p and as a result everything from the menus to the on-field action is sharp. Of course, resolution isn’t everything but, for the most part, FIFA 07 does well in the graphics department.

Starting off with the players themselves, the player faces are (for the most part) brilliant. Likenesses for the big name players are spot on and facial expressions and skin textures are phenomenal. They’re definitely a massive improvement from the zombies seen in the previous 360 World Cup game. Players’ skin is no longer super shiny and wax-like from the get-go and yet players still ‘sweat’ as the game goes on. Unfortunately, while the top players and most of the players for the top clubs are modeled well, the majority of players for the less prestigious teams aren’t done nearly as well.

The actual player models themselves aren’t particularly impressive and it’s difficult to appreciate subtle differences in player builds – though at least they’re no longer the muscle-bound zombie midgets of the current-gen FIFA games! The various licensed kits are incredibly lifelike and I love the representation of moving cloth you see from up close.

Player animations are quite impressive, not least of all because of the silky-smooth transitions between the various movements which give the visuals a very organic feel to them. Unfortunately, there are few exceptions to the overall stellar nature of the animations. Firstly, there are big deficiencies in the way player interactions (in particular body contact and jostling for the ball) are depicted. Rather than subtle dips of the shoulder or leaning you’ll see outright, hands-streched-forward shoving between players! Furthermore, there are many instances where to players will try to shove each other at the same moment and both stop dead in their tracks while the ball rolls away! Secondly, while the game does a good job of depicting the differences in movement (and particularly dribbling) between big-lumbering defenders and swift-footed, skillful wingers, there’s no middle ground – you don’t see the powerful, direct running of a Ballack, Gerrard or Viera. The game also doesn’t feature any special/skill moves so you’re robbed of seeing those animations. I know it sounds nitpicky, but these things stand out mainly because the rest of the animations look so damn good!

FIFA 07 features 23 different stadiums which is a far cry from the forty six grounds seen in the current-gen version. The list of stadia is as follows;

The stadiums themselves are definitely underwhelming and pale in comparison to those in other next-gen sports games like Madden. The paucity of structural and pitch-side detail is made more apparent by the detailed player models and kits. Also unimpressive are the crowds which are decent from far (animated, though everyone moves in unison which is a little freaky) but are ugly from close-up. Likewise, the nets are garbage and the mesh doesn’t move in a realistic fashion. Pitch-textures, on the other hand are absolutely gorgeous and vary by stadium. Lighting effects are equally as impressive with shadows along various parts of the field.

Unfortunately, there are NO weather effects whatsoever which is a real disappointment.

The TV-style presentation in FIFA 07 360 is where the game loses most of its marks in the visuals department. To put it bluntly, the TV-style presentation is absolutely crap and a shocking step backwards for the FIFA franchise. Firstly, the pre-match intro consists of about 10 seconds of the two teams in the tunnel, some players shake hands, the start to walk out onto the pitch AND THAT’S IT! You don’t actually see the players run onto the field, you don’t see any pre-match photos, you don’t see players standing for league anthems, you don’t see players in the background running or stretching while the line-ups are shown. Nothing. I know a lot of players skip these things after a few games but it would be nice to at least have them present for the big matches to add some atmosphere.

Player celebrations are also very limited and though you can unlock around 5 or so in the FIFA Fan Shop, the number still lags a long way behind the 50+ different celebrations seen in Winning Eleven 10.

Also disappointing are the replays–er, I mean replay, that you see when you score a goal. You’re treated to a single view replay and that’s it! There are no multiple replays from different angles so you can really admire a goal (or simply get a better sense of what the hell happened). For that you have to manually go into the instant replay menu which is limited and clunky, and where you can no longer save goals!

Speaking of limited and clunky, the game’s menus use the same bare, nested-tree format seen in EA Sports’ NHL 2007 which is not only as ugly as Ian Dowie, it’s also just as useless.

Sound 65/100

Yes, you read correctly. A FIFA game gets a 65% in the audio department – the team that made this game should be ashamed for breaking a decade-long streak of fantastic commentary in FIFA games. Martin Tyler and Andy Gray do the play-by-play and color and are absolutely dreadful. Both are sometimes so far behind the play it’s embarrassing. Numerous times I’ve scored a goal, seen the entire celebration animation, and am almost half-way through watching the instant replay before Tyler announces the goal. It’s pretty sad stuff and, unfortunately, it happens on a consistent basis.

Just as bad are the number of comments that are simply incorrect. For example, there have been numerous occasions when I’ve had a free kick from around 35+ yards away from goal only to hear Tyler mention that my set piece is on ‘…the EDGE of the area’? WTF?

Fortunately, the soundtrack is varied and entertaining and the game features a nice variety of crowd sounds and team specific chants (though no “You’ll Never Walk Alone” which was a disappointment for me, personally).

Options 60/100

The major modes of play in FIFA 07 are Kick-Off (exhibition/friendly), Manager Mode, FIFA 07 Lounge (for multiplayer on the same console), Challenge Mode and Xbox Live. The list of available leagues and teams has been more than halved for this next-gen version of FIFA. The featured leagues are as follows;

And that’s it! Okay, there are 37 International Teams (which don’t feature many of the teams that made the last World Cup), Juventus, a World XI and a Classic XI. There are NO lower divisions and, as you can imagine, the Manager Mode suffers a great deal. Now that you can only manage a top-tier team (there’s no promotion or relegation) AND you’re limited to a career of only five seasons (so all the long-term player development stuff is useless) I think I’d much rather play Winning Eleven’s tired Master League than this crap. This is particularly disappointing because the Manager Mode has been my favourite feature in the past two FIFA games providing an in-depth and incredibly addictive experience.

Just as damning is the fact that there is NO option to create custom tournaments! Yup, EA Sports included 37 international teams but the only thing you can do with them is to play exhibition matches! This is absolute laziness on the part of the development team and I’m surprised the haven’t received more flak from the mainstream gaming media for this absence.

On the bright-side, the game does feature a Challenge Mode with a staggering 85 scenarios to play through! I loved the Challenge Mode in World Cup 2006 – particularly as some of the challenges were notoriously difficult (ask anyone who’s actually finished ALL of them). Unfortunately, all of the challenges I’ve played thus far involve matches that start at opening kick-off and aren’t actually game ‘scenarios’. For example, you’d think a Challenge involving Liverpool and AC Milan would involve staging a 3-0 comeback using Liverpool, or winning the match when it’s at 3-3 with Milan. Instead, you start the match at 0-0 with Milan and have to win for your primary objective. That’s it! Some of the later challenges are absolutely crazy and involve things like scoring with your keeper (and also keeping a clean sheet in the same match!).

The online functionality (despite the shithouse NHL 07-style menus) is impressive with a live sports ticker and automatically downloaded ESPN Sports-Centre pod casts. I particularly like listening to the pod-casts and live sports-scores while I’m in the game menus or the arena/lobby. Online features a lobby, quick-matches, co-op and a nice set of tracked stats and rankings for players. Unfortunately, there’s no rematch option when you’ve finished a quick-match which is a bad oversight.

Finally, many of the on-the-fly menu options that were available in-game (such as making subs or changing formations) in World Cup 2006 are missing here which is a disappointment.

Gameplay 79/100

As mentioned previously, FIFA 07 for the Xbox 360 features a BRAND NEW game engine that’s been built completely from the ground-up. For that fact alone, despite the gameplay hits and misses, EA Sports deserves kudos for putting in the effort of going back to the drawing board to create something new.

FIFA 07 for the 360 features 2 different control schemes (neither are fully customizable) and one is very similar to the controls found in Winning Eleven. They are as follows;

As you can see the controls are fairly intuitive to anyone who’s played a Winning Eleven or FIFA game in the recent past. It’s important to note that there are practically NO ‘skill’ moves in the game (save for a crappy ‘lane change’ and a 45° quick turn) and I’ll speak more on this later. Shooting and crossing are controlled via a power-bar however it’s very easy to get a shot on target (the power bar moves slowly).

One of the brightest aspects of the new game engine are the excellent non-scripted ball physics. The physics are even better than those found in the current-gen version and are truly unscripted – the ball is no longer on a string and you frequently have random bounces creating the requisite havoc and panic in a crowded penalty box. That said, the physics still aren’t as good as those found in Winning Eleven and not nearly as good as some of the mainstream reviews make them sound. The game DOES have excellent ricochets and bounces that add to the variability of play but there are still areas to improve.

Firstly, ball control is still universal and pretty much canned. A player running full pelt onto a fast-moving ball will get it under control just as quickly (or FIFA’s case, just as slowly) and as effectively as a player jogging onto a slowly rolling ball. Compare this to WE 10 where the speed of the ball, the speed of the player, the angle of the player AND the individual stats of the player himself affect how a player brings a ball under control.

Secondly, there’s very little curve/curl on shots, and practically none on free kicks and corners! Just as importantly, the particular area of a player’s foot that strikes the ball has very little effect on curl or spin of the shot/pass. The best evidence of this is seen when you take a ‘finesse’ shot using Shoot + Right Bumper. Much like the R2 shot in Winning Eleven (or the finesse shot in the current-gen FIFA) this strike involves a player hitting the ball with his instep to add more accuracy and curl to the ball. However, in the 360 version of FIFA the ball moves in the exact same manner as a regular shot – the only difference is that the CPU-controlled keepers are less likely to hold onto the ball! The lack of curling on shots is very apparent if you cut inside a defender (without him shoving you!), are parallel to the goal line, and try to the curl the ball inside the far post.

Another important aspect of the game engine are the controls and in particular the dribbling. The basic dribbling model in this game is excellent and provides 360° of fluid movement that at times makes the dribbling model in Winning Eleven look archaic. Dribbling can be a great deal of fun as you twist and turn defenders inside and out in a very realistic (and entertaining) fashion. The game also does a great job of depicting the differences in dribbling skill between lead-footed defenders and skilful wingers. Players like Ronaldinho and Cristiano Ronaldo aren’t just quicker on the ball, they are a lot more responsive and visibly take more touches on the ball!

Against the CPU dribbling can be very exciting and a lot of fun. Unfortunately, there are several issues with the system as it is. Firstly, while the realistic twisting, turning, and deft moves are effective against the CPU, nine times out of ten they’re useless against a human player. You can moving in with Lionel Messi versus Titus Bramble, one on one, zigging and zagging – but the moment you move within a few feet of Titus, all your opponent has to do is hold down Speed Burst and A and Titus will nick the ball off Messi like Baresi in his prime! Or, if your opponent doesn’t want to embarrass you by stealing the ball in such a simple fashion (which, very randomly, can result in a foul) he can simply use the Right Analog Stick and SHOVE (literally) you off the ball and never  get called for a foul! As a result of these two things, you have to forget about all that deft, intricate dribbling and simply hold down sprint and take a wide berth around opposing defenders.

Furthermore, while more skilled players are more responsive and take more touches on the ball, there’s no depiction of (or differentiation between) strong, powerful players. You can block-tackle Essien and Gerrard just as easily as Jesper Gronkjaer.

Thirdly, even without the problems caused by the super block-tackling and the player shoves, the dribbling in this next-gen version of FIFA isn’t nearly as intricate as in Winning Eleven 10 or even the current-gen FIFA 07. Side-steps, step-overs, rabonas, elasticos, flicks and others don’t just LOOK good, they add more depth to the gameplay experience. FIFA 07 for the 360 doesn't even have a fake shot move!!!

Another issue with the controls comes from the fact that they’re not quite as responsive as they should be. Players take too long to bring passes under control and this makes quick passing movements in tight spaces unnecessarily difficult. Exacerbating this factor is the inaccurate (and sometimes aneurysm-inducing) passing. By default, the game has a ‘Passing Assist’ slider cranked up which mitigates some of the passing inaccuracies, however, this also reduces the freedom of passing with through passes or putting the ball into space. As a result, I turned this all the way down and it took several (painful) days of play before I identified which types of passes (which should be routine in real-life) couldn’t be done safely in the game, and avoided them.

Shooting, however, is very responsive and a lot of fun. You can get some serious zip on shots and there are a wide variety of different goals that can be scored from in-close and from distance. Preferred foot shooting is implemented and factors like balance and positioning come into play when taking a shot. Unfortunately, there’s no curling on shots and this absence really makes free-kicks boring (there are also no intricate free-kick routines like step over fakes or knocking the ball on so it can be hit by a second player on the run).

Aerial play in next-gen FIFA is garbage – particularly inside the box. The fantastic jostling mechanic present in the current-gen game is absent and inside the box most players head the ball like ME in real-life – i.e. softly, inaccurately, and look rather lame doing so. Players never attack the ball and there are no thumping, powerful headers (even if you create the space to do so). Subtle flicks ARE done well but sometimes you want to just bury a header into the back of the net with aplomb and you don’t see that here.

CPU A.I. is another area where this game has garnered positive press in the mainstream media and I don’t really see why. Firstly, while there are mild differences in playing styles between the super clubs and the just-promoted sides, there’s no middle-ground. Arsenal and Barcelona do not pass the ball around with any more zip or creativity than Blackburn or Newcastle. Secondly, while your computer controlled teammates often make good runs – they only do so WHEN YOU TELL THEM TO! It’s frustrating as hell to have to keep hitting the Left Trigger to make your forwards make positive runs when they should be eager to do so automatically. Furthermore, the support runs and overlapping movement of players pales in comparison to that seen in FIFA 07 for the current-gen Xbox. Players are also slow when it comes to making runs with a give and go – in the current gen games when the initial passer kicks the ball he’s instantly off on a run to be in a position to get the ball back. In FIFA 07 for the 360 he stands around for a second or two (perhaps admiring his pass?) before making a run.

Finally, AI-controlled keepers are too inconsistent – the same keeper that stopped your last 5 breakaways (they’re far too good in 1vs1 situations) will let in a floater from outside the box.

Okay, so despite the negatives and my nit-picking, how does the game play? Well, once you learn to work around the limitations in passing and the sluggish control there is a very solid game here that can be quite a lot of fun. Despite my qualms about the dribbling and the lack of skill moves it is still very enjoyable. You especially appreciate the freedom of movement afforded here when you go back to a more limited game like Winning Eleven. Despite the great ball physics, it’s a bit more of an arcade experience than Winning Eleven (or even the current-gen FIFA 07) and it definitely plays a more tactically naive game, but it’s still fun once you get past the kinks.

If I’m honest, a lot of the appeal of this game has to do with the fact that the game looks so nice AND that it’s the only new Xbox 360 soccer game in North America. However, the game still has many moments where it shines and there are wide variety of goals that can be scored. Most importantly, you do get a solid sense of satisfaction when you stick the ball in the back of the net. FIFA 07 360 also has the best online play I’ve ever experienced in a console game.

Of the 60+ matches I’ve played online, I can only recall TWO matches that had any sort of lag. I kid you not. Whether your opponent is down the street or across the Atlantic they might as well be in your living room because the responsiveness is silky smooth. EA Sports deserve major kudos for the netcode in this game. I just wish gamers would pick teams other than Barcelona, Man U, Chelsea, Arsenal or Inter! I once had a string of 7 matches in a row against 7 DIFFERENT opponents and ALL SEVEN picked bloody Barcelona!

Replay Value/Longevity 75/100

If it didn’t have incredible online play this game would rank quite poorly in the replay value stakes. The stripped-down Manager Mode is garbage and robs the gamer of almost all of the depth and immersion found in the current-gen game. The Challenge Mode starts off good but the later challenges border on the asinine. I also have to add that the Xbox Live Achievements in this game are absolutely INSANE! Examples include, 50 Man of the Match Awards with a Defender (yes, FIFTY), Winning 300 Matches, and Averaging more than 4 goals a game for 50 matches. I’m not sure I’d still be playing the game if I averaged more than 4 goals a match for 10 matches, let alone 50……

Overall 78/100

Coming to grips with this brand new FIFA engine was quite a journey for me. At first I couldn’t stand it – the limitations in passing, shooting, AI and overall control responsiveness where too frustrating. Yet, at the same time there were moments where the game and the ball physics shone – certainly the freedom of movement with the dribbling (despite its simplicity) stood out. The more I played FIFA 07 and the more I became accustomed to inherent limitations the more I began to not only ENJOY myself, but also appreciate that there is a solid core to this gameplay engine and EA Sports are only few (though major) tweaks away from something that could perhaps, eventually knock Winning Eleven off its lofty perch.

Should you get it? Well its pretty much your only choice for soccer gaming action on the 360 in North America. In Europe there’s PES6, but from what I hear that’s a stripped down, putrid port of the PS2 version. I suggest this as a solid rental and if you can get used to the simple gameplay the online play will keep you entertained for quite a while.

PS If you're playing online - stop picking Barcelona or Man U....try someone different for a change! ;)

Lavan Chandran - 16/11/2006