Table of Contents
1) Graphics
2) Sound
3) Options
4) Gameplay
5) Replay Value
6) Overall

Gameplay 85/100

While I’m tempted to start my discussion of FIFA 07s plethora of gameplay tweaks and improvements with the ball physics I’ll start with the controls;

The controls aren’t set in stone and you can choose from a variety of configurations. As you can see from the above configuration you can have the controls set up just like in Winning Eleven! Even if you don’t have the configuration as above, the influence of Winning Eleven’s controls is evident in a lot of the moves. The controls for fake pass, fake shot, early cross and the low cross are all similar to WE/PES. The ‘finesse shot’ is similar to Winning Eleven’s L2 shot where you hit it with your instep and have a bit more accuracy.

‘The Physics of the Balls’

So what about those new Ball Physics? Well the ball physics and the game engine aren’t built from the ground-up (as they are in the upcoming Xbox 360 version) but there have definitely been some major improvements. For the first time in the series the ball physics are completely separated from the animations and as a result the ball moves with a fluidity and realism yet unseen in a FIFA game. Finally you get to see some realistic looking bounces, spins and ricochets! As a result of these largely unscripted ball physics not only does the ball move in a far more realistic fashion (no more ball on a string) but there’s a far greater variation in build-up play and goals scored.

That said, despite the massive leap progress, the ball physics in FIFA 07 still lag far behind those found in Winning Eleven 10. To be fair, because the physics are unscripted you don’t notice the differences until you go back and forth between the two titles. However, once I did go back to Winning Eleven 10 after a week of FIFA 07 I was struck by just how much more intricate the ball physics are and how many more subtle spins, ricochets and rebounds there are in Konami’s game. The ball just feels so much more alive in Konami’s game, but kudos must be given to EA Sports for finally getting with the program!

A.I.

The second major improvement in FIFA 07s gameplay comes from the AI, and in particular, the offensive AI of your CPU teammates. Frankly, the difference in intelligence (and usefulness) of your CPU teammates from the 06 to 07 versions of FIFA is staggering. CPU controlled players now make fantastic darting runs, move into space, drag defenders out of position and make overlapping movements that wouldn’t be out of place in a Winning Eleven game! Watching user controlled attacks in FIFA 07 is like watching Wenger’s Arsenal side in their pomp; the quick, fluid passing and flowing overlapping movement is a joy to behold (and to control as well)! Unfortunately, this applies to pretty much EVERY team and a user controlled Accrington Stanley may as well have Rosicky, Henry, Van Persie and Fabregas playing for them!

Also unfortunate is that the CPU-controlled teams don’t exhibit the same creativity and passing movement. The CPU teams rarely play from the back and there isn’t a detectable difference in playing style between Brighton and Barcelona. There’s also very little difference in how individual CPU players act –Ronaldinho may be more difficult to shake off the ball but he doesn’t seem to do more tricks, make more dribbles, and be more incisive than anyone else on his Barca team. This is in stark contrast to Winning Eleven 10 where the top players are noticeably more dangerous than average ones.

On the defensive side of the AI things are a bit too passive. While it’s nice not to have the ‘headless-chicken’ defensive pressuring you see in the Winning Eleven games, the CPU defenders in FIFA 07 are too happy to watch you pass around the ball. As a result, your front men are frequently given the time and space to collect a pass from midfield and turn. Through passes along the outside channel are rarely contested (or blocked off) and if you have a moderately pacey forward he’ll be able to get to the ball before even the quickest defenders. Putting your back to a CPU defender and spinning around him is also far more successful than any skill move.

The end result of the mediocre defending AI and the excellent CPU teammate AI is that that the game is a lot more skewed towards attacking play which is very exciting, but at the same time not as realistic nor as balanced as Winning Eleven.

Nutmeg!

The ‘Skill Moves’ in FIFA 07 have also had a bit of an overhaul and I really like the new changes. In previous games a simple flick of the Right Analog stick would initiate a move. Now, however, you have to make specific movements with the RAS to pull off a ‘skill’ move. You can see some of the RAS movements required to initiate moves in the diagram (taken from IGN’s Developer BLOG). The best part of these new skill moves (despite being more useful) is that for the first time in the series they actually require some modicum of SKILL to perform! It’s also important to note that none of the moves work even close to 100% of the time and pass and move is still the best option to unlock a defense.

If there’s one downside of the skill moves it’s the way they differ from player to player. Higher rated players are far more responsive to RAS movements than lower rated players. For example, if you perform the ‘lane change’ move while controlling Messi he’ll do it almost instantly. If you do the same thing while controlling Ayala there will be LAG between when you input the move and when it’s performed – and as a result a defender may take the ball off you. While it’s an interesting way of depicting differences in player skill, I prefer Winning Eleven where Messi and Ayala would have equal responsiveness with a special move, but Ayala’s lower ball control and dribbling stats will make him far less likely to hold onto the ball (and/or keep it under close control) than Messi.

FIFA 07 also has a hard time depicting a subtle variety of skills between different human-controlled players. Players like the aforementioned Messi and Ronaldinho are definitely far more responsive than most other players allowing for quicker movements, however, there seems to be no middle ground between the galacticos and the crap players. A player is either a super-responsive super-star or very mediocre.

Preferred foot, headers and set pieces

FIFA 07 also sees the series’ introduction of a preferred foot when passing or shooting! As expected, this aspect of play doesn’t exhibit the same degree of complexity as in Winning Eleven, but its nice to finally see a noticeable difference when you shoot on a player’s weaker side.

Yet another control change comes from headers. Now when the ball is played in the air and control switches to the nearest player, you have a split second or two to use the Left Analog Stick to actively jostle with an opponent. This control change makes contesting for headers in the midfield (particularly from goal kicks) much more involving and skill based than before.

Set pieces have been changed and are now very similar to Winning Eleven in that you hold pass or shoot and while the player is running up to hit the ball you can add swerve or spin to the kick. Corners can be whipped in a with a stunning degree of spin which causes all sorts of havoc in the opposition’s penalty box! Keepers also aren’t left out and I absolutely love the addition of a power-bar for the goalkeeper’s throw! Now, if you hold the pass button for a split second your keeper will underhand roll the ball to a nearby teammate, if you hold it down so the bar gets filled he’ll run and launch an overhand throw downfield!

Dialing From Distance

As you’d expect with the new unscripted ball physics there’s a much wider variety of goals that can be scored compared to previous versions. All a manner of deft curlers, drilled blasts, placed headers and ricochet goals are possible and it makes matches far more interesting and exciting than ever before. Its been a long time since I’ve had a real sense of satisfaction when beating a keeper in a FIFA game.

The only downside to the goalscoring is that scoring from distance is a tad too easy, particularly when you’re hitting a ball on the half (or full) volley. Case-in-point would be Momo Sissoko in my current Manager Mode season who has 7 goals thus far (none for Liverpool in real life) and all of them have been thunderbolt half volleys from outside the box when a corner was cleared! The first time I drilled one in I was jumping all over my couch! However, the ease at which this can be done (given the time and space) made subsequent stunners far less gratifying. The same applies for free kicks; although the new Winning Eleven-style system is more user friendly, free kicks are a bit too easy. Again, this takes away some of the sense of satisfaction you get when you do beat the keeper from a set piece.

Calamity James

The goalkeepers in FIFA 07 are a mixed bag. The CPU-team keepers are generally solid ; their only problems are with the aforementioned volleys from outside the box and deep swerving crosses (expect a few to be tipped up and bobbled). The CPU-controlled keepers on your team have problems with long-shots in general (on the volley or not) and there have been a few instances where I’ve seen my keeper fluff an entirely save-able shot. It’s not a game-wrecker but when it does happen you’ll want to chuck your controller out the window.

But How Does it Play?

While the ball physics and AI aren’t perfect, they represent such a jump in quality from previous versions that FIFA 07 isn’t just hands-down the best game in the series, it’s also by far the most fun! Though the introduction of the unscripted ball physics, AI changes, and controls that mimic Winning Eleven will no doubt bring even more (slightly unfavorable) comparisons to Konami’s masterpiece, EA Sports have done more than enough to carve out their own niche and create a very entertaining soccer title. It’s not exactly a simulation but it’s definitely no longer an arcade-type experience. Although matches are generally a more high-scoring affair, the variety of goals that can be scored and variation in build-up play keeps matches fresh and entertaining. I also love the fact that you actually feel a sense of genuine accomplishment when you do put the ball in the back of the net.

FIFA 06 was the first EA Sports football title in a long time that made you feel that you were somehow playing a representation of the beautiful game rather than an arcade-interpretation. FIFA 07 for the current-gen consoles takes this feeling a solid step further.

Continue To: Replay Value & Overall

Table of Contents
1) Graphics
2) Sound
3) Options
4) Gameplay
5) Replay Value
6) Overall

Gameplay 85/100

While I’m tempted to start my discussion of FIFA 07s plethora of gameplay tweaks and improvements with the ball physics I’ll start with the controls;

The controls aren’t set in stone and you can choose from a variety of configurations. As you can see from the above configuration you can have the controls set up just like in Winning Eleven! Even if you don’t have the configuration as above, the influence of Winning Eleven’s controls is evident in a lot of the moves. The controls for fake pass, fake shot, early cross and the low cross are all similar to WE/PES. The ‘finesse shot’ is similar to Winning Eleven’s L2 shot where you hit it with your instep and have a bit more accuracy.

‘The Physics of the Balls’

So what about those new Ball Physics? Well the ball physics and the game engine aren’t built from the ground-up (as they are in the upcoming Xbox 360 version) but there have definitely been some major improvements. For the first time in the series the ball physics are completely separated from the animations and as a result the ball moves with a fluidity and realism yet unseen in a FIFA game. Finally you get to see some realistic looking bounces, spins and ricochets! As a result of these largely unscripted ball physics not only does the ball move in a far more realistic fashion (no more ball on a string) but there’s a far greater variation in build-up play and goals scored.

That said, despite the massive leap progress, the ball physics in FIFA 07 still lag far behind those found in Winning Eleven 10. To be fair, because the physics are unscripted you don’t notice the differences until you go back and forth between the two titles. However, once I did go back to Winning Eleven 10 after a week of FIFA 07 I was struck by just how much more intricate the ball physics are and how many more subtle spins, ricochets and rebounds there are in Konami’s game. The ball just feels so much more alive in Konami’s game, but kudos must be given to EA Sports for finally getting with the program!

A.I.

The second major improvement in FIFA 07s gameplay comes from the AI, and in particular, the offensive AI of your CPU teammates. Frankly, the difference in intelligence (and usefulness) of your CPU teammates from the 06 to 07 versions of FIFA is staggering. CPU controlled players now make fantastic darting runs, move into space, drag defenders out of position and make overlapping movements that wouldn’t be out of place in a Winning Eleven game! Watching user controlled attacks in FIFA 07 is like watching Wenger’s Arsenal side in their pomp; the quick, fluid passing and flowing overlapping movement is a joy to behold (and to control as well)! Unfortunately, this applies to pretty much EVERY team and a user controlled Accrington Stanley may as well have Rosicky, Henry, Van Persie and Fabregas playing for them!

Also unfortunate is that the CPU-controlled teams don’t exhibit the same creativity and passing movement. The CPU teams rarely play from the back and there isn’t a detectable difference in playing style between Brighton and Barcelona. There’s also very little difference in how individual CPU players act –Ronaldinho may be more difficult to shake off the ball but he doesn’t seem to do more tricks, make more dribbles, and be more incisive than anyone else on his Barca team. This is in stark contrast to Winning Eleven 10 where the top players are noticeably more dangerous than average ones.

On the defensive side of the AI things are a bit too passive. While it’s nice not to have the ‘headless-chicken’ defensive pressuring you see in the Winning Eleven games, the CPU defenders in FIFA 07 are too happy to watch you pass around the ball. As a result, your front men are frequently given the time and space to collect a pass from midfield and turn. Through passes along the outside channel are rarely contested (or blocked off) and if you have a moderately pacey forward he’ll be able to get to the ball before even the quickest defenders. Putting your back to a CPU defender and spinning around him is also far more successful than any skill move.

The end result of the mediocre defending AI and the excellent CPU teammate AI is that that the game is a lot more skewed towards attacking play which is very exciting, but at the same time not as realistic nor as balanced as Winning Eleven.

Nutmeg!

The ‘Skill Moves’ in FIFA 07 have also had a bit of an overhaul and I really like the new changes. In previous games a simple flick of the Right Analog stick would initiate a move. Now, however, you have to make specific movements with the RAS to pull off a ‘skill’ move. You can see some of the RAS movements required to initiate moves in the diagram (taken from IGN’s Developer BLOG). The best part of these new skill moves (despite being more useful) is that for the first time in the series they actually require some modicum of SKILL to perform! It’s also important to note that none of the moves work even close to 100% of the time and pass and move is still the best option to unlock a defense.

If there’s one downside of the skill moves it’s the way they differ from player to player. Higher rated players are far more responsive to RAS movements than lower rated players. For example, if you perform the ‘lane change’ move while controlling Messi he’ll do it almost instantly. If you do the same thing while controlling Ayala there will be LAG between when you input the move and when it’s performed – and as a result a defender may take the ball off you. While it’s an interesting way of depicting differences in player skill, I prefer Winning Eleven where Messi and Ayala would have equal responsiveness with a special move, but Ayala’s lower ball control and dribbling stats will make him far less likely to hold onto the ball (and/or keep it under close control) than Messi.

FIFA 07 also has a hard time depicting a subtle variety of skills between different human-controlled players. Players like the aforementioned Messi and Ronaldinho are definitely far more responsive than most other players allowing for quicker movements, however, there seems to be no middle ground between the galacticos and the crap players. A player is either a super-responsive super-star or very mediocre.

Preferred foot, headers and set pieces

FIFA 07 also sees the series’ introduction of a preferred foot when passing or shooting! As expected, this aspect of play doesn’t exhibit the same degree of complexity as in Winning Eleven, but its nice to finally see a noticeable difference when you shoot on a player’s weaker side.

Yet another control change comes from headers. Now when the ball is played in the air and control switches to the nearest player, you have a split second or two to use the Left Analog Stick to actively jostle with an opponent. This control change makes contesting for headers in the midfield (particularly from goal kicks) much more involving and skill based than before.

Set pieces have been changed and are now very similar to Winning Eleven in that you hold pass or shoot and while the player is running up to hit the ball you can add swerve or spin to the kick. Corners can be whipped in a with a stunning degree of spin which causes all sorts of havoc in the opposition’s penalty box! Keepers also aren’t left out and I absolutely love the addition of a power-bar for the goalkeeper’s throw! Now, if you hold the pass button for a split second your keeper will underhand roll the ball to a nearby teammate, if you hold it down so the bar gets filled he’ll run and launch an overhand throw downfield!

Dialing From Distance

As you’d expect with the new unscripted ball physics there’s a much wider variety of goals that can be scored compared to previous versions. All a manner of deft curlers, drilled blasts, placed headers and ricochet goals are possible and it makes matches far more interesting and exciting than ever before. Its been a long time since I’ve had a real sense of satisfaction when beating a keeper in a FIFA game.

The only downside to the goalscoring is that scoring from distance is a tad too easy, particularly when you’re hitting a ball on the half (or full) volley. Case-in-point would be Momo Sissoko in my current Manager Mode season who has 7 goals thus far (none for Liverpool in real life) and all of them have been thunderbolt half volleys from outside the box when a corner was cleared! The first time I drilled one in I was jumping all over my couch! However, the ease at which this can be done (given the time and space) made subsequent stunners far less gratifying. The same applies for free kicks; although the new Winning Eleven-style system is more user friendly, free kicks are a bit too easy. Again, this takes away some of the sense of satisfaction you get when you do beat the keeper from a set piece.

Calamity James

The goalkeepers in FIFA 07 are a mixed bag. The CPU-team keepers are generally solid ; their only problems are with the aforementioned volleys from outside the box and deep swerving crosses (expect a few to be tipped up and bobbled). The CPU-controlled keepers on your team have problems with long-shots in general (on the volley or not) and there have been a few instances where I’ve seen my keeper fluff an entirely save-able shot. It’s not a game-wrecker but when it does happen you’ll want to chuck your controller out the window.

But How Does it Play?

While the ball physics and AI aren’t perfect, they represent such a jump in quality from previous versions that FIFA 07 isn’t just hands-down the best game in the series, it’s also by far the most fun! Though the introduction of the unscripted ball physics, AI changes, and controls that mimic Winning Eleven will no doubt bring even more (slightly unfavorable) comparisons to Konami’s masterpiece, EA Sports have done more than enough to carve out their own niche and create a very entertaining soccer title. It’s not exactly a simulation but it’s definitely no longer an arcade-type experience. Although matches are generally a more high-scoring affair, the variety of goals that can be scored and variation in build-up play keeps matches fresh and entertaining. I also love the fact that you actually feel a sense of genuine accomplishment when you do put the ball in the back of the net.

FIFA 06 was the first EA Sports football title in a long time that made you feel that you were somehow playing a representation of the beautiful game rather than an arcade-interpretation. FIFA 07 for the current-gen consoles takes this feeling a solid step further.

Continue To: Replay Value & Overall