Best FIFA Yet (FIFA Football 2005 (PS2))

Member Name: BatchUK

Product:	FIFA Football 2005 (PS2)
Date:	12/07/05 (936 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: More in-depth career mode, Online play, Ability to export stuff from Total Club Manager 2005

Disadvantages: Lag occurs often online

As I bought this game for purely fun and going online to challenge the whole world to football matches, I feel this is one of the best FIFA games so far. The only one I thought was close to it within the whole FIFA games was FIFA 99, back in the PSone days. The game now has more official leaguesand team licences than any other football game. It makes Pro Evolution Soccer look like the kid who was picked last in a school football game during lunchtimes. To be exact, FIFA Football 2005 has 18 leagues, 38 national teams and over 11,000 real players.

SO WHAT'S NEW WITH THIS GAME?

The first thing that's new with this game is the new move, called First Touch. During a match, you now have the ability to control the ball instantly with flick-ons or knocks into any free space by using the analog stick and this will prevent the other team into stealing the ball when you are in possession.

The career mode is even better by being more in-depth than previous FIFA games for a drive for success spanning multiple football seasons with numerous challenges to become a five star manager.

You can now even assemble the perfect player with complete control over the appearances, abilities and stats.

You can now collect FIFA Points for every accomplishment, from small things such as going onto a game mode and then moving onto more big accomplishments such as creating players and then winning football trophies. You can use the FIFA Points to unlock football kits, EA Trax tracks for the jukebox and also options for football games as well as other stuff.

WHAT GAME MODES ARE IN THIS GAME?

The career mode is back as mentioned above but it allows you to take on a non-league team at the start and then move up to much bigger teams until you get to manage a Premier League or an international team. Winning football trophies and gaining teams promotion in the league will help you build up the career. Not only you help improve your team, but you can also have a chance to improve the efficiency of your staff within the football team which will cost you some FIFA Points.

There is the Tournament mode to compete in a tournament with a team of your choice and go through a league or knockout tournament until the tournament / league ends.

The practice mode is back again and this will help you and your team to improve your skills on the practice pitch. You can practice in a match, or improve on your corner kicks and indirect or direct free kicks.

Got Total Club Manager 2005? Then you can use this with FIFA Football 2005 by the unique Football Fusion mode. With this mode, you can play individual Total Club Manager 2005 matches in FIFA Football 2005, or export teams to FIFA Football 2005 so you can include lower division sides which are not supported with FIFA Football 2005.

The best thing I like about the game is the ability to take on the world and blag about who's the best FIFA Football 2005 gamer by going online.You can challenge individual gamers from the lobbies to a ranked or unranked match, or even take part on online events set up by EA or even gamers of the game. There are lots of players to be playing against on the game as this game is worldwide capable. You can chat to people online by using a USB keyboard for the PS2 or if you are in a match or want to talk privately, you can use a USB headset to hear and talk to the gamers. If you want to keep tracks of your buddies, EA has managed to add EA Messenger to the game where you can keep your list of buddies on the game and also challenge them or talk to them. The only problem about the online mode that I have encountered since having it is some matches you play may encoutered lag due to being able to play people around the world but this isn't a big issue to worry about.

Want to have your very own elite player to a team? Well, you can with the Create Player mode. Add all the essential elements of a great player into your creation and then you are able to put that player in your chosen team and position you want that player in. You have a possibility to create yourself in the game.

OVERALL OPINION

GRAPHICS - The best since the previous FIFA games. Very detailed players and stadiums with excellent weather effects.
SCORE - 9

SOUND - Motson and Ally McCoist returns with more commentary and it's the best yet. Stadium atmosphere make it feel you're actually there. EA Trax has a great selection of tracks for the game which is very suitable with tracks from different countries.
SCORE - 9

GAMEPLAY - Excellent career mode and the ability to go online and also use Total Club Manager 2005 to export teams to FIFA.
SCORE - 9

LIFESPAN - No doubt you'll come back to play this game every time you boot up your PS2 with the online mode as well as trying to be the best team in the world to compete for tournaments and promotion to better leagues.
SCORE - 10

VERDICT

What a brilliant game. Pro Evo Soccer gamers will be green with envy with this and FIFA Football 2005 is ahead of the game here with online mode and the licences for the game. Loads more to do with the game. FIFA Football 2005 is now only £20 quid at GAME so why not get this while you can before the new version is released in the autumn or winter this year. Absolutely brilliant and recommended for all PS2 football gamers.


ADDITIONAL INFORMATION -

FIFA Official Website - www.FIFA.com
FIFA Football 2005 Website - http://easports.co.uk/fifafootball
EA Website - www.uk.ea.com

Customer Support - 0870 2432435

Summary: FIFA Football 2005 is ahead of the game!