NOT JUST FOR THE BOYS (FIFA 09 (PS3))

Member Name: kirstenc

Product:	FIFA 09 (PS3)
Date:	31/07/09 (10 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: be a pro helps to hone the skills

Disadvantages: too many buttons for different things

I love football, and as a girl, do pretty well for myself...I know the offside rule (and can make a reasonable 'interfering with play' argument with the best of them)

But I suck at football games. I dont know why...actually i do...I keep forgetting to swap players! my goalkeeper does nothing when a shot goes at him, cos the midfielder over on the right is running round in circles while I try to figure out what button to press.

I get very confused very easily, so my other half decided that I would learn. I sat through the training academy, worked out that while X is shoot in every game in the world, it is not the case with football, X is the most popular button, and football works well as a passing game. Therefore X is pass.

Im clever!

moving on, I dscovered that the ingenious thing about this game is that I can be one player if I want. The Be a Pro mode means that I can focus on being a midfielder (albeit a striking one, like to score the goals!) and trust the other players to do their bit too.

It give you a score based on the success rate and accuracy of your passes, movement, positioning, and even when you ask for the ball, it rates you based on whether that was a good call. I started on the very basic level and didnt score a goal in 10 matches (although the team was doing ok!)

Then, I got it! I got the bug. this is a game that you can play for 5 hours and think that you have only just put the console on. Then you realise that you have played through a whole season and the sun is rising!

I have played a few matches, and have to say that I love the commentaters, andy gray and martin tyler are great. They actually take the mick out of me when I do something silly, and their comments are really relevant to what is happening! This adds an atmosphere to the game, which makes it all the more pleasing to play.

The online mode also means that your players get better or worse depending on real life updates and that is supreme!

I have really only played the be a pro mode, so cannot comment on the rest (having been hammered 10-0 by said other half in my only competitive match) but I am making progress have to say that this is becoming one of my fave games!

Summary: becoming a fast favourite, for the boys and girls in the house!