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FIFA 2006 review

Since 1994, not a year has gone by without EAperformance based on how well your players
Sports releasing at least one new FIFA soccerfeel the match is going. This doesn't
game. And, predictably, 2005 is no exception.necessarily mean that your team will become
The isometric pitches and teams of identicalstronger if it's winning, though, because
players that graced EA Sports' earliestyour players' morale is influenced by recent
offerings have now been replaced by stadiumsaction on the pitch rather than by everything
and players that can be difficult tothat's happened since the kickoff, as well as
distinguish from their real-lifeby whether you're playing the match at home
counterparts. And although there have beenor  away.
some ups and downs along the way, the series'
gameplay has evolved at an equally impressiveThe boost your team will get from stringing
rate. FIFA 06 is particularly unusual in thattogether a few good moves against a team it's
it ditches some of the series' recentlosing to is definitely noticeable, and
innovations in favor of tried-and-testedyou'll find the opposite is true if you're in
gameplay mechanics. However, it also addscharge of a winning team that's struggling to
plenty of new features that help make it theretain its lead. Individual players can also
most realistic and accessible (and best) FIFAbe affected by events on the pitch, and if
game  to  date.you notice that one of your players is
feeling particularly down, it's invariably a
The first time you play FIFA 06, you'll begood idea to replace him with one of your
prompted to let the game know which of itssubstitutes--none of whom enjoys sitting out
500-plus teams is your favorite, and then,match  after  match  on  the  bench.
before you know what's going on, you'll be
challenged to a match against a formidableOn the pitch, FIFA 06 is undoubtedly the best
"Classic XI" squad that counts such men asgame in the series to date, but it's not
Zico and Eric Cantona among its players.without its flaws. The goalkeepers, for
Winning that match will award you your firstexample, are extremely slow to come off their
1,000 points to spend at the fan shop on suchlines--even when the ball has been hoofed
unlockables as classic player profiles,from the other end of the field and there are
all-star teams, different-colored balls,no other players with a hope in hell of
alternate team uniforms, extra playerreaching it before they do. This is actually
celebrations, new stadiums, and seasona good thing when it's your keeper, because
highlights footage from last year's German,you can bring him off his line manually, and
English, French, and Italian leagues. Toyou don't have to worry about him going on a
stand a chance of winning that match, you'llwalkabout of his own volition. The keepers on
need a good grasp of FIFA 06's controlCPU-controlled teams, though, appear to be
scheme, which--although there have been somelargely unaware of the "keeper charge"
improvements made since last year--certainlybutton, although they do become more
won't be a problem if you're a fan of theproactive as you move up through the game's
series.four difficulty levels. FIFA 06's other main
flaw, which is more of an issue on the PS2
If you're not a fan of the FIFA series butthan on any other platform, is that the whole
are taking the time to read this review, it'sgame can slow down quite dramatically when a
probably because you're a Winning Elevenlarge number of players is onscreen
devotee, in which case you'll be pleased tosimultaneously. The drops in the frame rate
know that the PlayStation 2 and Xbox versionsaren't so bad that the game is rendered
of FIFA 06 let you opt for an alternateunplayable, but they're certainly noticeable
control scheme that's straight out ofenough  to  be  worthy  of  mention.
Konami's soccer franchise. The PC game also
features customizable controls, although it'sThe PC version of FIFA 06 uses the same EA
impossible to re-create Winning Eleven'sNation online infrastructure as other EA
controls  perfectly.Sports PC games, meaning you can bet credits
from your virtual wallet on the outcome of
Once you've decided which button you want tomatches, choose an EA Sports-themed avatar
use for shooting and which you want to usefor your profile, and use an entirely
for long passes, you can start familiarizingdifferent, clumsy lobby system to search for
yourself with some of FIFA 06's new controls,opponents. With that said, the online play in
which include using the D pad or left analogthe PC game performs well once you get a
stick to change offensive and defensivematch started, though you won't be able to
tactics on the fly, as well as using a singleuse any custom control setups against online
button to perform a dummy move (either toopponents until the first FIFA 06 patch is
yourself or to a teammate) whenever a pass isreleased, because there's currently no way to
headed your way. There are eight differentsave  them.
tactical changes and team mentalities you can
switch on and off on the fly, includingRegardless of its less-than-perfect online
counter attack wing play, box overload,play, FIFA 06 is a game that no soccer fan
offside trap, and zone defense. Like many ofshould be without. The offline gameplay is
FIFA 06's new features, these aren't reallydifficult to fault, the graphics (especially
explained in the instruction manual but arethe stadiums and player animations) rarely
instead covered comprehensively viafail to impress, and the game's eclectic
easy-to-follow  help  screens  in-game.soundtrack (which boasts no fewer than 38
tracks from all over the world) never sounds
Other changes you'll find on the pitch inout of place. The sound of a stadium full of
FIFA 06 include much simpler (almost to thefans chanting in FIFA 06 is also a real
point of being retro) control systems for settreat, and it really helps set the atmosphere
pieces, much-improved commentary and TV-styleahead of an important match. To quote one of
presentation, and the all-new playing-stylethe game's many musical anthems, FIFA 06
feature, which affects your team's"feels just like it should."



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