Hands-On Impressions: FIFA 12 Demo - Preview
by Joseph Trotter , posted on 14 September 2011 / 17,787 Views
A new year, a new FIFA. To many, last year's edition was not only the best of the FIFA series to date but one of the best football games ever. As such, great things have been expected of FIFA 12, and EA Sports have not been trying to put out the fire of hype. Instead, they have been continually stoking it with the usual buzzwords of 'evolution', 'better defending', 'faster dribbling'; the type always associated with an approaching football game. Until now, only a select few had been able to see to what extent EA had delivered on its promise of a much improved footballing experience. Today (14/09) saw the release of the FIFA 12 demo, and the public at large were able to experience it for the first time. Here are my impressions after a few hours of getting to know the game.
*NOTE: the demo played was for the Xbox 360 edition, and all buttons correlate to this version.
From the very first loading screen there is a clear indication of the direction that EA Sports has taken their latest love-child. Past the freeze-frame of Wayne Rooney thumping a ball into a distant net, the first thing the player is treated to is a tutorial for the new defensive manoeuvres, and boy is it necessary. The new moves range from straight-forward block/shuffle tackles, implemented with B, to more complicated moves like jockeying and contain.
Although they all work fine to a point, some, like the team-mate contain move, in which by holding RB a team-mate chases the opponent with the ball, need major refinement. Too often a player blindly dashes after the man in possession, leaving a canyon-like gap in the centre of your defence to be exploited.
Make no mistake; the new techniques are difficult, and will take a long time to master. After several hours playing, I'm still struggling with the absolute basics of defending. Rash moments are often punished brutally; a missed slide tackle leaves your player sprawled or off balance, taking them out of that phase of the game. In a series where matches are often decided in flashes of genius, such lapses in concentration are often fatal. Equally, a defender (or attacker) can tap B to tug at an opponent to slow them down or imbalance them, but you might be punished by a free-kick or even a yellow card.
Each move has a certain risk and reward which means that there is much more of an art to defending, rather than tapping A and hustling opponents round the pitch as in previous incarnations. Defending is much more about patience and jockeying attackers into less dangerous areas rather than out and out blockbuster challenges. Positioning is everything to the modern FIFA defender.
Of course, these new measures instigate new methods of attacking. Ball retention is now more important due to the trickiness of the defending; as the Spanish national team will tell you, the best way to a clean-sheet is often to starve the opposition of the ball. Due to the new emphasis of positioning in defending, the best form of attack is often to pick and move, trying to tempt your opponent out of position and hit them with a pass behind their backline.
Dribbling is now easier and less one-dimensional, again helped by the defenders; rather than hound you they now sit back, allowing a tactical dribbler to bide their time and then hit them with a quick dash-shuffle. Shooting is little different from FIFA 11, but through balls have been improved; intricate attacks can now be finished with a flourishing dink of a through ball that feels how you wished it to be weighted, rather than what the game deems necessary.
One thing that has been noticeably changed is the difference in quality between world-class players and simply brilliant players. For example, in Barcelona's squad Sergio Busquets, one of the best midfielders in Spain, is ranked at 83. Xavi and Iniesta, two of the best players in the world, are ranked around 92. Lionel Messi, the best player in the world, is even better at 95. As such, the very best players now have the statistical advantage correlating to their ability and status. Now Messi plays like he is head and shoulders above the rest, rather than simply being a bit quicker than the others.
Like anything worthwhile, FIFA 12, unlike any of its predecessors, really is a beast upon itself. Only playing the game extensively will one truly be able to become a master, to understand the subtleties, to anticipate the unexpected - much like the real thing. New initiates will be blown away, whilst FIFA old-hands will have to put in a lot of effort to get up to scratch. This is not evolution, this is revolution in its finest sense; taking something familiar but ripping it apart to its core and building something up even better than before. There will be a lot of tears and slammed controllers, but once your defending becomes Beckenbaur-esque the rewards will mount. Where before the Brazilians were masters, now the Italians will rule supreme.
Whether it will please everyone or not is another matter.
