Since July of 1993, EA Sports has been committed to developing great simulation experiences around the professional world of FIFA. While competitors have always stepped up to challenge their dominance in the field, EA Canada remained focused on making a core product with solid refinements year after year.
After strong sales from FIFA 12, the company decided to shift their focus towards creating a complimentary title for the Playstation Vita. FIFA Soccer succeeds as being the best representation of the sport on a handheld device and is a must have for any diehard sports fan. Here are a few reasons why Vita owners should consider checking out this game.
Through harnessing the power of the Playstation Vita, FIFA Soccer successfully maintains the same combination of stunning HD graphics and stellar gameplay mechanics that made the home console and PC versions great.
The main feature that takes center stage is the ability to utilize the Vita’s touch screen controls to enhance the overall experience. The end result is an intuitive system that allows you to pass to a teammate, play defense, and perform a goal attempt all by selecting your designated player or target on the screen. The goal of having such a rich and responsive system aids the player in worrying less about control and more about strategy.
The only noticeable conflict that could come into play would depend specifically on whether or not the screen view can be obstructed by the size of your fingers. Luckily, EA Sports took this issue into account by giving the player the option of using customizable controls. Therefore, if you wanted to play the game using both the basic control buttons of the Vita along with some touchscreen capabilities, then you most certainly can do so.
In addition to boasting great visuals and gameplay, FIFA Soccer has a basic set of game modes similar to earlier entries in the series. Career Mode returns in full force, allowing the use of either created or real-life athletes over the course of a 15-season career. Be A Pro allows for created players to develop skills and build up both their reputation and legendary status over time.
Tournament Mode and Head-To-Head are the preferred hubs for online multiplayer, while the Training mode allows you to get down the basics fairly quickly. To preserve the authenticity of the sport, FIFA Soccer includes over 500 officially licensed clubs and various stadiums spanning across the globe. It’s also worth noting that current rosters are intact to remain relevant to hardcore fans.
The one critical feature that this title doesn’t support is the Playstation 3 cross play option. Therefore, if you own FIFA 12 and was planning to pickup this title for the sole reason of continuing your career while on the road, then you’ll be somewhat disappointed.
I fully believe that with the inevitable release of FIFA 13 later this year, this issue will be addressed in full. Still with all that said, FIFA Soccer is a phenomenal sports launch title that surpasses expectations and gives a good idea of what’s possible on the device itself.
This review was based on a retail download copy of the game for the PlayStation Vita provided by EA Sports.
