Goalkeeper
19-08-1999, 09:30:AM
Whilst Fifa 99 represented a giant leap forward for the series, one can't help but wonder if the very pinnacle of football games which the EA development team must surely be aspiring to will only be achieved incrementally. There will always be a "next year's release" to address all the weak points of the game. Of course, no one expects EA to incorporate every single feature posted on BBSs' like this, but where do you think the Fifa series stands relative to being crowned the champions of football gaming? 2nd from bottom? Top six in the table?
The way I see it, why not secure all the points first and worry about putting on a show later? I mean why not get the basics right before trying to incorporate features and teams and all the icing. EA have gotten the presentation bit so right that it's frustrating to see that after all the gloss (and all those years), the essential feel of the game is still somewhat lacking. The Fifa games feel more like a game of football rather than a football game. There is a difference.
My gripes:
1) The ball. It doesn't feel right. It doesn't move like a ball but like a giant pixel from one vector to another. Where's the realistic bobbing up and down across the uneven pitch? The overhit or underhit pass? Why doesn't it curl properly instead of feeling like it's being guided on rails? The only game I can think of where the flight of the ball feels close to right is the WLS series from Eidos. Only WLS and Sensi have got the weight of the ball somewhat right; there was an element of upredictability of where the ball might eventually end up once it's left the player's foot. In Fifa, you ALWAYS knew where it would end up.
2) The difficulty levels. Too easy or too unenjoyable. Everyone can beat the game at Pro level or below, but on World class mode, the whole game becomes a twisted tackling-dodgem arena with stoppages around the clock. perhaps more tweakable difficulty settings are required here,eg. goalkeeper skill, striker accuracy, random errors, etc.
3) Sticky ball syndrome. Let's make it more tweakable again. We'd all be more careful and thoughtful with our passing if it wasn't a certainty that the pass would always end up at a player's feet. There'd be far greater satisfaction when you get the distance, the power and the direction of the pass (or shot) right instead of having a weird pinball match in midfield all the time. Perhaps passing to a team-mate would only entail passing to the general vicinity but everything else would be controlled by the manipulation of the gamepad.
4) Suspension of disbelief. The whole experience would be near perfect if EA could somehow incorporate all the features above, plus add minor touches like the way players control different type of passes. Or the animation of players running at full flight versus the casual stroll. Players requesting for the ball. This is the icing.
Get the basics right EA, give us a FIFA2000 game we will all be playing when FIFA2001 come out, becuase we'll know that the game IS finally champ, and everything else is just icing.
The way I see it, why not secure all the points first and worry about putting on a show later? I mean why not get the basics right before trying to incorporate features and teams and all the icing. EA have gotten the presentation bit so right that it's frustrating to see that after all the gloss (and all those years), the essential feel of the game is still somewhat lacking. The Fifa games feel more like a game of football rather than a football game. There is a difference.
My gripes:
1) The ball. It doesn't feel right. It doesn't move like a ball but like a giant pixel from one vector to another. Where's the realistic bobbing up and down across the uneven pitch? The overhit or underhit pass? Why doesn't it curl properly instead of feeling like it's being guided on rails? The only game I can think of where the flight of the ball feels close to right is the WLS series from Eidos. Only WLS and Sensi have got the weight of the ball somewhat right; there was an element of upredictability of where the ball might eventually end up once it's left the player's foot. In Fifa, you ALWAYS knew where it would end up.
2) The difficulty levels. Too easy or too unenjoyable. Everyone can beat the game at Pro level or below, but on World class mode, the whole game becomes a twisted tackling-dodgem arena with stoppages around the clock. perhaps more tweakable difficulty settings are required here,eg. goalkeeper skill, striker accuracy, random errors, etc.
3) Sticky ball syndrome. Let's make it more tweakable again. We'd all be more careful and thoughtful with our passing if it wasn't a certainty that the pass would always end up at a player's feet. There'd be far greater satisfaction when you get the distance, the power and the direction of the pass (or shot) right instead of having a weird pinball match in midfield all the time. Perhaps passing to a team-mate would only entail passing to the general vicinity but everything else would be controlled by the manipulation of the gamepad.
4) Suspension of disbelief. The whole experience would be near perfect if EA could somehow incorporate all the features above, plus add minor touches like the way players control different type of passes. Or the animation of players running at full flight versus the casual stroll. Players requesting for the ball. This is the icing.
Get the basics right EA, give us a FIFA2000 game we will all be playing when FIFA2001 come out, becuase we'll know that the game IS finally champ, and everything else is just icing.