For those disbelievers...who are seeing pictures and taking conclusions like..."EA isn't able to change the game until Nov"...check the text below and go to the source, too...u'll have access to the pics I posted on multimedia thread...
Well...and maybe u'll remember some of the things I said about it, either...I hate to be right, damn...(hehehehehehhe)...they're on the text, too...hehehehe
http://uk.playstation.com/news/newsStory.jhtml?storyId=104555_en_GB_NEWS&linktype=SSL
FIFA 2004 hits form
The latest instalment in EA's long-running series shakes off a couple of niggles to play an absolute blinder.
Earlier this year Official PlayStation 2 Magazine was invited over to Vancouver on a scouting mission to assess the fitness of FIFA 2004. The report which came back was worrying... Worrying in the same way that little Mickey Owen picking up an injury before the crucial Turkey match is worrying. Foremost among our concerns was the new-fangled Off The Ball system. This comprised a suite of controls used to manipulate players positioned away from the main action. Its most controversial instance involved pressing a shoulder button to zoom the camera out and select from three possible 'receivers', each with a different symbol hovering over their heads. Now just hit the corresponding button to launch a laser-guided pass. Incredibly disorientating and more than a little gimmicky. We left muttering 'John Madden' under our breath. But the really worrying thing was the core gameplay - pass, move, tackle, shoot - which simply didn't feel like football.
So when the review code arrived in the office last week there was no small sense of trepidation. Could EA really turn around its flagship sports franchise in such a relatively short space of time? Oh yes. The finished version is almost unrecognisable from the build we played in July, and it definitely looks likes the development team has listened to the suggestions we made at the time. The biggest improvements have been made to the basic game. By EA's own admission, the gameplay only really became genuinely enjoyable in the last couple of weeks. As things stand now FIFA 2004 plays like a slightly woollier version of PES3. Which might sound like a backhanded compliment, but true PS2 footie fans will appreciate the significance.
The passing is crisp, players make intuitive runs and - perhaps most importantly - the shooting system (which was practically non-existent in the preview version) works a treat. The emphasis is very much on recreating the beautiful game as authentically as possible, which means the nine-nil drubbings of year's gone by are a thing of the past. However, there's still plenty of scope for flair. Tweak the right analogue stick and your player will shimmy past a challenge, although as you'd expect the chances of the move coming off are relative to the skill of the player in question. So don't bother trying it with Heskey. Here's another neat touch. Hold down the R2 button and your player will bring the ball under close control. You can now roll it around, hopefully tantalisingly out of the opposition's reach.
What then, of the Off The Ball Mode? Well, it's now being pitched more discreetly as a set of advanced techniques to be used by expert players. Generally though, it's also much improved. Where the jostling routines used at set pieces used to resemble a brawling mini-game, now the way the players fight for space feels like a fresh new take on dead ball situations. As for the remote receiver passing, this too has been toned down. The camera no longer swings out, and instead you're able to toggle through different passing options and then select and control the chosen teammate using the right stick. Still slightly bewildering, but at least it now feels like it could be useful during matches. Extended play will reveal all.
Realistically though, in raw gameplay terms FIFA 2004 isn't likely to surpass the unalloyed genius of PES3. However, that might not matter because, as a package, this year's FIFA is crammed with all-star quality. First off there's the licensing. Being able to play as any team from the Premiership down to Division Three is likely to be a huge selling point for UK gamers. Top flight clubs have their own authentic crowd chants, and the attention to detail extends down the leagues, with accurate strips and player likenesses throughout. Then there's the prospect of online play. We've yet to test the network mode, but rest assured it's in there and you're going to be able to take on challengers from all over Europe and set up your own league competitions.
Finally, there's the comprehensive management mode, which will give yours truly the chance to reverse Wimbledon's cataclysmic decline and, eventually, lead the Crazy Gang into Europe. Well, erm... that's the plan. Expect a massive FIFA 2004 update, including first impressions of online play, nearer to release. But for now the good news is that this year's championship is definitely going down to the wire. Game on.
*FIFA 2004 will be released on 31 October.
Well...and maybe u'll remember some of the things I said about it, either...I hate to be right, damn...(hehehehehehhe)...they're on the text, too...hehehehe
http://uk.playstation.com/news/newsStory.jhtml?storyId=104555_en_GB_NEWS&linktype=SSL
FIFA 2004 hits form
The latest instalment in EA's long-running series shakes off a couple of niggles to play an absolute blinder.
Earlier this year Official PlayStation 2 Magazine was invited over to Vancouver on a scouting mission to assess the fitness of FIFA 2004. The report which came back was worrying... Worrying in the same way that little Mickey Owen picking up an injury before the crucial Turkey match is worrying. Foremost among our concerns was the new-fangled Off The Ball system. This comprised a suite of controls used to manipulate players positioned away from the main action. Its most controversial instance involved pressing a shoulder button to zoom the camera out and select from three possible 'receivers', each with a different symbol hovering over their heads. Now just hit the corresponding button to launch a laser-guided pass. Incredibly disorientating and more than a little gimmicky. We left muttering 'John Madden' under our breath. But the really worrying thing was the core gameplay - pass, move, tackle, shoot - which simply didn't feel like football.
So when the review code arrived in the office last week there was no small sense of trepidation. Could EA really turn around its flagship sports franchise in such a relatively short space of time? Oh yes. The finished version is almost unrecognisable from the build we played in July, and it definitely looks likes the development team has listened to the suggestions we made at the time. The biggest improvements have been made to the basic game. By EA's own admission, the gameplay only really became genuinely enjoyable in the last couple of weeks. As things stand now FIFA 2004 plays like a slightly woollier version of PES3. Which might sound like a backhanded compliment, but true PS2 footie fans will appreciate the significance.
The passing is crisp, players make intuitive runs and - perhaps most importantly - the shooting system (which was practically non-existent in the preview version) works a treat. The emphasis is very much on recreating the beautiful game as authentically as possible, which means the nine-nil drubbings of year's gone by are a thing of the past. However, there's still plenty of scope for flair. Tweak the right analogue stick and your player will shimmy past a challenge, although as you'd expect the chances of the move coming off are relative to the skill of the player in question. So don't bother trying it with Heskey. Here's another neat touch. Hold down the R2 button and your player will bring the ball under close control. You can now roll it around, hopefully tantalisingly out of the opposition's reach.
What then, of the Off The Ball Mode? Well, it's now being pitched more discreetly as a set of advanced techniques to be used by expert players. Generally though, it's also much improved. Where the jostling routines used at set pieces used to resemble a brawling mini-game, now the way the players fight for space feels like a fresh new take on dead ball situations. As for the remote receiver passing, this too has been toned down. The camera no longer swings out, and instead you're able to toggle through different passing options and then select and control the chosen teammate using the right stick. Still slightly bewildering, but at least it now feels like it could be useful during matches. Extended play will reveal all.
Realistically though, in raw gameplay terms FIFA 2004 isn't likely to surpass the unalloyed genius of PES3. However, that might not matter because, as a package, this year's FIFA is crammed with all-star quality. First off there's the licensing. Being able to play as any team from the Premiership down to Division Three is likely to be a huge selling point for UK gamers. Top flight clubs have their own authentic crowd chants, and the attention to detail extends down the leagues, with accurate strips and player likenesses throughout. Then there's the prospect of online play. We've yet to test the network mode, but rest assured it's in there and you're going to be able to take on challengers from all over Europe and set up your own league competitions.
Finally, there's the comprehensive management mode, which will give yours truly the chance to reverse Wimbledon's cataclysmic decline and, eventually, lead the Crazy Gang into Europe. Well, erm... that's the plan. Expect a massive FIFA 2004 update, including first impressions of online play, nearer to release. But for now the good news is that this year's championship is definitely going down to the wire. Game on.
*FIFA 2004 will be released on 31 October.