Well, finally got the game and play for 2 weeks on my PC...... as a FIFA series fan, here is my review on the game......
Full point is 100% for each section below....
User Interface = 88%
User Interface has improved from FIFA2005, FIFA06 got the simple and clearer navigation. But 1 thing I don’t like it is to set the home and away kits, I believe many people don’t know how to change the home and away kits before playing the match, the match setting on the bottom of the interface is just not prominent enough and hardly to let people sense that it can change the kits. The way to choose the kits in FIFA2005 is better.
Graphics = 80%
Worst ever graphics performance in recent FIFA series, poor kits texture and graphics, poor player’s face and hair, and you can notice that the same players face and texture is using over and over again in FIFA series! My 2 cents on the player’s face, this is really disappointed me. And I notice the some terrible mistake of the player’s appearance, wrong hair and hair color, wrong skin color (this is terrible!), wrong face type……Is this the game want to compete with Winning Eleven 9?
Music = 90%
So far, I'm quite enjoying those musics in the game and no complaint about it!
Commentators = 90%
Not bad, so far so good, no complaint.
Control = 90%
Feel better than FIFA2005, feel like “back-to-basic” control, and same type like Winning Eleven. Great player’s animation, great moves, just the ball lack of “power” when shot toward the goal sometime. Basically it is easier to control if compare to previous version.
Animation = 85%
Player's animation is good, and some of the animation was improved from FIFA2005. More like TV style and I like the feel, no complaint!
AI = 85%
Still the “weakest point” in FIFA series. FIFA06 slightly improve the AI but surely still a long way to catch Winning Eleven. Here is some scenario I experience in my games, played in Professional level (professional huh!) :
Scenario 1 : AI for goalkeeper is the worst, a numeric number of times I was scored when I run towards the goal with my long pass from my defender, and the CPU keeper not rush out to get the ball, obviously he is nearer the ball than me, but the keeper still stand there and waiting for my to put the ball past him. This is just not realistic at all!
Scenario 2 : The CPU defender got the ball in their own half and my midfielder keep pressing towards on him, he obviously got plenty of space to pass back to keeper and other defenders, but the CPU choose to kick the ball out for throw-in or corner! This is happened almost in every match I played, and it is not realistic at all, even I was against the world class team!!!!
Scenario 3 : My defense was playing offside trap but was break by CPU striker(World class striker), he run very fast towards my goal and my defenders keep chasing behind, I know it’s impossible to catch the striker and I prepare to make 1-on-1 with my keeper to the striker, but suddenly, the striker cut back the ball and pass it back to his teammate which is damn far from him, and their attack is broke down because of his stupid pass! How can this happen?! I never saw a “real” footballers do that yet when they allow to face 1-on-1 to opponent keeper! This is poor!
Scenario 4 : It is too easy to loose the ball, looks like a mess when 2 or 3 CPU players close to you when you get the ball, then the ball is just easily taken away without any chance to move.
Above is some of my experiences in the game, I’m really hope EA can seriously doing the development on the game AI, this is the soul of the game! And over the years, EA change the gameplay and control again and again, this make the gamers have to re-adapt the game every year, and those “so-called” new features is not the gamers want! First touch control? Off-the-ball control? Nah, we just want a real football game!
Gameplay = 85%
Overall found more enjoyments from the game, but definitely still much more to improve, same as the AI...I'm not a WE/PES fan but i have to admit, WE/PES gameplay still more realistic and EA have to working hard on this.....I suggest EA stick to a gameplay and system and make further development from that, this will make the game really improve but not change the gameplay and control every year, what for?! WE/PES is using the gameplay and control they developed, keep improve it year by year with same system and control, that make the game’s gameplay almost perfect! EA, please take the lesson seriously!
Game's Frame Rate = 90%
This improve, no lag so far when I play the game, no complaint.
Game Features = 85%
Same as FIFA2005, quite enjoy and no complaint. Just the items in Fans Shop not attract me to unlock it, classic player’s profile? Who care…
TOTAL = 86.8%
It's great to enjoy to play FIFA again, FIFA06is the game that I hope will getting better, hope EA will keep working hard on the gamplay development, and hope we will see the improvement in Road to FIFA World Cup 2006.
Anyway, it's just my personal view and share with all FIFA gamers.
Full point is 100% for each section below....
User Interface = 88%
User Interface has improved from FIFA2005, FIFA06 got the simple and clearer navigation. But 1 thing I don’t like it is to set the home and away kits, I believe many people don’t know how to change the home and away kits before playing the match, the match setting on the bottom of the interface is just not prominent enough and hardly to let people sense that it can change the kits. The way to choose the kits in FIFA2005 is better.
Graphics = 80%
Worst ever graphics performance in recent FIFA series, poor kits texture and graphics, poor player’s face and hair, and you can notice that the same players face and texture is using over and over again in FIFA series! My 2 cents on the player’s face, this is really disappointed me. And I notice the some terrible mistake of the player’s appearance, wrong hair and hair color, wrong skin color (this is terrible!), wrong face type……Is this the game want to compete with Winning Eleven 9?
Music = 90%
So far, I'm quite enjoying those musics in the game and no complaint about it!
Commentators = 90%
Not bad, so far so good, no complaint.
Control = 90%
Feel better than FIFA2005, feel like “back-to-basic” control, and same type like Winning Eleven. Great player’s animation, great moves, just the ball lack of “power” when shot toward the goal sometime. Basically it is easier to control if compare to previous version.
Animation = 85%
Player's animation is good, and some of the animation was improved from FIFA2005. More like TV style and I like the feel, no complaint!
AI = 85%
Still the “weakest point” in FIFA series. FIFA06 slightly improve the AI but surely still a long way to catch Winning Eleven. Here is some scenario I experience in my games, played in Professional level (professional huh!) :
Scenario 1 : AI for goalkeeper is the worst, a numeric number of times I was scored when I run towards the goal with my long pass from my defender, and the CPU keeper not rush out to get the ball, obviously he is nearer the ball than me, but the keeper still stand there and waiting for my to put the ball past him. This is just not realistic at all!
Scenario 2 : The CPU defender got the ball in their own half and my midfielder keep pressing towards on him, he obviously got plenty of space to pass back to keeper and other defenders, but the CPU choose to kick the ball out for throw-in or corner! This is happened almost in every match I played, and it is not realistic at all, even I was against the world class team!!!!
Scenario 3 : My defense was playing offside trap but was break by CPU striker(World class striker), he run very fast towards my goal and my defenders keep chasing behind, I know it’s impossible to catch the striker and I prepare to make 1-on-1 with my keeper to the striker, but suddenly, the striker cut back the ball and pass it back to his teammate which is damn far from him, and their attack is broke down because of his stupid pass! How can this happen?! I never saw a “real” footballers do that yet when they allow to face 1-on-1 to opponent keeper! This is poor!
Scenario 4 : It is too easy to loose the ball, looks like a mess when 2 or 3 CPU players close to you when you get the ball, then the ball is just easily taken away without any chance to move.
Above is some of my experiences in the game, I’m really hope EA can seriously doing the development on the game AI, this is the soul of the game! And over the years, EA change the gameplay and control again and again, this make the gamers have to re-adapt the game every year, and those “so-called” new features is not the gamers want! First touch control? Off-the-ball control? Nah, we just want a real football game!
Gameplay = 85%
Overall found more enjoyments from the game, but definitely still much more to improve, same as the AI...I'm not a WE/PES fan but i have to admit, WE/PES gameplay still more realistic and EA have to working hard on this.....I suggest EA stick to a gameplay and system and make further development from that, this will make the game really improve but not change the gameplay and control every year, what for?! WE/PES is using the gameplay and control they developed, keep improve it year by year with same system and control, that make the game’s gameplay almost perfect! EA, please take the lesson seriously!
Game's Frame Rate = 90%
This improve, no lag so far when I play the game, no complaint.
Game Features = 85%
Same as FIFA2005, quite enjoy and no complaint. Just the items in Fans Shop not attract me to unlock it, classic player’s profile? Who care…
TOTAL = 86.8%
It's great to enjoy to play FIFA again, FIFA06is the game that I hope will getting better, hope EA will keep working hard on the gamplay development, and hope we will see the improvement in Road to FIFA World Cup 2006.
Anyway, it's just my personal view and share with all FIFA gamers.
