2010 FIFA World Cup Review
I am distressed. Team VideoGamer.com flies out to Los Angeles for the behemoth that is the E3 trade show on Saturday June 12. That day, as anyone who's ever kicked a football knows, is the day England open their World Cup account against the USA. I'm not sure of the time zones, but I will probably miss the game.
I'm so distressed that I'm considering simulating the game in EA Sports FIFA 2010 World Cup, with mates round and beers and everything, because that's about as close to the real thing as I'm going to get. Sniff.
Let's be honest, FIFA's no substitute for the real thing, just like watching a game on telly's got nothing on watching from the stands. But the brains behind these different experiences do their utmost to make them as authentic as current technology allows. This is as true for EA Canada with World Cup as it is for the production team behind Sky's Super Sunday.
So, what does this mean for the game? Well, it means that it looks and sounds like the World Cup. As players walk onto the pitch, more confetti than you've ever seen in a video game fills the air. Fireworks shoot out of stadium rafters. Fans are dancing, because, you know, that's what fans do at the World Cup. The mind-numbing buzz of countless vuvuzela horns drowns out team sheet announcements. And, of course, you're bombarded with all the proper World Cup branding, including that annoying kiddy font and Zakumi, the mascot with attitude.
Is this, fellow football fans, what we should expect from the World Cup? Face painted fans boogying to some inane, endless beat; streamers and who knows what else cluttering our view of the action; and, of course, the vuvuzela horn drilling a hole in our brains? FIFA is, after all, an authentic simulation of the beautiful game, warts and all. Maybe missing the odd game or two isn't such a bad thing after all…
From menus to in-match graphics, World Cup looks the business.
You do get the feeling, however, that EA's team at Vancouver has over-egged the festival of football feel ever so slightly. The game cuts to shots of the managers - the first time all of them have been represented in a video game - so often, that you quickly get sick of them and the way they hold their hands up to their faces. There's so much confetti that you start to worry that fans will suffocate. The fans themselves look ridiculous: they sport silly Mohawk haircuts and garish face paint. They also dance, like, proper dancing, not just jumping up and down doing that boing boing thing. Even England fans bust a move, which is ridiculous, because England fans do not dancefloor dance at football matches. Or wear extreme Mohawks. Or do anything other than stomp up and down and call the ref a trucking banker.
The vuvuzela horn, though, is about right.
Thankfully, you can turn the dancing fans, confetti, streamers, fireworks and vuvuzela horns off leaving you free to get on with the good stuff: playing virtual football. If only you could do the same to match broadcasts with your telly remote.
Highest Rated Comment
eotscott@ GlitcH
User Comments
bcruise
rbevanx@ El-Dev
Well at least Fifa have got him right lol.
El-Dev
Still haven't fixed the diamond formation problem.
Referees are rubbish.
Lobbing problem hasn't been fixed at all, it's just impossible to chip the keeper.
Penalty system is rubbish.
Whoever compiles the player stats should be made to watch a football match. I do think that Lucio is a great defender but he is portrayed in this game as the optimal mix of The Incredible Hulk + Usuain Bolt + Zidane.
Players have some balance in real life, they don't trip over themselves and the ball every time there's more than 2 of them within 5 yards of each other.
Keepers can catch crosses too easily.
Heading is rubbish.
Keepers are still spastics, in fact the general player AI is woeful.
EA have a good system of fixing one thing that is broken in Fifa09 and breaking something that was working fine in the previous title.
While I do think the game is good these flaws really do get annoying.
torres17@ GlitcH
Karlius@ WhoIsThePresidentNow
It's all about trying to gain the World Cup experience that is lost 2-3 months after the World Cup. No doubt EA had to give an arm and a leg for the World Cup License so this quantifies a full price release without adding all the additional developments and features.
Its free thinkers like Quaddra that offer a true opinion and an honest perspective that deserve to win the MOTM prize. His view is more interesting than uneducated fan boy rants or rim jobbers. This way of thinking with its interesting view point used to be the true meaning of the prize. If everyone agreed on every point the site would be dull. I don't 100% agree with Quaddra but he is almost there I'm 90% behind his view you shouldn't expect something that is out of scope of the title.
It's like buying a "cheese baguette" and getting p!ssed off cause there is no onion.
@mandableman Wes is pretty decent at looking at the comments section of his reviews and responding to questions etc so he will probably get back to you. He is among the best on the net for this. If not post a question on the back on topic thread or send him an email via the contact us function.
WhoIsThePresidentNow@ mandableman
Never really played the FIFA games online but offline there was never that problem.
I would give EA an email and see what they say
http://ea.gamespress.com/contacts.asp?c=1
I have never understood people who pay full whack for a World cup game. They go down in price 2-3 months after to 15-20 quid like.
mandableman
Does anyone know if I can play through the world cup online with a friend on the same side? co-op stylee? This feature has never been included in pes or fifa so im not hopeful but there were hints in wes' preview that it could be included here.
Can the ever vigilant VG community let me know puhleeaase?
eotscott@ GlitcH
Wido@ renegade
renegade@ Wido
I'm sticking with Ea on this, but then again I'm getting the game for free ^^
Wido@ renegade
£30-40 for a world cup game? Ridiculous! I doubt very much this cost EA that much money at all. They have made their money from FIFA and other games. They could of easily of added this as DLC and with the new world cup game coming airing out the faults in FIFA 10 and improving on them. Updates could of happened through FIFA 10.
Look on both sides of the coin. I rather spend £10 than forking out £30-40 for a game which is no different than FIFA 10 but just countries instead.
renegade
Devs spend a lot of time makings games and I for one think its worth the full price, its FIFA you always get your moneys worth, if you are that into football then this is a must buy. If you dont like football or Fifa then its easy to look at it and call for it to be DLC.
Should it be cheaper? Yeh, It should be like SSF 4 and be at around 25 quid, but like most Fifa gamers I know I will get my moneys worth from this gem of a game.
Good review Wez, I do have a problem with the no manager mode or club teams comment, I mean its like it was a feature you felt should of been there. In a way its like moaning that the FIFA world cup does not play a bigger role in Fifa 10.
El-Dev
Probably won't be picking this up, though I would like to give it a going over at some point. Have the fixed the hideous flaws in Fifa10, such as the diamond in midfield being impossible to break down and playing 5 players upfront with one midfielder being impossible to beat because of stupid counter attacks?
GeNeCyDe1993
Wido
Nice review though.