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As I mentioned in a recent article on the Vita version of FIFA 12, football isn’t really my area of expertise. There have been a few stretches in my life when I tried to get into the sport properly (I “supported” Liverpool, before you ask), but I never really clicked with the quasi-religious, cry-if-your-team-lose side of things. And after the brutal masochism of England’s piss-poor performance at the last World Cup, it’ll be a while before I can stomach an international competition.
FIFA Street is a football game, but it’s one that removes itself from most of the institutional aspects that generally define the sport – the authoritarian regulations, the massive stadiums, and even the core tribalism that forms the backbone of life as a devoted fan. It’s still a game about punting a ball into a net, but now that game can take place in halls, in the streets, or on the roof of a building in Hong Kong. There are just a handful of players on each side, and there’s almost as much emphasis on showing off as there is on scoring goals. Almost, but not quite.
We’ve been here before, of course. A Football Dunce I may be, but even I am familiar with the reputation of the original FIFA Street titles – and it’s not pretty. “All style and no substance,” is putting it kindly. Will things be different with this iteration? Unsurprisingly, EA says that the relevant lessons have been learned, and on first appearance the game certainly has its strengths.
At the heart of the action is a dual set of dribbling controls that work as a rough approximation of an Accelerator/Brake combo. Tug on the right trigger and your selected player will eagerly sprint about the field, barely retaining possession they race goal-wards; tug on the left and they’ll remain rooted to the spot, slickly guarding the ball with careful drags and scoops in response to your inputs. In practice, each style segues into the other: you bolt forward, nimbly steer the ball away from an incoming defender, then pass or carry on.
It’s a pared-down style of football that focuses on style and immediate gratification. There’s a broad swathe of tricks that can be pulled off to dazzle or befuddle your opponents, but for the love of God don’t ask me what they are; I’m out of my depth as it is. I can at least confirm that there’s a button that gets the ball up in the air, and so it’s probably possible to do that thing Gazza did in Euro 96 where he looped the ball over a defender’s head and then scored. That’s pretty much the only semi-iconic football moment I can remember; I know it’s 15 years old, but just be grateful that I had something to give.
Two match setups were being demoed at EA’s recent showcase: a 3-on-3 kick about on the aforementioned Hong Kong rooftop, and a larger five-a-side match in some form of indoor arena. I spent most of my time with the former, and I have to say I rather enjoyed myself. There’s a certain immediacy to the small-scale scuffling, and there’s a pleasing tactile quality to the dribble controls – particularly when using the defensive style. As a quick hit of knockabout fun, the action works well; what’s less certain is whether the action will have the longevity to compete with FIFA 12, that gargantuan mass of “proper” football.
What with this being an EA title, you can expect the full game to have dozens of licensed real stars. I’d struggle to accurately name any of them, but at a guess I’d suggest that we’ll get The Guy With The Weird Hair, The Man Who Got Papped In A Brothel, and That One Who’s Knobbing The Pop Star. Although they may well all be the same person.
At any rate, expect FIFA Street to look and feel like one of those super expensive ads that Nike puts out every once in a while. Let’s just hope that the game has a bit more depth, this time.
FIFA Street is due for release in 2012.