|
 |
|
| | Title:
FIFA Street 2
..............................................
System:
Xbox
..............................................
Genre:
Sports
..............................................
Publisher:
Electronic Arts
..............................................
Developer:
Electronic Arts
..............................................
Release:
Q2 2005
..............................................
Online:
No
..............................................
ESRB:
Everyone (E)
..............................................
 |
Sometimes the professional environment in sport games can become a bit of a bore. The standard stadium and official sporting attire is nice, but sometimes it’s just a bit more fun to play, for fun. In EA Sports’ FIFA Street 2, players will be stepping back out onto the streets to play some wicked football...er, soccer.
The original FIFA Street suffered from a number of game deficiencies that street soccer fans were disappointed with. The lack of control; the uninspiring AI opponents and teammates; the overall functionality of the game’s physics and ball manipulations made up for what could have been a better game. Thankfully, EA has already released info for Street 2 that makes it sound like it has made huge improvements over its predecessor.
Research for success
This time around the development team, for FIFA Street 2, took some ventures across the globe to nail down all the details they needed for the game. Before constructing any of the venues, or re-establishing the functionality of the game’s playing physics and ball interaction, the team did quite a bit of research to improve on the core mechanics of the gameplay. Initially, FIFA Street 1 lacked the depth and atmospheric intensity that the real life counterpart incorporates effortlessly. That’s why the development team talked with some big names in FIFA, plus some of the top street players of the sport.
From Europe to New York City, the EA Sports development team watched, photographed, and interacted with nearly every aspect of the street sport. They hoped to achieve a more enlightened, and sophisticated, view of the sport from the players and street soccer enthusiasts’ point-of-view. During the research process, the team discovered the high and low points of the first game, from the players’ perspective. With new insight into the inner-dwellings of the street soccer movement, the team was able to incorporate some of the most innovative features a soccer game has ever seen.
Improved footwork
One of the things I find disappointing in many soccer/football games, is the total lack of footwork control with the ball. In real life, I was never good with juggling the ball in the air...mainly I focused on keeping the ball on the ground. Sometimes, switching the ball’s momentum, position, and rotation movement between each foot while trying to get past a defender was important; such features have been absent from the video game world of soccer. That is, until the EA Sports development team re-introduced an improved and advanced Trick-Stick feature.
For soccer fans worldwide, this is like a dream come true. It’s just too bad that other iterations of the soccer franchise don’t have this little gem. Basically, players can juggle the ball in many different ways, using the Trick-Stick. Players, in real time, can juggle the ball high, low, left and right, and then with extra moves using the L and R buttons for even more trick variations. There’s even a no-look back pass, without lifting or bouncing the ball. This was a move I tried numerous times on other soccer games to no-avail. Either the ball headed in the wrong direction, the player kicked the ball forward, or they bounced it behind them witlessly. However, juggling the ball isn’t the only offensive trick you can do. The developers have enhanced the ball physics so players can now use the ball to bounce off fences and walls strategically. Pretty cool stuff.
The other cool part is the counter-moves players will have defensively, using the Trick-Stick. Players can stop, free the ball, or capture the ball from an opponent if they make the right defensive counter-move. Like the offensive attacks, players will be able to launch a counter maneuver from a high, low, left or right Trick-Stick position. It’s the sort of feature any skilled gamer would have a field-day playing around with, and mastering to perfection.
For the unskilled gamer who would rather play a soccer game simply to score points and rough-up the competition, there’s a bit of that in this game too. Besides the popular sliding tackle, players have been given another physically disruptive move to even out the odds. Defensively, players can use the Trick-Stick to shoulder-barge an opponent, even while running. So if the sliding tackle fails, you can easily knock the wits out of your rivals with a good shoulder bunt.
All in the name of winning
Gamebreaker is an interesting concept for this game. Basically, it allows really skilled players to catch-up and win, easily...or luckily. It is a high-risk high-benefit feature, which allows the player to engage in skillfully crafted shots using the Trick-Stick feature to out-maneuver and outperform your opponents. The whole point of a feature like this, I’d imagine, is to implement the serious competitive edge that can sometimes turn the tides of an even (or not so even) match. Giving players a serious dose of intensity is what the gamebreaker is all about. However, skilled defensive opponents can still try hard to prevent the opposing team from scoring.
More teams, more players, more authenticity
There will be a total of about 320 different players featured in the game, and about 20 international teams. Among the list of players there’ll even be 16 unlockable legends and street teams that players can play with, or draft onto their own team. The developers even studied the top 25 soccer players, their moves, their footwork and their tactics. During their journeys around the globe to the popular street soccer venues, the development team met with many pro and non-pro players alike. They hoped to get a better feel for how the game would play, based on their input. They also wanted to incorporate signature moves within the game. These signature moves range from defensive counters to offensive strikes and even juggle combos. Each of the 25 top stars in the game have their own unique move based on what the developers studied and watched from their games, etc. The top professionals will really stand out with authentic skills and specials...some of which will either make great additions to your team, or very worthy opponents.
Rule the streets
While tackling the flaws of the first FIFA Street, the developers found that gamers thought the season or story mode lacked depth. The original Rule the Street mode allowed you to build your character and team into an international street soccer powerhouse. Still, that holds true for FIFA Street 2, with many game improvements more-so going into the driving force, and atmosphere, for each match.
The Rule the Street mode has been enhanced to give players a less linear progression. You can also trade players, and make managerial decisions to keep your team happy. It’s also important to keep winning those games; otherwise, there’ll be turmoil among the ranks. Yet if you find it difficult to keep the ball out of your own goal, you’ll now be able to play your own goalie in FIFA Street 2. However, you’ll also need to keep your players at the top of their game. So, you’ll need top of the line gear. This can be done by unlocking new content throughout the Rule the Street mode. New shoes, new shirts, new shorts, and new attire and soccer gear, are all available in the story mode.
Rugged streets and balmy beaches
There is a whole new take on the 10 venues featured in this game. Graphically the environments look very detailed, and exhibit a real sense of the surrounding culture and geographical relevance. There’s also a lot of background activity featured in each venue. You’ll see the cars appropriate to the settings; you’ll see fans of the sport leaning in to get a good look at the match from behind crooked fences. There’s even graffiti littered walls from back alleys and side streets that some matches will take place in. The developers did a fantastic job of bringing the street soccer atmosphere to this game with convincing realism.
Some of the venues featured in the game include such landmarks as the real life arena next to the Iax stadium in Amsterdam, or the Westway Sports Centre in London. There are five authentic venues featured in FIFA Street 2, with an additional five venues that have been originally created for the game. The latter five venues were made to instill a good sense of fast-paced, arcade-styled soccer bouts with fascinating backdrops and interesting landscapes.
One custom arena is featured in an outdoor environment surrounded by Mexican town structures and sand-worn buildings. The wooden-fenced, and sandy pitch, has a mountainous landscape in the distance...with small run-down shops in the near background. It looks as authentic as any of the real venues. Added to that, is the atmospheric ambiance. Players can listen to music relevant to the specified venue. So while playing in certain outdoor arenas, players will experience more than 47 tracks of eclectic audio from around the world. Just as if it were playing on the local radio station, with the DJ and all.
Some of the tunes featured in the game range from the Flaming Lips, Patife, DJ Marky, Pendulum, and a dozen or so other artists. Many of the tunes are also exclusive or unreleased that are featured in the game. The genres range from Hip hop, rap, break-beats, drum and bass, rock, Latin fusion, and other musical variations.
Improvements beyond playability
One of the major differences between FIFA Street 1 and 2, is that the graphics have taken a major overhaul in FIFA Street 2. Not only have the environments been improved with astounding realism, but the characters have taken on some huge improvements as well. Since the developers didn’t have to model ten (or more) thousand characters, they were able to focus more on the characters and the details. Considering that there’s only 320 players to model, the developers were able to focus more on the individual characteristics for the players heads and faces.
In addition to the graphic improvements, there has been a lot of content added to the create-a-modes. When it’s time to create your own player, you won’t have any problems finding something distinctive to make your character stand out from the rest of the bunch. Faces, shirts, shoes, shorts, and the rest of your gear can be customized with great detail. In fact, there’s about 60% more content for the create-a-player mode; this gives gamers an amazing assortment of choices for them to create the ultimate player.
Nevertheless, players and teams aren’t the only customizable entities. Soccer fans can now create their own pitch. Just like in NBA Street, the EA Sports development teams have collaborated to bring soccer fans the ultimate customizable options for a playing-field. From the pitch type to the environmental obstructions, players will have full control over how and where everything will go in their custom field. There are more than 6,000 different assets for players to use in building the ultimate soccer field. Cans, goalie posts, pitch variances, fences, etc., are all available within the powerful create-a-pitch utility.
Sadly, there won’t be any on-line features or next-generation development for now. The developers really wanted to focus on getting the gameplay right. They wanted to make sure soccer fans were given a real treat while playing, and wanted the action to be entertaining and fun.
On paper this game looks good, really good. For street soccer fans this could be the game they’ve been waiting for. Hopefully it’ll be as fun to play as it is to read about; you can look for this title to hit store shelves on February 28, 2006 for the Xbox, PSP, PS2, PC, and Gamecube.
|
|
| |
 |
|
|
|
 |
