The question that most die-hard North American soccer game fans ask every fall is: "Is it worth it to get FIFA, or should I keep playing Winning Eleven until the new one at the beginning of the year?"
It's going to be a tougher answer this year, because while FIFA Soccer 07 has a few issues that we're seeing in the near-complete build, it's still looking really, really good.
The most glaring problem, right up front, is in the visuals department. Granted, FIFA has always looked better than Winning Eleven, but the frame rate chokes quite a bit on the PS2 build. It's not as bad on Xbox, but it still happens, especially during the opening of a game, when the presentation diagrams are shown. The GameCube version seems to visually pale in comparison to the other versions (it probably won't be fixed this close to release, either), and between that and the fact that it lacks online, it's got a few strikes against it already.
I discussed the ball physics and handling in my preview early last month. Now that I've really gotten to play it (i.e. more than one match), I've really gotten a feel for how it shines. We got some irritated e-mails from people saying that every year, there's a preview about how the ball physics have changed and how the ball moves independently of the player, and how is it any different this year? My polite answer is that previous writers probably didn't obsess over soccer games the way I do. I've played every FIFA since 02, and I've watched the way that the game has evolved. While 06 was definitely awesome (minus EA's online policy for PS2, a huge bone of contention, and Xbox's ergonomically incompatible controller layout), the handling and dribbling felt modified from 05 (and 04, really), but not different.
Case in point: During my test drive with the game's Manager Mode, I found after a few games with Roma that on defense, I no longer had to hit X to tackle a carrier. I merely had to hit R2 to step up to a dribbler and use my body mass to block him and loosen the ball. It's much more difficult to maintain a dribble in this new title, which makes it feel much more like the real deal. That wasn't really pointed out distinctively amidst the noise and the rush to get in and out of the area during EA's summer press event, but after smearing most of Serie A, I finally figured out the strategy. If there's anything unfortunate at this point, it's that the Xbox and GameCube games don't quite have the controls down pat like the PS2 game, but then, what's new?
Also, it's easier for players to position themselves to get an air ball. If the player positions himself a certain way, his name will glow yellow to indicate that he's in the target range to win possession. It also seems that he will be able to push back an opponent or push him forward to stay in range to catch the ball. It can also be used to steal throw-ins. It's something that adds more strategy to gameplay and replaces the element of chance with one of skill.
Speaking of that Manager Mode test drive, it's back in full swing and high quality from last year's game, along with the headaches of club management, contracts and EA's occasionally cruel sim system. So far, it seems that playing the game is a requirement until players start getting up the rankings and can afford to gamble points on potential losses. There's also a new Visual Sim mode, so that now players have slightly more control over the pace of the sim. Some quick (and we mean quick) strategy in regard to formations and substitutes can completely affect the way that the computer simulates a game. Admittedly, however, it seems like it's a huge crapshoot, as we walked away from one sim with one of the most crucial midfielders out for eight weeks with a leg injury and a yellow card for Totti, who is pretty much the Roma squad's centerpiece. Still, it's something cool that EA hasn't done before, and it beats letting the computer arbitrarily walk all over the player/manager.