Fifa 09 (XBox 360)

Well, Konami can’t say it wasn’t warned. For at least two iterations now, EA’s once-derided FIFA series has threatened to clear away the mud that bound players and ball to turf, becoming the free-flowing festival of football (where you don’t have to change all the teams’ names) you thought it might. To put things bluntly, this is the year everything has finally fallen into place. This is the year that feeling of concentrated tension which dazes for minutes after you’ve successfully walked the 1-0 lead tightrope takes place outside the Mohamed Lewis Stadium. Quite simply, barring some sort of directional miracle, this is the year EA’s game reigns supreme. The only downside is having to listen to Andy Gray more than before… It’s all a question of math, really. As far as visuals go, last year’s outing was already more than capable of fooling the eye totally from a distance, and as far as fundamental animations go. Some brutal tackle reactions this time around simply add to the fun, while shifting defensive gameplay into wholly appealing territory. We don’t know if you’ll be familiar with the PS2 outings of cult footy title This Is Football, but the connection is plain for all to see. Sony’s title featured a multitiered tacking system, played out almost like a game of Rock Paper Scissors. For the wimp was conservative tackle, which was 100 per cent accurate but obviously required close quarters. For slightly more advanced users came the hook challenge, a regular sliding effort taken from the side, the Sword of Damocles being handballs and horrendous fouls that can occur if the ball’s knocked forward a foot. Finally, strong challenges were included just for the hell of it, which brought serious but comical penalties, if missed. Read More: http://www.360magazine.co.uk/games/fifa_2009/fifa_2009.html