... So with FIFA being probably the most popular football game ever, you would expect it to be something special, right? Heeeeell No! Fair play to them for not just porting FIFA 06 onto the 360 but I'm starting to wish they had.
Its another Road to World Cup game which we haven't seen since ... Read review
Advantages: visual feast Disadvantages: lack of features lets it down badly
...of development. So with FIFA being probably the most popular football game ever, you would expect it to be something special, right? Heeeeell No! Fair play to them for not just porting FIFA 06 onto the 360 but I'm starting to wish they had.
Its another Road to World Cup game which we haven't seen since 98 I think (Correct me if I'm wrong!) which was a good game, this however is not. Lately we have been treated to EA's lounge and various ... ...not bad but I prefer FIFA 06 to it never mind PES5, basically I just can't believe how bad this is compared to how it could've been.
Ok, so EA wants to focus on international play for the upcoming World Cup. We'll buy that. So why not add some kind of managerial aspect, like being able to groom young players from the under-20 squads for the big show? How about being able to hand-pick your players based on some mini-camp tryout sessions, ... more
Firstly, lets just get all the bad things about this game out first because there are a lot of not so much issues with the game, more a lack of development. So with FIFA being probably the most popular football game ever, you would expect it to be something special, right? Heeeeell No! Fair play to them for not just porting FIFA 06 onto the 360 but I'm starting to wish they had.
Its another Road to World Cup game which we haven't seen since 98 I think (Correct me if I'm wrong!) which was a good game, this however is not. Lately we have been treated to EA's lounge and various other treats they've added in for us, this is a bare game, with very limited game modes. Then onto the gameplay, well its not bad but I prefer FIFA 06 to it never mind PES5, basically I just can't believe how bad this is compared to how it could've been.
Ok, so EA wants to focus on international play for the upcoming World Cup. We'll buy that. So why not add some kind of managerial aspect, like being able to groom young players from the under-20 squads for the big show? How about being able to hand-pick your players based on some mini-camp tryout sessions, ala Herb Brooks with the 1980 US hockey team? Something, anything, would do. In reality, FIFA 06: RTFWC is a filler title for the Xbox 360 launch and we are expecting great things next season when EA completely dedicates itself to the next generation. I am very confident the next instalment will be a berger, I think maybe they've just over stretched themselves especially as the next gen games take a lot longer to develop but we all deserve more than this.
With that said, FIFA 06 RTFWC is pretty fun to play. One of the first things to notice is just how tough it is to score this year; you'll probably go through two or three matches before you bang one in. You'll find yourself in a lot of tense, close faught games that reward intelligent passing, use of the through-ball pass and timely crosses. Sprinting through the defence is now a remnant of the FIFA dark ages, it takes skill if you wanna do this. This time, it's a thinking mans game.
One aspect of this is simple in-game management, If you can't score, change the formation and make some tactical subs. Playing with Italy, the default formation was a 4-2-3-1, and I had World Cup stud and all-world striker Alessandro Del Piero riding the pine. Thanks to a simple user interface system, I was able to change to a 4-3-3 on the fly and insert Del Piero in the front line in place of a average midfielder. Suddenly the Azzurri were an attacking force to be reckoned with, if there is such a thing in this tough football sim.
The AI in general is pretty good but can still be ridiculously annoying, as with most footy games it's a nightmare trying to get team mates to run into space but the keepers on the other hand are pretty fantastic, their reactions and the animations are extremely realistic, especially in the outrageously good graphics. This is helped by the controls, you can set it to either classic analogue, classic digital, new analogue, new digital. So basically you can have the classic fifa buttons or the new(ish) pes style controls which is very handed, stops confusion for those who play both.
So that's the gameplay and features out the way but where these game is groundbreaking is the graphics. The visuals and animations are so amazing, you can't believe what you are seeing, but unfortunately, the thing with footy games is you have to have the view zoomed out so all the delicious detail is usually lost until close ups or replays but its as near watching it on tv as you'll get & all delivered at an impressive & slick 60 frames per second. They added a ton of facial expressions which really add that bit of extra realism, like a grimace at a bad challenge and stuff like that, a lot of nice touches but in saying that there are a few niggles hear and there but not really worth mentioning. All in all it's a fantastic visual feast, maybe not up there with some of the other launch titles but it deffo screams next gen at me.
The UK broadcasting duo of Martin Tyler and Andy Gray provide the commentary and do a fine job. Gray offers some pretty spot-on insight at the beginning of the second half and Tyler flows well throughout, hearty accents aside. The crowd cheers are loud and fiery and are what we've come to expect from football games. They add a lot of nice touches by talking about past meetings for example like when you play with France & Brazil they will talk about the 98 final but my favourite is the Scotland V England Derby, they get some good banter going. However I don't think it's quite as slick as the 06 commentary, it sometimes seems delayed slightly.
It also boast Xbox live & it luckily gave the game a new lease of life for me, you can play either ranked or unranked matches and it gets really addictive but its still not as good as PES5 live.
So to wrap things up, its got plenty flaws, but I'd still recommend getting it, even if its just to look at. Watch out for the next instalment, it will be something special I'm sure.
Advantages: Good graphics, exceptional commentary Disadvantages: Limited features, appaling gameplay, outdated live service.
The FIFA series is, despite the rapid rise of the Pro Evolution Soccer franchise, still a very popular one. This is the first FIFA game on the Xbox 360, so what can you expect to get? Incredible graphics and slick gameplay? An unmatched online service? How disappointing then, that RTFWC is not a good game at all. It offers extremely limited features, sloppy and sluggish gameplay and an outdated online lobby system.
Lets start with the graphics, ... ...of the Xbox version of FIFA 06, which offers so many more options, and equally good commentary. The drop in visuals would be a worthy sacrifice if we were given a playable game.
What really worries me about this game is that, as a gamer and not a programmer, it's obvious even to me that this has not been thought out properly. We have to remember as consumers, that people actually test these games before release. I wish there was a way of finding ...
blueblood121 23.05.2006
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of FIFA 06 Road to FIFA World Cup (Xbox 360)
Advantages: Great Graphics, good gameplay Disadvantages: lack of features, some FPS drops, online Lag
...stunning piece of equipment, and Fifa RTWC definately shows how football games are going to improve in the future.
The game itself is actually fairly limited if you are intending to play it play it single player, it only offers qualification stages of the world cup as your favourite international team. You do not actually get to play in the world cup! However I never bought the game intending to play it single player, I like to play football (or ... ...a good move for the fifa series of games and I can definately see an improvement coming in the near future! I have noticed that occasionally online games can get a bit choppy and sometimes you will lose connection, but its still quite a lot of fun putting your skills up against strangers. The game seems also to have a few framerate issues when the ball goes out for a corner or goal kick but other than that framerates are sound.
Good for multiplayer ...
Phil_Ransley 21.01.2006 (23.01.2006)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of FIFA 06 Road to FIFA World Cup (Xbox 360)
Advantages: decent graphics,good commentary Disadvantages: too many,no game modes,sluggish gameplay,cardboard heads...
When it was confirmed for december launch i was kinda happy because the previews were good,but life is often cruel and in the cold light of day,FIFAs dated gameplay on the 360 feels even more a slap in the face then usuall. Control is sluggish, AI utterly dreadfull and clueless and you will swear at the tv when the efforts are intercepted with ease, just when you think theyve drifted into a position where you will be able to thread a delicate little ... ...minute...
If passing the ball is awkward you wait untill you have a go at shooting....well trying to shoot anyway, its now almost impossible to score through the middle,which is through lack of pace and awareness by the strikers, long shots goin in the top corner are a thing of the past ......scoring in generall is hard so you will get used to drawing even on normal difficulty as normal though your tactics of crosses in the box are yor best bet.
...
clarkusmaximus 09.03.2006
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of FIFA 06 Road to FIFA World Cup (Xbox 360)
Advantages: Well timed release, nice graphics off field Disadvantages: Lame gameplay, some crappy player graphics
...any further as the games holds little appeal after that, and with the release of PES6, I am sorry to say that FIFA 06 has taken to the shelf.
This might be one game you will want to try before you buy to see if it is for you. ...
chappy81 12.12.2006
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of FIFA 06 Road to FIFA World Cup (Xbox 360)
Advantages: Good graphics and multi-player Disadvantages: Second class gameplay and flawed game physics
If you're a fan of the Pro Evo titiles, this game will not convert you to Fifa. It's clearly a game desgined to show off the graphics and power of the new XBox 360 and the mini-game while your actual match is loading is a welcome addition. The game itself however, is linear for a even a football package. With no season mode or anything but international teams, the single player game is very dull. With very little to complete, this game wont keep ... ...soon as you get somebody else to pick up the second controller, this game comes into a life of it's own. Although it doesn't match up to Pro Evo for gameplay, this is soon over looked when competing with a friend. The stunning graphics and in game features hide what is lacking in the realistic football experience.
For a first attempt, it's not a bad football game for the XBox 360 boys to release, however, if you are looking for a truely good game, ...
jebully 23.01.2006
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of FIFA 06 Road to FIFA World Cup (Xbox 360)
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