FIFA 10 (XBOX 360)

Gamecow’s Price	RRP $109.95     Save $60.00 $49.95
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Genre	Sports
Platform	XBOX 360
Release Date	01/10/2009
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FIFA 10 (XBOX 360) Product Information

On the heels of winning 25 international gaming awards with FIFA 09, the top-selling football franchise from EA SPORTS is surpassed with FIFA 10. Responding to consumer feedback from more than 275 million online games played, FIFA 10 refines an already potent game engine, focusing on what matter most to fans.

Features:

• 360 Dribbling - The first-ever true 360 dribbling system in a football game provides finer dribbling control, enabling players to find spaces between defenders that previously were not possible
• Skilled Dribbling - All-new animation warping technology provides unprecedented control. Skilled players now have the ability to face a defender and use highly-responsive lateral dribbling to skip past him
• Freedom in Physical Play - Wider dribble touches and new collision sharing creates a varied, less predictable, and extended fight for possession between the dribbler and a defender
• Player Urgency - Improved urgency AI logic, with over 50 new movement cycles, delivers more responsive positioning so your players stay focused on the ball and move at a speed appropriate to the action
• Improved Trapping Intelligence - Players now have a better awareness of where the easiest, most natural trapping position is so they can get the ball on the ground and under control easier and earlier
• Advanced Positioning - Defenders multi-task and play the pitch more intelligently by covering dangerous spaces left by out-of-position teammates. In attack, players analyse space more effectively, curve their runs to stay onside, create passing lanes and vary attacking options
• More Accurate Passing - Players better analyse space resulting in pinpoint passes that give their receivers more options and time to outrun defensive pressure
• Authentic Shooting - Refinements to the shooting system and modifications of the ball physics create a wider, more realistic variety of shots that enhance the exhilaration of scoring
• Varied Defending Options - Slide Tackle targeting has been enhanced so skilled players have more reach and avoid tackling through the dribbler. Better effort clearance logic gives defenders more options when attempting to get a foot on the ball before an attacker. Effort, such as sliding to block crosses and overhead kick clearances, give defenders more tools to prevent goal-scoring opportunities
• Refined Goalkeeper Intelligence - numerous improvements mean that goalkeepers now have more urgency and better perception of where to intercept loose balls, resulting in a more responsive and powerful rushing system. New animation warping technology provides game-realistic goalkeeper positioning and momentum, resulting in more varied scoring opportunities
• Manager Mode Authenticity - More than 50 major improvements were designed to create an authentic experience to mimic the real-world game. Match results are based on team and player strengths and weaknesses. Player transfers are determined by multiple decision points, including club finance and prestige, availability of similar players, and competition from AI-controlled clubs. Player development is more realistic with true-to-life growth curves based on factors such as age and environment
• Continuous Gameplay - Maintain the atmosphere, pace, and intensity of a match with quick free kicks and referee carding
• New Practice Arena - Work on individual skills in a fully featured practice mode before stepping on the pitch.

FIFA 10 (XBOX 360) Review

No sporting game has evolved over the past three years as much as FIFA Soccer from EA Sports has. For a few entries it lingered behind Konami’s Pro Evolution Soccer, which offered a more realistic soccer sim experience for gamers. However, EA Sports have quickly propelled the franchise to new heights, and with FIFA 10 we get quite possibly the greatest football game ever. We were teased when Euro 2008 hit shelves, offering us a small insight into what we had coming with FIFA 09. While that game lacked the depth of a full-blown FIFA title, it set an example through the gameplay. Now the series has set a standard not only for the franchise, but also for every soccer game out there.

It’s really impressive how much the series has improved over the past few years, a standard of which EA Canada really needs to take with their NBA Live series. The developer has evolved the gameplay into a spectacular overall experience, one that is now miles ahead of PES in terms of pure enjoyment. Playing a match in FIFA 10 just has a distinctive feel about it, with the same sort of emotion, grace and aggression that is often seen when watching a real-life match. Everything from the crowd chants, to the dynamic weather system (which very impressively influences the gameplay quite significantly), to the mind numbingly hard higher difficulties: FIFA 10 doesn’t quite feel like a unique experience, but it does feel like it’s in a league of its own.

The best and most notable improvement in the gameplay has to be the 360-degree dribbling, which rids the experience of the sometimes frustrating 8-axis controlling. You can control a player in any direction on the field and this definitely makes for a more fluid and realistic experience when controlling the ball. The 8-axis dribbling directions were always one of the more notable frustrations of previous games and the development team has stamped it out completely for this year’s game. Not only have they gotten rid of it, they’ve replaced it with a fully functional and error-free movement system that works perfectly. You may not notice it if you’re a sprint-happy type of player, but if you like to slowly build up your way towards goal while dribbling past opponents, you’ll notice how solid the controls are.

FIFA 10 is as perfect a soccer game as you can get. EA Sports seem to have perfected the genre and pushed the franchise well above its nearest competitor in PES. The gameplay is superb and improved on the seemingly perfect gameplay from last year’s game. Manager Mode has been improved for the best and there are still the same old mode favourites to keep FIFA regulars happy. Online mode is great with minimal lag, although Team Play can be a bit rough around the edges with so many people playing together. What it comes down to is the gameplay and playing FIFA 10 is an absolute treat, especially if you’re a diehard of the sport.

Full review MY360