Initially it looks like FIFA 08 features the same options as last year, but quite a few things have changed. The kickoff mode returns of course and launches you into a quick match with your favourite team. The modes in FIFA 08 are split between offline game modes and online game modes. The manager mode, FIFA 08 lounge mode and challenge mode all return from last year, with tournament mode, a create a tournament mode and the be a pro offline training mode added in for this year's edition. The lounge mode lets you play with your friends (or the computer) across several matches and keeps track of your results in a league table. At the end of each match in the lounge mode you'll be awarded points, based on cleansheets, shot accuracy, cards etc. Each player will then be awarded cards which can be used to improve your performance. Impressively, the lounge mode keeps track of the standings for each player as well. There are also 100 stickers to be collected which are awarded at the end of each match, and as always the lounge is one of the highlights for FIFA 08.
That ball isn't going anywhere.
The manager mode puts you in the role of a soccer club manager. At the beginning of the manager mode you'll select which club team you'll take control of. You'll sign the contract and be given specific contract terms, such as a challenge to win the league. By fulfilling these contract terms you'll secure your contract for longer. After signing your contract you'll need to select a sponsorship offer. Sponsorship offers are important as the money from sponsors is often what keeps your team afloat. Sponsors also have their own requirements and fulfilling these will net even more money for your team. Once you've signed a sponsor you are ready to take over the team. As the manager you have full control over your team, you'll need to scout for new players, negotiate contracts and do everything else a manager needs to. Most importantly though, you'll need to win the matches to ensure you fulfil the requirements of your sponsors. As you play through the manager mode you'll get exp points which can be used to improve the quality of your players. From the main manager mode central menu you'll also be able to track your job security, manager prestige, fan appreciation and team chemistry. Overall though the manager mode hasn't really changed all that much from previous years (aside from a few interface changes which makes things more accessible), but it's still a great mode that's very indepth.
The challenge mode features 105 challenges split up into ten regions. For each match there are specific goals to fulfil in the challenge mode, such as scoring a goal and winning the match in regular time. The game keeps track of all of the challenges you've completed as well, and you'll unlock more challenges and gain points by fulfilling the challenges in the challenge mode.
This brings us to the new gameplay options in FIFA 08. Tournament mode features fifty real world tournaments. There is also a create a tournament mode which, as the name suggests, allows you to create a tournament. There are several customisation options in the mode including how many teams play in the tournaments and what type of tournament the tournament is (league, knockout etc..). The create a tournament mode was sorely missing from last year's title, so its inclusion is appreciated.
One of the most hyped inclusions in FIFA 08 is the be a pro mode. The be a pro mode allows you to take control of one of the players on the pitch, rather than the whole team. In single player you get a chance to touch up on your skills with the be a pro training option. Taking control of the one player is a lot more complex and the player has several options open to them whilst playing the be a pro mode. A performance bar gives you an overall indication of how well your player is performing, you can also call for passes, crosses and through passes as well as advise your team mates to shoot for goal. A positioning arrow guides you to where your player should be and a red ring will appear beneath players you should be marking. Pleasingly you can also choose which player you become, so for example you may want to take control of Archie Thompson from the Melbourne Victory and this is possible. Be a pro mode isn't just for offline play, at least for the rest of the world. In a few weeks EA will be releasing a 5 on 5 be a pro gameplay option for online play, which Australians will miss out on. The mode will be available for free in Europe and America, but due to server issues Australia will miss out, which is very disappointing.
Wait, which way am I going again?
So does the Be a pro option fundamentally change the game? Well, yes it does. Initially it's a little difficult because you'll want to follow the ball to take possession, but soon enough you become used too taking position and waiting for the ball. The ball won't always come to you but you can set yourself up to get the ball by actually reading the play and calling for the ball at the right moment. The camera angle in the be a pro mode is actually a little different as well, so it's easy to keep track of play. It's incredible how quickly you'll get used to running back into position and keeping your player onside.
FIFA 08 also includes some online options. You can play a quick ranked match or a quick unranked match as well as take part in online leagues. FIFA 08 on the PlayStation 3 also features interactive leagues where you represent your team as a team world league. As previously mentioned other countries will also get be able to play online via the 5 v 5 be a pro online option.
One of the best inclusions for Australians is the A-League. All eight A League teams are in FIFA 08, so if you want to play as Sydney FC or the Melbourne Victory you can. You may not want to play as them for too long though, as they have very low star ratings, with Sydney FC rating 1 and a half stars and the Newcastle Jets rated as half a star. Nonetheless, the inclusion of the A League is a big boost for Australian soccer and will differentiate FIFA 08 from Pro Evo 2008, which doesn't appear to feature the A League at all. Licensing hasn't just been improved for Australia, FIFA 08 now features 620 licensed teams, 30 official leagues, and more than 15,000 players. Impressive.
On the field a few things have changed as well. The directional pad is now used for tactics. Pressing one of the four directions will implement specific tactics including CB attack which sends a player up to join you with the next attack, opposite wing attack which forces a winger up to join the attack, team press which makes your team press the opponents and offside trap, which is self explanatory. You can also increase and decrease your team's attacking mentality by press R1 and either left or right. For the first time through balls and crosses can be completely controlled as well. Shooting has been improved as well and overall FIFA 08 ends up feeling a little more realistic than its predecessor, but only minorly.
The stadiums can be simply awe inspiring.
Graphically FIFA 08 is very impressive. The character models are decent, as are the animations. The stadiums look simply brilliant and are still awe inspiring at the beginning of every match. Commentary is provided by Martin Tyler and Andy Gray, who do a great job as usual. The comments do become a little repetitive at times though. The crowd noise is simply amazing and can't be faulted.
FIFA 08 also features a fanshop which features over 100 possible purchases. As you play through the game you'll be awarded points and these points can be used to purchase several possible items including new boots, balls and jerseys. It's little additions like this which will keep you coming back to FIFA 08. There is just so much to unlock and do in the game that it's unlikely you'll ever complete everything the game has to offer.
FIFA 08 is without a doubt the most realistic FIFA title yet, but only just. There have been a few gameplay refinements and the new modes are decent. It's disappointing Australians will miss out on the 5 vs 5 be a pro online feature as that is one of the drawcards for FIFA 08. The game isn't quite at the level of Pro Evolution Soccer yet but there is still a lot of fun to be had with FIFA 08.
Loading...
