FIFA 13 Review

Let me tell you a little of my history with football games. Up until just a few short years ago, I was a dyed in the wool, hardcore Pro Evolution Soccer fan. To me, nothing else would do. FIFA had always been glitzy and shiny, it had the licences, it had better presentation, but in the gameplay department? Pro Evo skewered it, time and time again. For me though, all that changed with FIFA 11. I was originally won by the possibility of playing as the goalkeeper, an option that FIFA 11 offered, alluded to by it's apt tagline, "We are 11". What I found was that, undeniably, FIFA and surpassed Pro Evolution Soccer as the king of the football games mountain. My allegiances changed that day. The following year, it wasn't Pro Evolution Soccer 2012 that I shelled out my money in, it was FIFA 12. It was FIFA 12 that truly blew me away, I marvelled at it's completeness, at long last it's presentation and graphics were matched, surpassed even, but it's incredible gameplay. The game felt so good to play, it was a realistic tonic to Pro Evo's increasingly arcadish gameplay. But one thought lingered in my mind: "How on earth can they top this? What can they possibly add?" FIFA 13 answers my question. What is the answer?

To be brutally honest, the answer is: not a whole lot. Don't get me wrong for a second, there are new features, both on and off the pitch. The most heavily touted addition being the added unpredictability, attempting to mirror one of the scant few real life aspects of football that FIFA 12 had been unable to produce. In FIFA 12, the ball would stick the players boot like glue. In FIFA 13, it's all in the maths. How skilful is your player? How fast is he moving? How fast is the ball moving towards him? Is he being pressured by defenders? Is it raining or is it dry? All these variables add up to produce that unpredictability that makes the actual game so compelling. And it is pulled off very well, to the point where even if and when it works against you, you are able to sit back and admire the craftsmanship. Goalkeepers flap at crosses, shots are sliced hilariously wide, it is very well implemented, and a very welcome addition.

In the gameplay department however, that's about is innovative as FIFA 13 gets. The game is littered with tweaks. Passing feels a little smoother, the player impact engine has been refined so that players aren't blown half way across the pitch by a falling leaf, free kicks aren't as unforgiving as their previous iterations, but on the whole, the gameplay department, while still reliably brilliant, may have hit a glass ceiling... on this generation of consoles at least.

A few new gameplay modes have been added, one of them being "Skill Games". In a nutshell, skill games are essentially mini-games that will ease newcomers in to the game at their easiest and provide a reasonable challenge to more seasoned veterans at their hardest (If anyone can figure out how to do the final crossing challenge, let me know) Everything from dribbling assault courses to crossbar challenges to smashing penalties to a wall of cardboard boxes, the games are delightfully addictive. There have also been some updates to that ever reliable stalwart, manager mode. The interface is now even more authentic, sky sports being printed all over the menu screens as a man who's name tragically escapes me reads out the other results of the day and how they affect the league table. The biggest addition though is the ability to manage international sides. While it's not really my cup of tea, there are undoubtedly those who have been pining for this addition for some time, and for whom it will increase the depth of manager mode greatly.

Given that my xbox live gold account has tragically expired, I can't comment with a great deal of authority on the online modes, although I did try my hand at "Ultimate Team" for the first time. I haven't spent too much time with it yet, but I can see myself doing so, I can see why many people find it so addictive. For those who don't know, in ultimate team, you basically build up... the ultimate team. You buy packs of trading cards that unlock new players for your squad and slowly build up an army of superstars who could handily thump Real Madrid on their own ground without breaking sweat. As I say, I can see why it would be addictive, and I look forward to getting to grips with it more in future.

On the whole FIFA 13 is very good. It's very good because FIFA 12 was very good, I would be lying if I said a great deal has changed, but there are changes there, most of them small tweaks as EA fine tune their sports masterpiece. On the whole though, my concerns as to where EA go after FIFA 12 do whole some water... and they are only compounded for the next iteration. Ultimately, there really is only so much in a game that can be improved. And that may be FIFA's eventual downfall.