FIFA 13 review

[hudson]

Thanks, mate.

I was worried everybody had missed it!

I don't get it. Either you actually got ripped off or the joke wasn't that funny. Which one is it?

[QualityChimp]

The latter.

*sigh*

Tough crowd.

[nakamura]

Well after extensive play this is a very good football game. However it is still plagued with the same issues that have dogged the series year on year in recent times. Player selection is a train wreck, assisted passing is too overpowered, too many goals from rebounds and a whole host of other little niggles I can't be bothered to mention.

It is certainly better than 12 though and probably the best Fifa yet. First touch control is a great addition and the impact engine seems well refined. Overall control seems tighter and the ball feels much less glued to your feet. AI is decent too without being amazing. They often make good runs and a generally ok and covering positions on defence.

The game modes are amazing. Loads to get stuck into and a crap load of stuff to unlock. The skill games are far more fun than they should be too. The front end has been revised and is much better overall with faster loading and slightly less laggy menus.

Overall after close to 10 hours of play, I would score it 8/10. It is a great game but frankly this and PES are behind what I would be expecting of a football game in 2012. Playing against the CPU will no doubt become a grind with their laser accuracy and playing online all depends on the people you play against and Fifa is certainly a game that can be easily abused.

Clubs mode is shaping up well and to be honest it will be the reason I keep Fifa over PES as I am confident that PES + Patch will be a better single player game.

[hudson]

The latter.

*sigh*

Tough crowd.

Haha. Keep working on that material. I think you have the potential to be the forum comedian. Popping up out of the blue in threads with thread related joke. Keep it up

[rmoxon]

After about 5 days of solid play I am very impressed with this.

The A.I. is fantastic this year, the way they really fight to get back into games late on, really putting pressure on your defense unless you take control of the game, its very realitstic stuff and also keeps most games against the computer alive until the final wistle. Every player and team seems to have their own personality and traits now, more so than in any other game I have played before, its just really impressive stuff. Ive played about half a season against the CPU now and it feels very authentic, Ive dominated some games and lost some games and the reasons why have always been clear, its a great representation of football, better than ever in fact and I much prefer it to the stale and somewhat lifeless PES gameplay that we have this year.

I also like the fact that the ball is much more realistic to control now, playing the game is more about skill than ever, and if you run onto the ball at a fast pace you can expect to have trouble controlling it.

The Career mode has been refined yet again, its still not perfect, I dont know why I cant start as a non league team for instance, but theres still alot of depth there and its all that bit more realistic than last year.... its still not quite football manager as far as the whole management of your team goes, but every year they are getting that bit better at delivering a proper Career type experience.

Not so much has changed with the online side of things, but I have to say that Man utd are much better to play as than they have been for the last couple of games. It has to be said though that they are almost overpowered really, long through balls up the pitch have serverd me a bit too well online so far, people cant seem to handle the front line.

[MrMarbles]

The AI can **** right off at 45 minutes and 90 minutes.

****. Right. Off.

I can swear on here, right?

****. Right. Off.

[nakamura]

The AI is certainly not fantastic.

[nakamura]

My thoughts.

The dribbling is bordering on useless for close control. The players take far too many touches and seem unable to turn sharply in the most simple of situations. I watched the Arsenal game at lunchtime and I was desperate for EA to implement a better dribbling system.

Injury time goes on far too long. It is meant to be a simulation but yet it doesn't simulate time. If you have the ball in the opponents final 3rd in injury time the clock could theoretically go on forever. Stupid.

The player selection has been broken since Fifa 11. There are times when it just doesn't select anyone near the ball and times when you cross the ball in and it doesn't even select the player that is receiving the pass.

The goalkeepers are overpowered at shot stopping, certainly in 1v1. This is purely to make up for the gaping holes in the defensive system.

The contain button is a huge design flaw. It just allows the player to automatically track the opponent with little effort. It is about time it was removed and players should be tracked manually.

Passing system is rubbish. Too many softly softly passes and you can't switch play more then around 30 yards with any real pace. Through passing in comparison is extremely powerful. It started in Fifa 11 with the 'pro passing' system that has been clearly buried in the game. Also playing first time through passes at distance when two players are in line is a waste, it will never go past the first man even if you want to get it to the second man.

Animation routines get in the way of the gameplay. As lovely as it can look, you have to wait far too long at times. Also the game goes into those lovely little dodge around animations at the most irksome of moments.

The players do not feel fully connected to the pitch and skate around. Due to the mentioned animation above, controlling them at times can feel unwieldy

AI is not up to standard. Defending AI is utterly dire. Computer play with laser precision and all the opponents feel the same.

The GK button to bring the keeper out has at least a 1 second delay on pressing and the keeper actually running out. Goals could be avoided with a fix.


To me, EA have used things like Pro Passing and First Touch Control to cover up the issues with the game. Rather than increase the pass error in assisted they added pro passing which does little apart from take the power out of it. First touch is just to try to get around the many 1-2 through ball tactics rather than fix the ease these moves are pulled off. It works overall but now playing simple triangles can be a needlessly difficult task.


I also like a lot about the game. First touch control despite me saying is a cover up addition, does actually make the game a lot better in the short term. You have to balance your play a lot more and be a lot more careful in possession.

Skilled dribbling is improved and works well and the skill moves are fantastic.

Shooting is sublime. Probably the most satisfying in any game yet.

AI for attacking is improved but still 2 years behind PES.

Chest control is much improved, able to turn when receiving the ball. (PES had this in 2005 though)

Assisted passing has been improved in terms of the strange mistakes it used to make. Useful for assisted players.

The game feels much looser, free if you will. A lot is down to the control and the fact the players don't lock to the ball as much. This again makes it harder and more satisfying.


Don't get me wrong, I actually like the game but it has issues. Offline it is just a complete no go unless you at least mess with the gameplay sliders which is again admitting that they know things are wrong. Online against the right opponent it can be a wonderful game to behold. If you meet 5star speed abusers it is the same old rubbish. If you play against people that want to play football, it can be a joy.

For me, a solid 8/10. Believe it or not!

[MrMarbles]

What is with the AI's fixation on *constant* 180 degree direction changes, even when it's not necessary? It just looks ridiculous. It does it all the bloody time - it's not an exaggeration to say 50% of the time they run with the ball they do something like these vids:

http://www.ea.com/uk/football/videos/ugc/137142612

http://www.ea.com/uk/football/videos/ugc/137143932

[rmoxon]

Don't really agree with any of Nakamura's complaints.

The auto passing on this is as bad as its always been, as is the auto switching of players, that's why you turn them off. I also learnt to use the stick to swap to different players a long time ago becuase relying on a game to know who you want to control will never work. The level of control over the ball this game offers is unparraelled. It's so satisfying after coming off the back off the latest PES which feels like a 10 year old game in many respects. With this game EA haven't even tried to add much new, they have just improved what was there and it's really impressive.

My complaints about the game are mainly to do with the presentation. For example whats the point in telling us about an injury to someone (the second they are injured no less) if they don't even mention the players name? It just sounds silly, it does not make it more authentic. Same goes for the reports from. Other matches, dowe really are if date ham and red bridge have missed a penalty? Does it add to the game? Hearing 5 different stock statements repeatedly used throughout the match for reports on over ten different games is a bit mind numbing.

[hudson]

This isn't blowing me away. It play good at times, but only against humans. The AI in World Class and above behaves like a video gaming non-football brained imp.

The matches themselves are a little bit dull due to a mixture of presentation and movement on the pitch.

Good modes, but it feels like FIFA 12.5 at the moment.

Injury occurrence seems a bit on the high side too.

Now, PES ain't perfect too, but they finally seemed to hit a balanced level of acceptance, delivering a fun, exciting and great single player component (as the AI is realistically having good and bad games). So, I find myself going for that game box from my shelf more.

FIFA delivers in the modes, but it just isn't wowing me. I'll stick with though as I play leagues in work on it.

[rmoxon]

The A.I. Has good and bad games in this. For intance If youre playing as a good team and are at home the away team will often try and play diffensivley, and can be hard to break down, but some teams simply cant deffend at all and you can run riot. Also different teams play different football and you will get certain teams that are quite suicidal while on the attack. Leaving big open spaces for you to exploit. Yet on the flip side the CPU will sometimes get its tactics spot on and you won't be able to get the result that on paper you should have, it's fantastic, thrilling and realistic stuff that really does deliver that unpredictable feeling that real football so often delivers.

its a big improvement over last year where every team played the same all the time.

[nakamura]

I don't use the auto setting moxon, but even with manual the player selection is a joke. It is completely broken.

The teams also do not play in different ways. League 1 teams can still play with Barcelona style precision passing and it is a joke. Until EA fix fundamental issue, pass error being one of them then the single player mode is a missed opportunity.

[rmoxon]

I don't use the auto setting moxon, but even with manual the player selection is a joke. It is completely broken.

The teams also do not play in different ways. League 1 teams can still play with Barcelona style precision passing and it is a joke. Until EA fix fundamental issue, pass error being one of them then the single player mode is a missed opportunity.

Im not finding that at all. A lot of league one teams are sloppy in possession actually, we'll I'm in league two at the moment, but all the teams seem to play different kinds of football.

[Psyduck]

Does anyone know whether this runs at 60fps or 30fps on consoles? Can't seem to find anything conclusive online. Need to decide whether to drop the settings for 60fps on pc or stick with 30...