FIFA 12

Another year, another annual FIFA game. This year it's FIFA 12.

The graphics seem on-par with previous FIFA titles so there's not much change on this front.

But the gameplay is what FIFA is all about. The core gameplay remains, and has been added to with the Player Impact Engine (which is great) and precision dribbling, which can get you out of a tight spot. These are nice additions, but don't make any radical changes.

Because it's FIFA, there's leagues and licenses from all over the world. As a football game, it is unmatched in this regard, and it adds a lot of depth to the game. And there are also two commentary teams this time!

As always, you've got the Career (Manager or Be a Pro) Mode which you can sink hundreds of hours into. Ultimate Team has been included this time around, which is nice, and a really fun mode.

Online is good fun, and the Head to Head seasons is a great idea. You've also got online leagues and tournaments! There's also EA Sports Football Club, which tracks your progress in all modes and puts up “challenges” based on recent real-world situations, which is a great way to integrate this game better with real football.

So all in all, this is everything you could ask for in a FIFA game. There is a mind-blowing amount of content and while there aren't any revolutionary changes, there is enough new content in this game to make it well worth purchasing.

It's another solid FIFA title

4/5

EA again haven't drastically raised the bar, but they've added a couple of clever new features, and made the game quite a bit more difficult to master.

The new collision engine can be frustrating, as defenders and strikers flop around on the ground, costing you goals from time to time, but it also adds a new dynamic to the game, and is a step towards realism.

Tactical defending is again a step towards realism, adding difficulty to both defending and attacking against the AI, and other players, and on the flip side, precision dribbling offers a bit of a counter to it, but not an easy solution.

A good step in the right direction, but not a vast overhaul of the last effort.

This is a solid addition the the FIFA games lineup, the player's feel much more solid and skill certainly becomes much clearer, with top rated players consistently blasting past lower rated ones. However there are minor problems with the player physics that can lead to some admittedly hilarious pileups. They have improved again on the career mode, with teams making much more rational decisions about player purchases and team formations. However the simulations between each game can take a significant amount of time to run and can lead to annoying patches of waiting before each new game.

Every year I look forward to the new version of fifa and once again I have not been let down. I struggled qutie significantly to adjust to the new requirments to defend well but having adjusted the fifa 12 experience is another step forward for the series. With the ball I have found that your players make smarter and more useful runs enabling you to unpick the computer defense with good passing. As I said ealier overall another big step forward to a realistic gaming experience.

I believe this game is the best and most complete in the franchise so far. This game has many realistic and enjoyable new features that make this game better than the fifas of past years. The new deadline day in career mode is a great addition to all players that enjoy the haggling side of the transfer window. Ive really enjoyed the game. Well done to EA again, you continue to impress.