FIFA 08 (360) Impressions

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Wed Oct 10, 2007 2:53 pm

Ugh Blub, I hated the demo, but now you got me thinking....Should I?

JRod · Post by **JRod** » Wed Oct 10, 2007 2:54 pm

10spro wrote:Ugh Blub, I hated the demo, but now you got me thinking....Should I?

I would rent it. Let's be honest, its not a new game from the demo but all reports is some things have changed.

seanmac31 · Post by **seanmac31** » Wed Oct 10, 2007 4:30 pm

Well, I loved the demo, so I expected to like this going in. That said, I like it a lot. The control definitely feels tighter, and the team defense on Pro is stronger than the Semi-Pro stuff on the demo.

I went right in and took the Spurs against Arsenal. In my first game, I got absolutely blowtorched, 3-0 and it could have been worse. I played a re-match where I concentrated on not pulling myself out of position on defense and was rewarded with a hard-fought 1-1 draw where I equalized in the 80th minute with a 9' free kick by Jennas that I curled into the top corner.

I've got the passing all turned to manual and it makes for a very organic (but difficult) game. The ball physics are tremendous, probably the best I've seen from a soccer game. In my limited time, I saw the AI pass back nicely, send aerial balls forward, put early crosses on a forward's head, take some nasty low shots from outside the box that deflected off defenders and into net, and get themselves free with skill moves. It's kind of a joy to play, honestly.

My biggest gripe so far (and it's early) is the lack of fouls. There is very little in the way of ticky-tack foul calls, which surprises me, as they were there in UEFA CL. The only penalty called in two matches was the one that set up the free kick.

Blublub · Post by **Blublub** » Wed Oct 10, 2007 5:16 pm

10spro, yeah I would rent it first just to be sure. By the time it arrives I'm sure I'll have my yearly falling out with FIFA and be cursing it's very existence

. At least it didn't happen the minute I got it out of the wrapper - that's progress.

dougb · Post by **dougb** » Wed Oct 10, 2007 8:34 pm

Wow,

This game is a heck of a lot of fun...on-line play is a joy!

Note to self though - avoid European server as first on-line game I played was against someone with 200 on-line matches under his belt.

We should get an on-line league going at some point.

Best wishes,

Doug

Leebo33 · Post by **Leebo33** » Wed Oct 10, 2007 10:40 pm

Blublub wrote:10spro, yeah I would rent it first just to be sure. By the time it arrives I'm sure I'll have my yearly falling out with FIFA and be cursing it's very existence . At least it didn't happen the minute I got it out of the wrapper - that's progress.

LOL. Yeah, I couldn't resist either. I really like it so far. I'm not a soccer nut so take that with a grain of salt. The controls are definitely more responsive than the demo. I've played 4 games and the results so far have been very believable on Professional.

I'm having trouble with some headers and volleys where my player will chest the ball instead. How can I stop doing this? Is it a timing or positional issue? Also, I've played 4 games and the CPU has used all three subs in the 86-89th minute in every one, which is pretty lame.

Blublub · Post by **Blublub** » Thu Oct 11, 2007 7:57 am

Okay, this thing is officially wicked fun online. Played some guy in random ranked who (of course) immediately took Brazil. I chose Germany and was able to grind them down to nab a 1-0 victory. It was hugely satisfying to frustrate their runs with my plodding German short passing game.

Gotta be one of the best-implemented online experiences so far. The league modules are very nice and I have not seen the slightest hint of lag in the three matches I've played.

Leebo, I'm having the exact opposite problem with balls in the air - I head them when I want to chest trap. I wish there were different buttons for this. Then again, maybe there is - the stupid standard EA "manual" really is no help. Through much trial and error, I did determine that the "New Alternate" control scheme is the same as PES, which has helped a lot.

CPU sub AI is pretty stupid. Once I did see them only switch in two guys around the 60th minute in a 0-0 draw.

We definitely need to get a tournament going. How many folks have the game and are interested? Howzabout a club sides Champions League format tournament? That should be just enough matches to finish it before folks lose interest.

seanmac31 · Post by **seanmac31** » Thu Oct 11, 2007 4:29 pm

Shockingly, I've played about seven quick ranked games and have yet to encounter Barcalona. I've gone up against Blackburn, Tottenham, PSV, Athletico Madrid and the Galaxy. The "run two defenders at you" all game types played with Man U, and I was able to dominate them with Chelsea, even though I lost one of the games through a bad break.

The difference in teams is really impressive, even in online games. With Chelsea, everyone was making intelligent runs, helping out on defense, Mikhel and Essien were locking up the ball in the midfield- it all worked beautifully. With Ajax, not so much, with Chivas USA, really not so much.

10spro · Post by **10spro** » Thu Oct 11, 2007 10:27 pm

Does the ball have that 'weighty' feel as in the demo? Did not like that at all.

seanmac31 · Post by **seanmac31** » Fri Oct 12, 2007 3:33 pm

10spro wrote:Does the ball have that 'weighty' feel as in the demo? Did not like that at all.

I've deleted the demo, so I can't say anything definitively, but it doesn't feel weighty to me. As I said before, these are the best ball physics I've seen, bar none.

All the major complaints that I've seen regarding the single player experience have largely been addressed. The AI does put the ball in the air, both to send it ahead and to reverse the field. They pass back at appropriate times to reset. The off-ball movement by your teammates on both offense and defense is quite good, and is generally dependent on the quality of the side you are playing with. The biggest complaint left would be that players sometimes (but not always) stand and wait for a pass rather than going to get it, but there is a super cancel option that allows you to do it manually when you need to.

And the multiplayer is a blast. I've had silky smooth games against players in Europe. It's nice.

Rodster · Post by **Rodster** » Sat Oct 13, 2007 8:09 am

How's the AI of your own team??? Even though it's probably been answered in this thread i'll ask it again now that you've had more time with the game and the newness has worn off. Several at OS have said that it's annoying that the CPU just stands around and does nothing when passing the ball to them. They rarely if ever attempt to go towards the ball. That would be a huge issue for me as well.

This is not a problem with the PC version. On the other hand the PC version AI still does not properly defend against an attack as they sometimes will allow an attacker to make a run without defending it. So you're stuck trying to quickly switch to the player closest to the ball in hopes that you can defend it. The end result is that you are now so out of position that the CPU has been given a great chance 1 on 1 with the keeper. And you just pray he misses it.

It's kinda of funny that JRod is getting the game and now i'm kinda re thinking the purchase because those problems might irritate the hell out of me.

Blublub · Post by **Blublub** » Sat Oct 13, 2007 8:19 am

Rodster wrote:How's the AI of your own team??? Even though it's probably been answered in this thread i'll ask it again now that you've had more time with the game and the newness has worn off. Several at OS have said that it's annoying that the CPU just stands around and does nothing when passing the ball to them. They rarely if ever attempt to go towards the ball. That would be a huge issue for me as well.

I have noticed this at times, and it is annoying. Doesn't seem to be the case all the time, though. Ball physics are actually very good - much better than the demo.

There still are issues in single-player, mostly with the foul calling (or lack thereof) against the CPU, but it's holding up surprisingly well after a few days. Most of the stuff that has ruined FIFA for years has been addressed, foremost the fact that there is now (finally) difference between players and sides.

I have been looking hard to find problems with multiplayer and still haven't found any.

sportdan30 · Post by **sportdan30** » Sat Oct 13, 2007 9:04 am

This is the most enjoyable Fifa I've ever experienced. My first impression is that I'm even more excited to play this game than WE. I'm pleasantly surprised. The controls are responsive, the players models and their animations look very natural, and the goals feel very realistic for both sides. No longer does the ball have that static cling fee.

Now granted, I'm playing on Amateur, just getting my feet wet. But the pace is great and just my speed right now.

By the way, I love the dynamic camera angle. It brings me a bit closer to the action. The graphics look clean and polished.

Initially, I'm having more fun playing this game than NHL '08, something that took me by much surprise.

dougb · Post by **dougb** » Sat Oct 13, 2007 9:35 am

Rodster wrote:How's the AI of your own team??? Even though it's probably been answered in this thread i'll ask it again now that you've had more time with the game and the newness has worn off. Several at OS have said that it's annoying that the CPU just stands around and does nothing when passing the ball to them. They rarely if ever attempt to go towards the ball. That would be a huge issue for me as well.

This is not a problem with the PC version. On the other hand the PC version AI still does not properly defend against an attack as they sometimes will allow an attacker to make a run without defending it. So you're stuck trying to quickly switch to the player closest to the ball in hopes that you can defend it. The end result is that you are now so out of position that the CPU has been given a great chance 1 on 1 with the keeper. And you just pray he misses it.

It's kinda of funny that JRod is getting the game and now i'm kinda re thinking the purchase because those problems might irritate the hell out of me.

There are definitely times when your teammate doesn't come back to the ball, allowing the defending AI to pick it off - and it is annoying. However, not sure that this is sometimes not realistic - attacking players sometimes don't come back to the ball in real life (tired, can't change direction quickly in the middle of a forward run etc.) Switching the player as the pass is taken seems to address this for me for the most part - though I've had my defender caught on a short kick from the keeper in on-line games.

I think that the problem a lot of people have with defending is not maintaining correct positioning, and rushing out towards the attacker with the defender. I use the jostle button alot because it keeps the defender more or less square with the attacking forward forcing the attacker to make the first move. I find that I can cut out alot of the through balls this way and if the attacker attempts to dribble through I can get to the ball with the A or B (second defender) buttons. Timing is important but I've not been giving up too many goals either off-line or on-line.

However, I'm having much more trouble defending crosses!

Best wishes,

Doug

seanmac31 · Post by **seanmac31** » Sat Oct 13, 2007 12:41 pm

dougb wrote:
Rodster wrote:How's the AI of your own team??? Even though it's probably been answered in this thread i'll ask it again now that you've had more time with the game and the newness has worn off. Several at OS have said that it's annoying that the CPU just stands around and does nothing when passing the ball to them. They rarely if ever attempt to go towards the ball. That would be a huge issue for me as well.

This is not a problem with the PC version. On the other hand the PC version AI still does not properly defend against an attack as they sometimes will allow an attacker to make a run without defending it. So you're stuck trying to quickly switch to the player closest to the ball in hopes that you can defend it. The end result is that you are now so out of position that the CPU has been given a great chance 1 on 1 with the keeper. And you just pray he misses it.

It's kinda of funny that JRod is getting the game and now i'm kinda re thinking the purchase because those problems might irritate the hell out of me.
There are definitely times when your teammate doesn't come back to the ball, allowing the defending AI to pick it off - and it is annoying. However, not sure that this is sometimes not realistic - attacking players sometimes don't come back to the ball in real life (tired, can't change direction quickly in the middle of a forward run etc.) Switching the player as the pass is taken seems to address this for me for the most part - though I've had my defender caught on a short kick from the keeper in on-line games.

I think that the problem a lot of people have with defending is not maintaining correct positioning, and rushing out towards the attacker with the defender. I use the jostle button alot because it keeps the defender more or less square with the attacking forward forcing the attacker to make the first move. I find that I can cut out alot of the through balls this way and if the attacker attempts to dribble through I can get to the ball with the A or B (second defender) buttons. Timing is important but I've not been giving up too many goals either off-line or on-line.

However, I'm having much more trouble defending crosses!

Best wishes,

Doug

I'm finding defense much the same as you. I'm always suspicious that people don't play defense correctly in soccer games, and that they just run around after the ball trying to dispossess over and over. The defensive positioning is pretty good, and you generally have your choice of either taking over the nearest defender or calling in someone to attack the ball.

On crosses, I think it helps to jump earlier than you think you should. I've done a much better job getting the defender's head on the ball since figuring that one out.

As for the offensive stuff, as others have said, your teammates will often (but not always) come back for the ball, and there is a super cancel to allow you to do it yourself on long passes. Teammate intelligence seems to be tied to the quality of your team on some level, but even with an MLS team, you'll see players make good runs and take advantage of space you've opened up for them. Honestly, I've had more fun using the Galaxy than any of the top European clubs, because it's fun to have Beckham orchestrate the offense- he's very tough to get off the ball, he makes crisp passes and he's a monster on free kicks.

JRod · Post by **JRod** » Sun Oct 14, 2007 5:03 am

This post is too advanced for the OS crowd so I'm just going to post this over here.

I've finally been able to get some good time with the game today and not just a few exibitions here and there.

There are some problems that really hurt the enjoyment of the game for me. They are probably the biggest peeves I have about any sports games. I just hate it when the CPU has such obvious and glaring advantages.

They have all been discussed before but how the CPU disposses and mauls the hum players is really unacceptable. I'm sure I'll get used to how the game plays but it really shouldn't be that uneven.

The other area where they are too good is dribbling. Far too many players can retain possession in very difficult spots. They should be pushed off the ball or lose possession all together.

The strange tackling system of next-gen football has returned. FIFA and WE have tackles the the defender will make a good tackled only to find himself inbetween the ball and player and the offensive player will continue on. There needs to be more physical interaction here.

One area where I think they have the game too slow is ball pace. Passes and shooting just moves too slow. I think if you mixed WE player movement and ball speed with FIFA's pace you would have a really special engine.

Anyway, they have made considerable improvements. I just don't know if some of the AI issues can be overcome.

Rodster · Post by **Rodster** » Sun Oct 14, 2007 8:51 am

JRod wrote:This post is too advanced for the OS crowd so I'm just going to post this over here.

I've finally been able to get some good time with the game today and not just a few exibitions here and there.

There are some problems that really hurt the enjoyment of the game for me. They are probably the biggest peeves I have about any sports games. I just hate it when the CPU has such obvious and glaring advantages.

They have all been discussed before but how the CPU disposses and mauls the hum players is really unacceptable. I'm sure I'll get used to how the game plays but it really shouldn't be that uneven.

The other area where they are too good is dribbling. Far too many players can retain possession in very difficult spots. They should be pushed off the ball or lose possession all together.

That's what has me concerned as well and why i'm still undecided whether to buy this game or not. I almost tossed my controller when playing FIFA 08 on the PC as my defenders are in a zone/space mentality. They never intelligently close or defend an attack unless you quickly take control of them. Most of the time your back line is so out of position the CPU usually gets a one on one with the goalie. I hate that.

JRod · Post by **JRod** » Sun Oct 14, 2007 7:56 pm

I've been trying to put into works what FIFA 08 feels and plays like. Its more like NBA Live than NHL 08. NHl 08 while having some flaws and AI quirks is just fun. Ya, it's a little easy to get into space and playing defense is quite hard. Even the CPU has an advantage in 50/50s and other parts of the game. But its fun.

FIFA 08 is more like Live 08. Everything looks like it should play a good game but at the end of the day, it doesn't. First FIFA 08 doesn't capture the essence of soccer like NHL 08 captured hockey.

In NHL 08, the player control was impressive with the R-Stick. I think skating wasn't as responsibe as I would like but you weren't fighting the animations in NHL 08. Here, the animations really get in the way. For example when marking a player, the offensive players animation can move him very quicklyin a change of direction, avoiding any contact with the defender. On defense you can't even put your body in position to disrupt the play.

I know this is a stretch but after playing Power Pros, I really feel sports games need less "animation momentum" and more control. If you are beat, then capture a few animations that show that. In this game, there needs to be a lot more body contact.

Rodster · Post by **Rodster** » Sun Oct 14, 2007 8:24 pm

Well it looks and sounds like it will be another year before I give FIFA 09(360) a try. I'll just stick with the PC version of FIFA 08 instead. Too many negatives regarding FIFA 08.

seanmac31 · Post by **seanmac31** » Sun Oct 14, 2007 8:49 pm

Rodster wrote:Well it looks and sounds like it will be another year before I give FIFA 09(360) a try. I'll just stick with the PC version of FIFA 08 instead. Too many negatives regarding FIFA 08.

Too many negatives? Who aside from Jrod is saying negative things?

GB_Simo · Post by **GB_Simo** » Sun Oct 14, 2007 9:06 pm

JRod wrote:The strange tackling system of next-gen football has returned. FIFA and WE have tackles the the defender will make a good tackled only to find himself inbetween the ball and player and the offensive player will continue on. There needs to be more physical interaction here.

I think I might have misunderstood completely, mate, but just this afternoon I was in a proper, real, non-FIFA 08 match in which I made several tackles which were technically sound but still didn't win me possession. As the ball came off my foot and spun onto the opposing man's leg it ended up going beyond me, leaving me between ball and player, flatfooted and unable to reach the loose ball before my opponent.

If you mean something else, then forgive me - I can't think of anything I've seen in FIFA that led to the situation you describe so I'm not really able to respond properly, I know - but the kind of thing I outlined does happen, and so if you're seeing that in-game it seems fair enough.

Rodster, you know I love you but I must admit to being as confused as seanmac as to what these negatives are and where you've read of them, given that the tone of this thread is really quite positive.

JRod · Post by **JRod** » Mon Oct 15, 2007 12:22 am

Simo,

That's not what I meant. That does happen but I don't have problems with those. The problem is when a defender makes a shoulder tackle which puts him in between the ball and the player. Yet the player with the ball just continues on as if the defender was never there.

I'll try to get a movie of that if I can remember.

Leebo33 · Post by **Leebo33** » Mon Oct 15, 2007 10:16 am

This is the first FIFA title that I've enjoyed more with each game. Usually I think (or hope) "this is playable" and it gradually goes downhill from there. In the past it was just a matter of time to determine if it was 1 day or 3 weeks before I dumped the game. My biggest complaint so far is that I had two players get "whiplash" in the same game. WTF? Otherwise, I'm finding Professional very challenging and entertaining. I think the CPU gets away with too much physical play, but they usually get a yellow or two every game so I'm OK. I really don't have any problem stating that FIFA 08 is the best soccer game on the 360 even if you don't consider the licensing. Hopefully, this will make Konami up their game.

fanatic · Post by **fanatic** » Mon Oct 15, 2007 10:18 am

Leebo33 wrote:This is the first FIFA title that I've enjoyed more with each game. Usually I think (or hope) "this is playable" and it gradually goes downhill from there. In the past it was just a matter of time to determine if it was 1 day or 3 weeks before I dumped the game. My biggest complaint so far is that I had two players get "whiplash" in the same game. WTF? Otherwise, I'm finding Professional very challenging and entertaining. I think the CPU gets away with too much physical play, but they usually get a yellow or two every game so I'm OK. I really don't have any problem stating that FIFA 08 is the best soccer game on the 360 even if you don't consider the licensing. Hopefully, this will make Konami up their game.

Very encouraging words.......Would you say it plays much better than the demo?

Leebo33 · Post by **Leebo33** » Mon Oct 15, 2007 10:42 am

I think the controls are more responsive, but that may also be me getting better at the game. If you didn't like the demo then just rent it first.

I usually am very reluctant to post impressions on FIFA games because someone like JRod will point out how much I don't know about the sport (not trying to start a flame war...he actually wrote that and edited it later...and he may be partially correct), but I thought it was OK once Macca and Blub posted!