Developer: EA Canada
Category: Sports
Release Dates
N Amer - 10/20/2009
Intl - 10/02/2009
Official Game Website
Also available on:
FIFA 10 on the Wii may not be a whole new beast, but it’s almost close to it.
The game, showed off during a Playing with the Pros event at the EA complex in Vancouver, B.C., Canada on Monday, has made substantial improvements to the gameplay core elements and that should translate into a much smoother and more enjoyable experience.
At one time, the Wii iteration of EA Sports touted FIFA franchise boasted 8-player teams, but with FIFA 10, it’s back to full-sided 11-versus-11 games. And that is just the beginning of the changes.
An EA representative stated that the feedback from the community indicated that players “wanted to see great shots, see more accurate shots and see great saves.” Well, the development team took all that to heart in revamping the mechanics of the game. Player movement was addressed, not only with the ball handlers, but the players off the ball as well. The truly hot shots on net are given a slow-motion effect, done by shaking the Wii remote, and if playing on the opposite side, while the shots are laser beams, they are not unstoppable, but the timing on the defensive side (again, shaking the Wii-mote) has to be tight to pull off the stop.
And to that end, the control reaction time has been tightened up so that when players trigger an action on the Wii-mote or the nunchuck, they will see the action immediately realized in the game. There will also be more rebounding opportunities for attackers, so the cardinal rule of following the shot is applicable with FIFA 10.
The game also sports a new visual style, which borders on a more arcade-like look. And the crowds get much more into the game, reacting to action much more.
During a hands-on time, the game played well and the controls were easy to understand and use. Passing felt reasonably tight and the shooting mechanic worked well. The flow of the game seemed to move at a consistent level and the sound was solid as well.
Another area where improvements have been made is in the multiplayer. The online experience has received attention and two-versus-two gameplay has been added to the mix. And that means that two people on one console can play online against two people on another console. That should make for some robust gaming sessions and first-rate online games.
All in all, the Wii version of FIFA 10 is shaping up nicely and should have Wii users ready to strap on the cyber cleats and center the ball when the game releases in mid-October.
