FIFA 09 Review - Xbox 360

8.5

Gameplay: 8
Graphics: 8
Audio: 8
Multiplayer: 9
Innovation: 9

Introduction

Another year, another FIFA. What separates this FIFA from previous games? What separates it from Pro Evolution Soccer this year? The developers of FIFA 09 have put forward one of the most promising FIFA games yet, and we were more than happy to take a copy out of the EA game bin to test out the new features and functionalities. With 10v10 Be-A-Pro mode and several different game modes to choose from including a massive career mode, FIFA 09 has the potential to be the best soccer game of all time.

Gameplay

As you kick off in FIFA 09 you soon notice a lot of similarities with last year’s iteration. You take control of a player (who you can change to anybody, including a custom player created by you), and you’re able to just chill around an empty field with a soccer ball, with only the goalie to beat. This was an amazing addition to FIFA 08 and we’re glad to see it is still here. Once you’re done practicing, a simple push of the start button brings up the transparent FIFA 09 menu over the top of your practice. Here is where you choose to play the real games.

Be-A-Pro mode is back and better than ever. The mode has now been extended to 4 seasons, and you must work your way up in a club to eventually lead it to winning a series, depending on which region you play in. For those unfamiliar with Be-A-Pro mode, it allows you to control a single player on a field, and rates your every move. You get experience points which can then be used to upgrade dozens of different abilities at the end of each game.

It’s important to choose a position that you are happy to play, as if you choose a defender and spend most of your time in the forward line, you’ll lose lots of rating for being out of position. Be-A-Pro mode is a great way to experience soccer as you would in real life, and is the best simulation a die-hard soccer fan could want. The camera angle is adjustable in Be-A-Pro mode, but most of the time you get a pretty wide view of the field. If you have the ball and are heading in to goal however, it zooms in very close and starts to shake as if the camera was sitting on the shoulder of a player behind you. This creates great atmosphere and makes those goals even more enjoyable.

FIFA 09 is the first game to feature user-controlled celebrations. When you kick a goal, your player starts to run around the field like a mad-man (just like in real life), and you can actually control which direction he runs, and also a few different celebratory animations. It’s definitely a nice addition to the game, making it seem just that little bit more realistic, but really not an improvement on the actual gameplay.

All the old game modes are back as well, including Exhibition mode where you can jump ...