With the Xbox version of FIFA Soccer 07, it’s apparent that EA was sick and tired of being upstaged by Konami’s Winning Eleven series. The Vancouver-based dev team decided that enough was enough, set their sights on ousting WE from the top of the soccer game food chain. When you take into account the FIFA licensing (that WE doesn’t have), I’d say: MISSION ACCOMPLISHED.

EA decided to create two fairly different soccer products for the Xbox and Xbox 360 this year. Of particular interest is the Xbox 360 version of FIFA Soccer 07, for it contains a gameplay engine that is the future of soccer gaming - at least in EA’s eyes. EA has ventured out on the limb pretty early with FIFA Soccer 07’s 360 engine. Is FIFA Soccer 07 for the Xbox 360 too far ahead of its time, or is this first-model-year SKU worth digging into?


Gameplay

EA’s next-gen catalog is, for the most part, an early-adopter’s dream. The first titles in EA’s big series are usually retail betas of items that we won't see until the Xbox 720 releases in three years. Autosculpt, EA Sports Lab, and UCAP are just a few of the items that will become commonplace in EA games.




FIFA Soccer 07 is as “brand new” as a title can get, as it has been completely overhauled with gameplay features that will surely make it into the next few iterations. The biggest change in FIFA Soccer 07 - and the one that really separates the next-gen SKU from the previous-gen entry - is that ball and player physics are now two separate entities. In previous FIFA games (and the current Xbox version), the action is animation-driven, which means that the ball is always drawn to a character’s foot. There are no arbitrary ball movements, since the ball is seemingly tethered to a player’s foot, which means that predictability is right around the corner.

The dependent ball physics of past titles are particularly troublesome and predictable when it comes time to take a shot on goal. The goalie has the same few angles to cover and shots to save, as these are tied to the ball coming at him. Experienced players can memorize these few goalie moves, and change their shot taking technique to “trigger” an animation that causes the goalie to miss. For instance, a quick lateral move inside the box almost always registers a goal in FIFA Soccer 06.

The dependent ball physics system in previous games has been scrapped in favor of a system for FIFA Soccer 07 that gives the ball a “mind of its own”. In FIFA Soccer 07, you can play the ball into space, and it will react much more realistically to speed and weight. The ability to touch the ball one direction and run your character a completely different way has huge benefits, as skilled players can play a ball ahead and run in an unorthodox path to the pill in order to confuse the D.

But perhaps the biggest benefit of independent ball physics is when it comes time to take a shot. The sliding power gauge is nearly the same (tweaked a bit for character skill), but shots can now end up in any portion of the net, based on the player’s strike and the physics imparted on the rock. This creates interesting situations where goalies can be beaten by an odd bounce (as in the real sport), a rocket shot that they might tip but not fully save, or by a curving blast that is simply misplayed.Graphics and audio

An issue of player “grease” which popped up in FIFA 06 has been pretty well taken care of in FIFA Soccer 07. Characters look much more realistic, and much less made of Plasticine. The facial maps on the star players and their general MoCap swaggers are very authentic - it's the best that EA has offered in a soccer game to date. The aforementioned animation hiccup does affect the graphics some, for the players look a bit jerky out there, but the general physics system (which gives the character’s weight) makes up for a large part of this anomaly.

The booth broadcast is usually unflappable in FIFA games, but I noticed some issues with it in FIFA Soccer 07. The performance by the broadcasters is still wonderful, and the written dialog is realistic, but the important matter of synching the words with the action is a bit off. This doesn’t happen with every possession, but I often found that the call was a few clicks behind the action, or totally cuing the wrong audio piece for the play. The redeeming aural bit in FIFA Soccer 07 is that the soundtrack is an amazing international brew, and the sound effects (including crowd chants) are second to few.




The Bottom Line

As mentioned above, EA likes to captivate early adopters with technology that may be a just a stone’s throw from perfect, and FIFA Soccer 07 for the 360 is a perfect example. The independent ball physics are about where they need to be, but the interaction of player with said ball is still a first touch or two away from being the cat’s meow.

FIFA Soccer 07 for the Xbox 360 is still worth picking up for the excellent graphics, and for a glimpse into the future of sports gaming. Those looking for the most complete and best playing soccer game this year will still want to grab FIFA Soccer 07 for the big black box





Independent ball physics rule. A bit of tidying-up would help the animations flow a bit better.






Less greasy equals more aesthetically pleasing.






The call from the booth is entertaining, but not as well synched with the action as other FIFA SKU’s.






No interactive leagues, but 4-on-4 online play is worth a few points here.






Innovative… definitely not imitative.