FIFA 08 (Wii) Review

Generally, FIFA games are not the most attractive, with past editions on the GameCube featuring 'players' that looked more like hideous monsters than their human counterparts. However, this Wii edition rectifies matters by throwing around grand stadiums (still packed with lifeless crowds, sadly, that move around en masse as one large blur – will this ever change, though?), complete with life-like players darting around at a fast pace without any slowdown. The only issue has to be that up-close things appear much fuzzier than you might expect. As for the audio aspect, there are definitely a lot of repeated lines on the commentary front (from Clive Tyldesley and Andy Gray), which is a shame and rather frustrating at times as specific ones are regurgitated too frequently, yet the sound quality is high and the crowd is lively enough, adding energy to matches at the right time. Plus the in-game soundtrack is suitably pleasing, as is normally the case with the EA Trax line-ups. This year it includes the cracking new single from The Hoosiers ‘Goodbye Mr. A’ and songs from the likes of Maximo Park, Junkie XL, Bodyrox and Planet Funk. Basically ‘something for all tastes’…

As for the game itself, to be frank, FIFA 08 felt atrocious to begin with, all thanks to the new control system. The game seemed totally unplayable and things looked amazingly bleak for its score in this review. Why was it such a step backwards? What had gone so wrong over at EA? However, realisation kicked in that a little perseverance might be wise due to EA’s new Wii-controls approach not adhering to the familiar set-up of old. So, to avoid thinking the same thing, the key to unlocking FIFA 08’s charm is to start by working through its intensive training regime, listening to Clive Tyldesley explain each manoeuvre, ask you to try it out as part of a dry-run and then go into an actual practice scenario to get a feel for it. Admittedly, running once through all twenty-plus drills does not make you a master, but it certainly helps a lot as you cover topics such as the basic controls, more advanced moves, set pieces, keeper controls and even special tricks.

Once you have got to grips with the basics, it is time to test your skills in the game's main modes. This is where you realise the Wii version has been chopped down for the casual market when compared to its big brother counterparts. The 'Be a Pro' mode is absent, with a special 'Footii Party' option there instead. Here you are faced with a scary Mii-ified Ronaldinho and can face off against him or three other friends (not online, though, sadly) in Juggling, Boot It and Table Football. The first of the three is rather like a rhythm game, with you having to match the on-screen directions by moving the Wii controller, thus making your Mii keep the ball skilfully in the air. Boot It simply has the player try to hit targets by moving the Wii-mote around quickly, and proves annoying after a very short time. Finally, Table Football is the best addition of the lot with the Wii remote tilting function translating surprisingly well into the spinning of each pole with the stick footballers on. Table Football is easily the one that is the most fun with friends...

But what about the traditional football side? Well, you have all the official teams, leagues and stadiums that you would expect from a FIFA game, along with the usual tactics, substitutions, squad rotation (and so on) options found in all football titles (but no management side, sadly). What you also have is a great sense of speed as the game proceeds to hurtle at a fair pace, which helps to keep the action hectic enough to mimic real life. Unfortunately, there are minor gripes when it comes to the Wii controls, even when you have learned the basics in the Soccer Academy. As there are similar moves mapped to the same Wii-mote movements (they are meant to be 'context sensitive', adapting to the situation you are in), it means the computer gets confused when you are rapidly flinging the controller around, and suddenly that perfect header you wanted to do turns into a slide-tackle, giving away any advantage you had and possibly even leading to your player being unfairly carded.

This means you really need to be careful in the Advance Controls set-up and time everything perfectly, which is easier said than done when rushing around, desperately trying to grab that elusive goal. Tricks are also mapped to unusual button and movement combinations and, for example, having to tap 'Z' to trap the ball and then hold 'C' and flick the Wii-mote left or right to initiate a particular move does not feel fluid or become second nature until you have played at least ten or so quick matches and focused purely on that side of your game. And even then it takes a while longer to start pulling off the moves without thinking twice about it.

For those unsure about the controls, though, there is the handy addition of the EA Family Play option, which lets players rely purely on Wii-mote controls, leaving the Nunchuk behind, and all the player movements to the computer. This means you can work on the flicks and tricks, or even the simple nature of passing and shooting, until you feel confident enough to stick the Nunchuk back in and continue with the Advanced set-up. This mode also helps you whenever you need it, with guidance no more than a mere press of the '1' button away. Soon enough you will have learned what you need to do and start charging your way into the various tournament modes on offer, aiming to become champion of your country's league, plus battling onto the online scene to take part in the worldwide group stages and competitions (via EA's servers, not Nintendo's Wi-Fi Connection, meaning a long-winded sign-up process for newcomers, but the removal of Friends Codes!).

Overall, the Wii controls do add a nice new element to the proceedings, especially once you have managed to get your head round them properly. However, having to do things like lift both controllers above your head and literally do throw-ins each time can seem too gimmicky and will grow tiresome, as can prolonged use of passing and shooting via the flicking technique. Yet there are many sides to it that will leave you in awe, such as curling the ball by tilting the controller left or right. Also, the ability to change tactics on-the-fly by holding the 'C' button and pressing any direction on the D-pad helps to make the game far smoother than ever before. Get some friends round your console and watch as mayhem, of the fun variety, ensues...