FIFA 09 Preview: Dynamically Better

Anyone who vaguely follows football games will know that you’ve realistically got two choices. Pro Evolution Soccer or FIFA and up until recently PES has been the obviously choice. Luckily for EA, Pro Evo failed to innovate and stuck too close to their core engine. Meanwhile FIFA has been reinvented it’s self to play a more dynamic game of football. UEFA Euro 2008 was well received just like it’s predecessor FIFA 08, leaving this years version highly anticipated.

FIFA 09’s main improvement is the way your off-the-ball team-mates react to chats going on. In previous titles players would try to make runs but most of the time they would just meaninglessly run forward without any consideration for defenders or space. Now players will seem more urgent while making runs instead of standing around then suddenly bursting into life forward.

Player’s physical attributes will also a bigger factor. In previous games height would be the only real determining factor when going for headers. Now weight, height, speed and power are all factored in when players are involved in collisions. Obviously each player will have their own unique characteristics that match their true to life counterparts.

Dynamic weather is a phrase thrown around all to easily but FIFA 09 will actually offer realistic weather effects. For example a normal game will get darker towards the end as the final whistle approaches. If need be the stadium floodlights will even be activated. More realistic touches like referees and linesmen moving around as they should along with players reacting differently to being substituted.

Online modes are also to be improved with a 10 vs 10 Be a Pro mode. This mode are can chaotic especially if someone wants to play out of position. It will be interesting to see how strict people will stick to their individual positions. Talking of Be a Pro mode, the offline career will last four seasons instead of one and will allow the chance to play as a real player or a user created one.

There will be a total of 500+ teams spanning across 30 different leagues. The game will also see an additional 15 stadiums to the already large roster of stadia.

With Pro Evo sticking firm to it’s original groundwork it’s nice to see FIFA innovate and change things up. 10 vs 10 online, dynamic player movement along with a few other minor improvements makes FIFA 09 look like an attractive package.