FIFA 09 - My Review

[ashu888ashu888]

Guys,

feast your eyes on the latest Football game from EA Sports Known as FIFA 09 with the tagged caption for this year's game as "Let's FIFA09" !!!

Cautionary Note to everyone : This thread is JUST a review by me based on my experiences while playing this game (ofcourse online reviews and reviewers like gamepost, ign etc. have a different story to tell to the users) and I have got this game from "other sources" so please apart from discussing this, it would be better if you guys comment on the game. (I hope Im not sounding harsh guys, if yes, Im extremely sorry as I do not intend to hurt anyone)

I do not intend to discuss any rivalry or negative feedback on the so called FIFA vs PES war. Also, I would like to ONLY discuss about the features, positives, negatives that this game has to offer.

I am not critisizing/comparing this game to any other Football sim/game other than the FIFA series. Everyone of us is a fan of one or the other type of Football game, be it the FIFA series or the PES series.

Please, everyone is allowed to share their views on "THE BEAUTIFUL GAME--Football" and FIFA09 is just one of the many best football titles available to date.

--- Ashu.. : )
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Ok, so here I begin writing my review, first of all this is my PC configuration (yeah, yeah I do not have a BEAST of a machine, but I love my machine) on which I have played this game, FIFA 09.

PROCERSSOR: Intel Pentium IV, 2.00 Ghz
GRAPHICS CARD: 256 MB nVIDIA Ge Force 7600 GS (8x AGP) on 175.16 Forceware Drivers from nVIDIA
RAM: 1 GB DDR(400) Transcend RAM
HDD: 160 GB SATA Seagate HDD
DISPLAY MONITOR: Samsung 19" SyncMaster LCD running on a resolution of 1440 x 900 and 60Hz refresh rate.
OS: Windows XP SP3 (with Vista Transformation pack)
HDD SPACE REQUIRED for FIFA09: Approx 5.5 GB


I guess many of the users here have far better PC Configs than me, but still there are many with this similar type of config, So YES! this game works smoothly on Mid-High settings (this means some settings are set to high while others are set to medium) on the above configuration : )

Now, the first and foremost thing that games will notice is the smooth and streamlined interface of the game GUI, the resolution was automatically adjusted to 1280 x 720 as the game started with its "EA SPORTS, It's in the game" lingo with which many of us are familiar with.

Then comes the in-game video, well to me (personally) it felt abit choppy and grained out, but as i moved far away from my screen (say 3 ft.) the in-game video was really smooth to view at.

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This is the screenshot of the STARTUP SCREEN of FIFA09 (below):

It has MY FAVOURITE color, RED (as I love this color on my favourite team, ARSENAL and on many other things adoring this lively RED color as the FERRARI F1 team, the DUCATI Moto GP team, well yeah these are all my favs too..lol) and i really loved it as it was really smooth on the eyes and also adjusted to the perfect resolution and brightness for perfect crispness.

(I think) FIFA has taken this concept of a WAVE kind of color theme running through the entire center of the screen for the background (as seen in the GUI of PSP and PS3) and it really looks fantastic, even when I placed this pic as my desktop bg.

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Then comes the main menu of FIFA09, its green in color and (again it has this same) WAVE kind of graphic running thru the center of the screen with the graphic sketch of Wayne Rooney (yup, everyone can recognise him with his short height and a sort of bulky neck and head framework) in the center:



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Now, quickly coming to the GAME SETTINGS menu, as you can see the resolution and every other parameters that you can set as per your liking but most importantly upon the POWER of your PC config, so if you have a better PC config (which I suppose you all must be having) than me, then you can set everything to High,

The important things (as experienced by me) during gameplay was:

1. THere is NOT much of a difference when the LEVEL OF DETAIL is changed b/w MEDIUM and HIGH.
2. If you are on an LCD screen then any resolution lower than 1280 x 720 (say on 1024 x 768 ) will make the in-game play alot stretched out like a "W I D E S C R E E N" which will also make the player animations SHORT in height and the game will lack the DEPTH/HEIGHT (when playing from a tele camera angle). but it will NOT BE a BAD/WORSE playing experience, still the game will run preety smoothly.
3. When the 3D GRASS option is TURNED ON, this is where the LATEST feature of FIFA09 comes into picture, here while in-game and when the replays are being shown or the GK (goal keeper) is taking the goal kick, You will be able to notice the grass being displayed as a real grass, like the same thing when (in real life) player's boots get abit shadowed and digs deep into the grass cushioned ground along with the ball.
4. Even when this option (3d GRASS option) is turned OFF, the pitch will really look like a well laid and smooth criss-cross chequered patch and NOT as if the pitch has some BAD screenshots of FAKE grass cover or like GRAINS (of grass) when looked either from a close-up view or when playing using a TELE camera angle.

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Now, comes the CONTROLS option in FIFA09 and yes there is a NEW and absolutely unbelieveable feature added in this time's FIFA which is the use of MOUSE+KEYBOARD simultaneously to play your matches, yup you all can jump in excitement especially those ppl like me who DO NOT hv the pleasure of playing with the JOYSTICK on the PC.

You can either use the same basic keyboard controls or the keyboard+mouse option to play. The keyboard controls also (this time around) has MANY added features which previously was ONLY seen in ANALOG CONTROLLED JOYSTICKS. Now you can really control the player and the actions using many keyboard keys. Have a look at the keyboard options and then the keyboard+mouse options



KEYBOARD CONTROL OPTIONS






KEYBOARD+MOUSE CONTROL OPTIONS



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Now, comes the MANAGER MODE option. Here the options are identical (for creating your manager) whcih were available in FIFA 08, nothing new in this section, the same kind of faces to choose from when creating your manager, the same type of contract companies to choose from b4 starting your manager campaign, so nothing special to talk about here just have a look at the screen below.



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....Now comes the in-game screenshots....

1. This is the starting-of-the-match game screen (as I have used the TELE camera).

2. THe player animations look ALOT LOT crisp and have a shine (glow) on their figures (body+kits) and also the player models are realistic, thank god FIFA didn't screw up the players models again...phew !!










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One flaw that is STILL alive and carrying on (like a disease) from FIFA08 is the ability of players getting into the shooting zone of their team mates when he is just about to kick a shot into the back of the net, which the other team mate fails to judge and thinks that he is offering a pass and gets in the way, which is really frustrating but it does not happen everytime though.

Also, the player likeliness and resemblance to their real life counterparts are really well crafted and also the players make mistakes (say when the ball is passed onto them all of a sudden) and they fail to judge the power of the pass and miss the pass, Which actually is a BOON to the opponent's players because they will just capitalise on this missed pass and will go on to challenge the keeper for the goal.

This was my review and I think it will help alot of football crazy fans here at Digit to get to know the game a little better and NOT just rely on OFFICAL REVIEWS, coz according to me whenever i get a game for myself, I always 1st read the USERS REVIEWS.

Hope you ALL guys liked my review, Im not a PRO at writing these stuff so hope u'll all manage to understand and forgive any points that I may have missed out unintentionally.

All in all, this is a really better (not the best) improvement EA SPORTS has done in its new title. : )

If you guys want, I will add more screens for your viewing/description.

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Cheers n e-peace....

[rocky_pratik]

I found Fifa 2008 much much smoother than Fifa 2009..

But when it comes to finishing and Graphics i think Fifa 2009 rocks man....Default controls are bit confusing for me since i am used to default controls of Fifa 2008.

[ashu888ashu888]

well yaa i agree to it completely, also the fact is tat FIFA 08 had far lesser control options than FIFA 09 hence we ppl find 08 simpler than 09 ..
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I hv changed the default controls in 09 to suit my needs as i hardly remember the keys on the keyboard..lol..

[Hitboxx]

Not bad at all, Very nice review!

PS: Arsenal, Ferrari and Ducati are my favourites too.

[ashu888ashu888]

Originally Posted by Hitboxx

Not bad at all, Very nice review!

Thanx dude..

PS: Arsenal, Ferrari and Ducati are my favourites too.

kya baat kar raha hain !!! looks like i shud be adding u in my friend's list sooner than later..

[Cool Joe]

Originally Posted by Hitboxx

PS: Arsenal, Ferrari and Ducati are my favourites too.

(heh heh. jus kidding )

I got this game today. Here are my views.

PROS

The physics have definitely improved, each player has his own distinct style of running.

And sliding tackles are never the same. The outcome depends on a number of factors like the strengths of the players, the intensity of the tackle etc. And if the guy who gets tackled falls, he never does so the same way! It's in fact quite fun to charge at a player of the opposition and slide in on him and watch him fall.

The Adidas Live season- If you haven't heard of it, read about it on the net. It's an innovative feature by EA. I've never tried it though. (reason: my game is er... um.... *ahem*)

The player faces are realistic, and that's a good thing.

Mouse controls- This is really a good thing that EA've done. Now, with the mouse, we can choose exactly where the player must shoot or pass. This was a major annoyance with FIFA 08- we hit the pass or shoot button, expecting the player to aim where we want to, and then he places the ball somewhere else. With these mouse controls, we can shoot/pass right where we want to.

Finally!! Long range strikes can actually find the back of the net! In FIFA 08, no matter who the player is, long range strikes always miss. In this game, long range strikes can be converted to goals.

CONS

This thing is overhyped. The physics are good but nowhere close to PES (sorry, couldn't resist)

The player faces are realistic, but again, there are a few quirks here. Didier Drogba is damn black in the game. I know he's not a white but, he's not so black. Bloody EA!!

The coverage is supposed to be extensive, but it's not. I did a player search for Luka Modric (who wasn't there in FIFA 09), and I found him. I was pleased. Then I realised- they've included him only because he's now at Tottenham (a PL club). So to check if I was right, I did a search for Arshavin (one of the best performers of Euro 2009). He's not there. WTF!!!

Most of the game remains the same. For 3 years, they've been using the same manager faces in manager mode. The cut scenes are quite the same. Only the graphics have improved. The commentary is also pretty much the same. The same old blabber by the same old commentators. And the AI still hasn't improved. I was expecing a challenging AI, but it's nothing like what I wanted. This is my first day playing this game, and already, I'm playing at the Pro difficulty.

In the manager mode, EACH AND EVERY thing is the same. There's absolutely no difference between the manager mode of FIFA 08 and this one.

The skill moves- There are supposed to be great new skill moves, but these moves are impossible to perform on a PC without a X360 controller.

OVERALL
In this game, EA has focused mainly on improving the physics to compete with PES. But it seems they've failed at it. And they haven't paid attention to minute details like adding new manager faces in manager mode. I'm quite dissapointed with this game. I was expecting a lot more in this game, considering the amount of hype created by it. This is the right game for those new to this genre, but others will look at something more realistic like PES 2009. I'm eagerly waiting for PES 2009.

[ashu888ashu888]

Originally Posted by beta testing

(heh heh. jus kidding )

lol.. is it bcoz ARSENAL is mentioned there?? lol..

PROS

The physics have definitely improved, each player has his own distinct style of running.

The Adidas Live season- If you haven't heard of it, read about it on the net. It's an innovative feature by EA. I've never tried it though. (reason: my game is er... um.... *ahem*)

yea yea, its PES

Still, i wanted u to giv a good thinking abt my review (of this game) also yaar.

The player faces are realistic, and that's a good thing.

Mouse controls- This is really a good thing that EA've done. Now, with the mouse, we can choose exactly where the player must shoot or pass. This was a major annoyance with FIFA 08- we hit the pass or shoot button, expecting the player to aim where we want to, and then he places the ball somewhere else. With these mouse controls, we can shoot/pass right where we want to.

yaa, this is the thing i wanna try out later wen i play..

CONS

This thing is overhyped. The physics are good but nowhere close to PES (sorry, couldn't resist)

The player faces are realistic, but again, there are a few quirks here. Didier Drogba is damn black in the game. I know he's not a white but, he's not so black. Bloody EA!!

lol... yeah i knw u a chelsea fav (no hard feelings), so u wud hv examined every1 top to toe (in paused or replay mode)

The coverage is supposed to be extensive, but it's not. I did a player search for Luka Modric (who wasn't there in FIFA 09), and I found him. I was pleased. Then I realised- they've included him only because he's now at Tottenham (a PL club). So to check if I was right, I did a search for Arshavin (one of the best performers of Euro 2009). He's not there. WTF!!!

Yaa, EA only includes players and also i must add, WELL MODDELED players only wen they are in BPL.. this sucks..

Most of the game remains the same. For 3 years, they've been using the same manager faces in manager mode. The cut scenes are quite the same. Only the graphics have improved. The commentary is also pretty much the same. The same old blabber by the same old commentators. And the AI still hasn't improved. I was expecing a challenging AI, but it's nothing like what I wanted. This is my first day playing this game, and already, I'm playing at the Pro difficulty.

In the manager mode, EACH AND EVERY thing is the same. There's absolutely no difference between the manager mode of FIFA 08 and this one.

Yup agree... the manager mode is nothing new to be talked about..

But, i dont want u to post so negatively for this game (jus kidding)...

[Arsenal_Gunners]

Unfortunately this game seems to be a stripped down version of the next gen version.Ill still give it a try but won't be buying it.
The next gen FIFA 09 beats PES hands down but why can't we have the same version on PC.

[Cool Joe]

@ashu- I'm referring to your review- Yes the graphics are realistic but I can't enjoy all of that eye candy at full detail bcoz of my 6600GT. And yes, the players do make mistakes, but this used to happen in FIFA 08 as well, and though this is realistic, it can get very annoying sometimes. All the rest of your review is good and I appreciate all of your points.

And BTW, I played a bit with the mouse, and it's horrible. Controlling the player with the mouse sucks. It's not comfortable at all. I'm sticking to the keyboard.

[ashu888ashu888]

^^

thank u buddy for the comments..
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well yaa i agree to u totally abt the fuzzy controly, its a total letdown yaar.. tats wat i mentioned here too (in my review) --->

One flaw that is STILL alive and carrying on (like a disease) from FIFA08 is the ability of players getting into the shooting zone of their team mates when he is just about to kick a shot into the back of the net, which the other team mate fails to judge and thinks that he is offering a pass and gets in the way, which is really frustrating but it does not happen everytime though.

I knw u and many of us hv faced this annoying situation wen its 90.00 mins +stoppage time and u a goal down against ur opponent and this error happens in the game..
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Cheersn e-peace...

[Edge-of-chaos]

Hey this sounds interesting, havent tried the 09, but sound and graphics I guess have improved greatly over 08. Although have heard "playability" hasnt greatly evolved. What do you guys think. Is upgrade worth the money?

[ashu888ashu888]

^^

If u jus wanna stick to FIFA series thern yes do play the game..

the review along with the screenshots might hv given u some idea ..

[IronManForever]

Gone through the review. Nice and concise. Downloaded the screenies.

I aint much of a gamer. I could never actually create alotta intrest within me for games though I do play FIFA/PES occasionally.
EA does seem to work out some of the shortcomings with this one; but PES has taken substantial share of market(not more than FIFA though) due to great gameplay.
We will have to wait and watch. This ultimately is a FIFA vs. PES thing as most will have to choose 1 out of 2.

I was much disappointed when the OP mentioned that the game is overhyped. The thought was infact lurking in my mind but I always had a soft corner for FIFA even though I played PES this year.
I really want to choose FIFA this time(though I dont think my PC will run it)...

[thewisecrab]

I guess I'll stick to 08 for a while
I'm extensively using manager mode, not seeing improvements there is a letdown.
@beta testing
are Pavlyuchenko,Srna there?
I'm playing at world class (just 2 challenges away from unlocking legendary )
And yeah
Nice review ashu888ashu888
There was a slight glitch with hair of the players in 08, where Deco, Carvalho or even Tevez for that matter would look like having long hair while playing the game, but replays show that their hairs have their regular styles. Is this fixed?
Also, in the transfer window, Tevez and Shneider (of Germany) would have bandages all across their faces
Is this also fixed?
Just curious

[ashu888ashu888]

Originally Posted by IronManForever

Gone through the review. Nice and concise. Downloaded the screenies.

I aint much of a gamer. I could never actually create alotta intrest within me for games though I do play FIFA/PES occasionally.
EA does seem to work out some of the shortcomings with this one; but PES has taken substantial share of market(not more than FIFA though) due to great gameplay.
We will have to wait and watch. This ultimately is a FIFA vs. PES thing as most will have to choose 1 out of 2.

I was much disappointed when the OP mentioned that the game is overhyped. The thought was infact lurking in my mind but I always had a soft corner for FIFA even though I played PES this year.
I really want to choose FIFA this time(though I dont think my PC will run it)...

Well, thanx tat u liked the review..
firstly, well yaa i also agree tat im a bit biased wen it comes to FIFA but yes, PES is also a gr8 gr8 title..

well, who knows, i MAY even write a review for PES 09 (wen i play it) so then i wont be called a biased reviewer..lol..

wats ur PC config ? I hope u hv seen my PC config in the review and i dont think ur PC will be as poor in config as me yaar...come on !!!

Originally Posted by thewisecrab

I guess I'll stick to 08 for a while
I'm extensively using manager mode, not seeing improvements there is a letdown.

And yeah
Nice review ashu888ashu888
There was a slight glitch with hair of the players in 08, where Deco, Carvalho or even Tevez for that matter would look like having long hair while playing the game, but replays show that their hairs have their regular styles. Is this fixed?
Also, in the transfer window, Tevez and Shneider (of Germany) would have bandages all across their faces
Is this also fixed?
Just curious

yup, me too sticking to FIFA08 till now, finished 5 seasons as a manager with Arsenal

yaa, there has NOT been much improvement in manager mode, tats the big drawback..

well, abt the hiar styles and bandages I hv not checked, will check it out and post my results
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thanx u liked the review..
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Cheers n e-peace...

[ashu888ashu888]

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to thewisecrab :

Well here is Tevez for u (without any bandages either in the transfer window pic or in actual gameplay)



also, Schneider (Midfielder) is w'out the bandage too
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Cheers n e-peace...

[Arsenal_Gunners]

Just got the game and tried my hands on Be a Pro mode which is better than fifa 08,at last we have got the 3rd person camera angle.

Here is a screen

[ashu888ashu888]

^^

thnax for the screenie

well yaa u are rite, this time around the BE A PRO mode also has the other camera angles apart from the lonesome BE-A-PRO camera angle wich was really confusing as it was tilted to an absurd angle..

this time around i will aslo try the BE-A-PRO mode..
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Cheers n e-peace...

[Cool Joe]

@Arsenal_Gunners- LOL You're a great fan of Eboue aren't you??

I'm getting PES 2009 either through a friend or through *ahem*. (whichever happens faster). And I'm also an unbiased reviewer. You may think that my review is slightly negative with FIFA 09, but I was seriously disappointed because of the hype EA created and because a good game like PES isn't getting too much love from the media.

[Kl@w-24]

Nice review! Check out mine as well!!

[thewisecrab]

^^
Just checked it out. 'twas nice
However, Drogba and Lampard look horrible in the screenies

[ashu888ashu888]

^^

oyr wise !!! yaar maine tere liye screenie (tevez) put kiya and no comment from u ?? :heart broken:

[Kl@w-24]

Originally Posted by thewisecrab

^^
Just checked it out. 'twas nice
However, Drogba and Lampard look horrible in the screenies

Thanks!! But this is the best Drogba ever made by EA!!

[ashu888ashu888]

^^

lol... i agree, the prev one was more horrible..

[Cool Joe]

^^Read your review, nice...
The fact that this game lags on high end systems and runs fine on mid- low range PCs (like mine) amuses me a lot.

[Arsenal_Gunners]

I agree there is not much novelty in the team game mode but I am loving Be a Pro mode Going to start a season with Eboue today

[Cool Joe]

^^lol. I started a new BAP season with my own created character.

@thewisecrab- Pavlyuchenko is there (because he's with Totts, I guess), but Srna isn't there.

[IronManForever]

Originally Posted by beta testing

The fact that this game lags on high end systems and runs fine on mid- low range PCs (like mine) amuses me a lot.

Yipee. I'll rummage through the garbage for Pentium2 32MB Ram.

It should run at lowest in my pc as well? FIFA games have always been pretty scalable and run on very low hardware as well.
- Intel Celeron D 2.26 GHz
- 1 GB RAM
- Nvidia FX 5200 128 MB 8x AGP
- Samsung Syncmaster 920NW @ 1440x900 60Hz.

Will do even if it runs @ 1024x768 or ... 800x600 wil also do.
I really have to get a good upgrade but prices over here are high and hardware available is not latest. So it pisses me off.

[comp@ddict]

Well, it stutters(2008) on my P4 with 6200TC @ 800x600 too!

[Cool Joe]

^^Did you edit those INI files? You'll get better frame rates with that.