FIFA 08 Xbox 360 Review Wichita KS

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EA Sports have most of the market cornered when it comes to domination of a particular sport. However there is one exception, and considering that the exception is the world's most popular sport, that was always going to be a problem for EA. Over the past few years Pro Evolution Soccer has dominated FIFA in terms of critical review and in many territories, sales. However this has put EA into action and while it has taken them a few years to come even close to topping Pro Evolution, this year they just might have done it. FIFA 2008 is no doubt the best EA football game ever made, but possibly the best football game ever made.

FIFA 2008 gives you the usual options of exhibition, season, manager mode etc but there are a few new things to keep people happy to buy it yet again. Obviously exhibition allows you to pit two teams together, with season and manager mode allowing you to take control of a team throughout a league season with varying degrees of input; if you play the manager mode for instance you have to manage finances and transfers properly where as in season you basically just play the game, but one of the main features of the game is the brand new game mode 'be a pro'.

A few years ago a small developer on the Playstation tried to give you control of one player on the pitch and that is exactly what EA has done except they have done it much better. As the name implies you take the role of one of the professionals on the pitch and have to run around the pitch making runs, tackling players and hopefully scoring goals. Depending on the difficulty selected, the game can assist you by telling you where the player should be running, whether you are offside or not and whether you are tackling properly. At the end of each game the player is given a rating.

The other big feature is a huge engine overhaul. While FIFA 2007 was sublime on the Xbox 360, it did suffer from the fact that EA was only building the next generation engine for that system, but now the PS3 is here, EA can devote more resources and it shows. Tackles are brutal, players are skillful and you really have to strategise where to pass the ball next. This is not a game where you can expect Theirry Henry to run the length of the pitch and score. In fact, you only generally get about two or three genuine chances on goal per match, because building goal scoring opportunities takes time.