Rating: *****
Age rating: 15
FIFA has always struggled to shed its big bucks reputation. Like Chelsea its achievements are put down to the financial muscle behind it with little credit for the finished product.
Thinking about it perhaps some of that dislike may stem from its very title, FIFA.
Let’s face it, it’s like the opposite of a credibility boosting celebrity endorsement. Knowing his hunger for power it’s actually surprising that Sepp Blatter hasn’t graced the front cover of the title yet.
I’m sure Blatter, flanked by Jack Warner and Mohammed Bin Hamman, is in the pipeline for FIFA 13.
It kind of makes sense actually because normally you’d only get the craziness suggested by Quatar’s successful World Cup bid (underground training complexes, thousands of fans being used to lower thermonuclear temperatures, hover pitches, cybernetically implanted referees and an entire team of cloned Peles) in a video game.
Getting back to the task in hand, last year’s edition of the game was universally hailed as the victor in the annual Pro-Evo v FIFA mash up.
This year it’s safe to say that battle has barely registered on the radar.
FIFA is such a clear victor that it’s almost painful. The improvements to the franchise in the past few years have been so huge that it’s barely recognisable.
There’s a huge focus on the new defending mechanism.
You have to concentrate, mark space and diving in with either the standing or sliding tackle invariably leads to you being left floundering like Stuart Nethercott faced with Lionel Messi plugged into the Matrix.
Matches are realistic to a point which is pretty astounding.
Two well matched midfields can find themselves engaged in a tigerish battle for possession while slick and quick counter attacking sides flow with a grace which will leave you reaching for the replay button again and again.
As always the presentation level with FIFA is off the scale. The amount of options and the sheer polished approach from the Electronic Arts behemoth is outstanding.
There are numerous game modes as well as a wealth of on-line options which will keep you well occupied until Sepp and his boys line up for FIFA 13.
What really matters though is the actual game and it’s great fun. It’s the most realistic football game possibly ever and that’s where the only drawback lies.
Some people would rather a pick up and play affair which they can take or leave.
There’s no doubt that you have to put effort into FIFA to get your rewards (unlike most members of the FIFA Executive Committee...) but that’s what makes it fun.
It’s a genuinely rewarding title that gets closer to the real game than any before it.