CVG's FIFA 12 review isn't far away, ahead of the full game's arrival in European shops next Friday, September 30.
There's naturally a lot of buzz surrounding this year's instalment, which has opted to shake up the tried and tested FIFA gameplay with the introduction of a brand new physics system, revamped tackling and a host of other improvements.
We aim to answer every one of your main queries in our write-up - but as we did with Killzone 3 and Bulletstorm earlier this year, we recognise that we won't be able to cover every specific thing you lot want to know.
Comments
47 comments so far...
rivariad on 23 Sep '11 said:
nothing needed, whoever played the demo already decided whether to buy or not
El Mag on 23 Sep '11 said:
How's Rooney's hair looking?
flowerday11 on 23 Sep '11 said:
after playing about 10 games via the demo i am really struggling to get the grips with the new defending, how long did it take you to get used to it?
also, i know you can change the defending back to the classic defending BUT does this apply for playing online as well? if so it will be rather unfair on people using the new defending, don't you agree?
kirankara on 23 Sep '11 said:
Is ai Better than in demo?, as team mates standing like mirons as I ran up pitch and past them really annoyed me.
Have they fixed through ball and passing since demo, as these were appalling.
Does zlatan no longer have pace of Theo Walcott as well as aerial ability of a giraffe???
kirankara on 23 Sep '11 said:
New defending is stupid IMO . I know why they brought it in , but think it's not well implemented. It depends on you how long it takes to click tbh. Try googling the fsb guide to FIFA 12 demo , can help make sense of changes to game , but you still spend too much time watching opposition pass it left and right, whilst you can't get near them , otherwise they skin you.
No you can't play against people using new defending with classic defending setting on. Only custom ranked games.
StonecoldMC on 23 Sep '11 said:
So, its a big EA release.
How many times do they praise Battlefield 3 and how many times do they take a sly dig at MW3?
TheLastDodo on 23 Sep '11 said:
When you go to edit players ex. Rooney, Messi etc, is there an undershirt option this year? It'll likely be in the "sleeve length" section.
Yes I'm serious.
It's a big irk I had with FIFA 11, they go for realism but make the undershirt only useable in the rain which is BS because Rooney wears one whatever the weather, not only that but if you edit a player that happens to use the undershirt in the rain the undershirt option is lost forever for some bizarre reason.
EDIT: Why is a mod trying to start a BF vs CoD war in the comments of a football game article ?
kirankara on 23 Sep '11 said:
I believe every now and then the commentators say something along lines of "what a great game, unlike mw3, which is sub hd, runs on same 5 yr old engine, has no environmental destruction, and is generally sh*t!!!"
Not so subtle, but it maybe makes a valid point ( something Alan smith never usually does) lol
Edit: Relax cod fanboys, I'm only joking( well, half joking). I'm not a big fan of cod, but if you all enjoy then that's cool with me.
Skyblue on 23 Sep '11 said:
I hate the new defending. Please tell me that once you get used to it it's brilliant or else this may be a fifa free year
StonecoldMC on 23 Sep '11 said:
I wouldnt say I was trying to start a War, I just tried to crack an (un)funny joke, obviously
.
kirankara on 23 Sep '11 said:
Ermmmm , I can't say I like it yet either and I ploughed a good 10hrs into it.
You get more used to it, but it's still annoying IMO
TheLastDodo on 23 Sep '11 said:
Ohhhh.
It's just I got a warning (albeit a friendly one) for doing something similar a couple of months ago.
wrightandrewjame on 23 Sep '11 said:
Just a few questions:
Has the changes to Career Mode improved it and is it less buggy than before? Have they managed to stop the ridiculous transfers of players who'd never join certain clubs? Is the morale system a "game changer" as it were, or can you just ignore your players pleas?
Is online play more tolerable than before? Have they fixed connection issues and some way to penalise those who disconnect or cheat?
How does the EA Football Club thing affect FIFA? Do the levels unlock stuff, like they did back on the PS2? Have you tried it across platforms and with other FIFA titles yet?
Does defending actually get easier with practice? The demo (while good) just seemed to show that AI loves to run and a slight mis-step by a defender often led to a goal scoring chance.
Oh and does Alan Smith actually say anything good... at all?
StonecoldMC on 23 Sep '11 said:
@TheLastDodo
Dont worry, that sort of thing (warnings for that) wont happen on my watch, well unless ive had a bad day
.
pRM8 on 23 Sep '11 said:
Yep I'll probably be reverting back to the 'old' defending system, they have made it way more complicated than it needs to be. I was even re-mapping the buttons on my pad just to see if that would help me get used to it but no, there are just too many buttons you need to press simultaneously to pretty much do the same as what the old system did.
One question I would like to know is, How the f**k can Lescott sprint as fast as Messi? The amount of times I was through then all of a sudden Lescott gets a rocket up his arse to run back and not tackle me like a normal defender would do IRL but actually take the ball off me. Does this 'cheating-to-make-it-feel-like-its-more-difficult' happen a lot?
technobotix on 23 Sep '11 said:
When playing co-op (2 on 1 side) or 1 player, can you play as a fixed player? i.e. Rooney, Torres etc like you can in Pro Evo? This is not become a legend mode or become a pro mode, just normal exhibition matches. Cheers.
rustym on 23 Sep '11 said:
Unless I get a last minute itch and see it at less than £30.00 I will not be getting Fifa 12 or new pro evo.
This will mark 1st time since PS1 days I wont be getting either Pro evo or Fifa on launch day and its likely I wont get them at all.
I used to lose out on some amazing games by being obsessed with pro evo master league but know I realise im better off playing these games so I'l be saving my pennies for Rage, Arkham City, Uncharted 3 and the other AAA games coming soon instead of getting a tweaked footy game (also this inevitably will mean I will likely miss out on what turns out to be a massive leap in quality for either footy game lol).
kirankara on 23 Sep '11 said:
One of my other pet hates with FIFA series tbh. I've seen John "slower to turn than titanic" Terry catch Messi(fastest player in world running with ball at feet, but not pure pace like Theo ) even though messi had 7 yard headstart.
Better still , I've watched in new demo Milan's Abate outpace dani alves whilst he ran at my defense.
You can push right stick forward to get a bit ahead as you run, but make sure you got plenty of space ahead of you as otherwise you knock into keepers range.
pRM8 on 23 Sep '11 said:
Well after getting p**sed off I had a look at some of the players stats and Abate is one of the fastest players in the game along with Wilcott. Abate had something like 91 for Acceleration and IIRC pace (or whatever its called) is also in the 90's.
The pace of the game feels a little too quick IMO even in 'slow' mode which I always play on, FIFA 11's pace felt OK though. I'll still buy it though even with the many gripes I have as you can never get it all perfect as with any game.
shellster2 on 23 Sep '11 said:
Have they made the online quitters lose automatically 3-0?
I heard this was already in last years game but if they quit it didn't show you a default scoreline or even change your stats to match, so the quitters had no incentive to see a game through. This is almost as annoying as playing flippin' Barca all the time online.
brownboy90 on 23 Sep '11 said:
I don't want to know anything about it to be honest. I downloaded the demo for this, and for PES 2011 and me and my mates sat playing both. Fifa lasted for about 1 game, and PES the rest of the night. We feel that PES "feels" more like a game of football. It's bloody hard too!
kirankara on 23 Sep '11 said:
"Well after getting p**sed off I had a look at some of the players stats and Abate is one of the fastest players in the game along with Wilcott. Abate had something like 91 for Acceleration and IIRC pace (or whatever its called) is also in the 90's.
The pace of the game feels a little too quick IMO even in 'slow' mode which I always play on, FIFA 11's pace felt OK though. I'll still buy it though even with the many gripes I have as you can never get it all perfect as with any game."
Abate one of fastest players in game, lmao.
Enough said about this game. Need to take game away from Canadians who clearly know F**k all about sport. Abate can't strip Alves for pace while running with a ball, whilst Alves is simply running at full pace without a ball. Ludicrous
I have game preordered, but IMO, they should stop f**king about with things that weren't wrong and get basics right.
LeftyMcSouthpaw on 23 Sep '11 said:
I'm after a Fifa at the moment (been in the footie game wilderness for a while
). Should I shell out the big bucks on '12 or pick up a copy of Fifa 11 for around £15?
Whaddyareckon?
Micheil794 on 23 Sep '11 said:
How's Manager Mode? Have they made it deeper/more realistic? (Like Football Manager?). I want to be able to do Press Conferences, Hire my own backroom staff etc.
Oh & do players actually retire? I know Giggs just keeps going but to have him playing in 2015 is a big ask.
Reegeee on 23 Sep '11 said:
These are the questions I want answering too. I just want to know if career mode is any good and if that transfer deadline day stuff is anything to write home about. Also, I've heard you can nurture a youth team in career mode so a few details about this would be good.
kirankara on 23 Sep '11 said:
Truthfully , FIFA 11 more fun , although it has it's faults. Make sure u puck it up new though or u have to buy online pass anyway . I'd wait till FIFA 13 launches and price of 11 plummets 2nd hand and buy online pass for £5.
FIFA 12 has many good things about it and more will play it online, but can see many going back to 11 anyway.
You can always transfer players around to different teams anyway, so no biggie there either.
kirankara on 23 Sep '11 said:
Pes 2012 you mean?
Pes definitely feels more fluid in terms of gameplay, and IMO is more fun. FIFA 12 slower and in that sense is more realistic, but it's too restrictive in terms of gameplay and I don't like that. It doesn't allow you to improvise in same manner as pes, and instead you have to follow the set patterns that it dictates as the "correct" way to play football, if you want to succeed .
Saying that I got FIFA 12 preordered and my friends play it online, so will be buying FIFA .
WHERESMYMONKEY on 23 Sep '11 said:
Is it better than sensible world of soccer on the amiga 600? This is an important question as it is bar none the best football game ever made.
kirankara on 23 Sep '11 said:
Ha ha sensi soccer was cool . Kinda lacking in depth though.
KesMonkey on 23 Sep '11 said:
I loved Kick Off 2. Never really understood the popularity of Sensible Soccer.
jdkoke on 23 Sep '11 said:
Ronaldo is the fastest player in the world with or without ball at his feet
kirankara on 23 Sep '11 said:
"Ronaldo is the fastest player in the world with or without ball at his feet"
Wrong!!!!
Messi has much better ball control at close range than Ronaldo and moves extremely quickly with the ball , and turns at pace because the ball is stuck to his boot.
They did a study a few years back and at time Ronaldo was in Prem and they found Rooney and Ronaldo covered same kind of ground at same speed with ball at feet, but messi covered more at higher speeds.
Btw Gabriel Abgonlahor is quicker without the ball than Ronaldo too, he was fastest player in Prem in a study .
http://www.lionel-messi.co.uk/news/a-st ... naldo.html
Not article I was looking for , but this one indicates what Im getting at. Messi is faster than Ronaldo over short distances. Ronaldo over long distances, but messi had better close control, touching the ball more as he runs, whilst Ronaldo pushes it further ahead of him. Messi moves at pace with close control , allowing him to go in different direction at pace, whereas Ronaldo has to catch ball, slow it down and then turn, meaning it takes more time to get to places unless it's a straight line
Topov81 on 23 Sep '11 said:
I'll find out for myself soon enough, but can you tell us if it tracks your offline game stats ?... things like matches played, goals scored etc. It was broken in FIFA 09 (stopped counting after 100 games) and in 10 removed completely, only online game stats were available. Never played 11.
smascherano on 23 Sep '11 said:
Have they fixed the AWFUL refereeing yet? It was terrible in FIFA 11 and it is still the same in the FIFA 12 demo. As i'm getting quite used to the defending and making some amazing tackles, it all seems to be in vain because the referee 9/10 will blow for a free kick or a penalty, even if I perfectly get the ball. Just because I brushed the opposing player after I got the ball doesnt mean its a free kick.
Also even though on the odd occasion you can get a second player to make a run with LB, sometimes there isnt anywhere else for the players to make space because they just go straight ahead. Any chance they have made the AI better so they move in different areas? Abit too static at times
ensabahnur on 23 Sep '11 said:
I preferred Microprose Soccer to the pair of them. Plus it was far too easy to bend in Beckham-esq goals from the half way line in Sensi and i've got mates who will keep using an exploit, don't know how many games i've had ruined because of lazy developers who put in stupid exploits.
Sensible Soccer= bend it in from far left/right on the halfway line.
Early Fifa=shoot from kick-off going right, goal 9/10
NHL08= shoot from centre circle when going up screen
SSX:Tricky= pause game and restart race when falling off before the first jump on Garibaldi
jdkoke on 23 Sep '11 said:
Wrong!!
http://www.espnstar.com/football/primer ... the-world/
kirankara on 23 Sep '11 said:
Mine supersedes yours at it's more recent and more detailed. Yours only discusses speed with ball, and doesn't discuss distance covered. If you read mine you would see that the study shows over short distances with ball messi is quicker. Why short distances? That's answered by another stat, he touches the ball more, which like I said allows closer control and the ability to turn at speed , thus making him quicker with the ball at his feet, which was my original claim.
In a flat out foot race, that's quick ball in line and run, messi loses everytime .
You only have to watch la liga football to know this , as Ronaldo's play is more about long strides over distance to beat a man, then he has to check in or out, to head towards goal. Messi runs directly at players , beats two or three with few shimmies and little shifts of the ball to left or right , without varying much from his original trajectory on goal . He is quicker to get past players as his close control doesn't require him to catch up with ball, slow it down, shift it elsewhere, push it ahead etc .
That study you produced simply shows who runs in a foot race with ball over distance.
Ps Abgonlahor still faster than Ronaldo and runs 100 m in 9.98 secs. That's Olympic athlete speeds. He's just rubbish when he's got a ball and running
TheLastDodo on 23 Sep '11 said:
Who's better?
Ronaldo or Agbonlahor.
Debate over.
Pace means nothing if theres no end product ex. Aaron Lennon, Theo Walcott.
Honestly you two sound like an argument between an Arsenal fan and a Man Utd fan, yes arsenal might be slightly better (last season anyway) but Man Utd win trophies at then end of the day.
Which is most important? Exactly.
hi0marc on 23 Sep '11 said:
What about the auto-switching and manual switching of the players?
They were both terrible in recent fifas, automatically switching to the wrong player at air balls and manually never picking the player i want with neither L1 or the right stick.
Any improvement from one of the most unnoticed/untalked about errors in the fifa universe?
Goaldenboy on 23 Sep '11 said:
^^^EXACTLY THIS!^^^
Can't believe how many hours of my gaming life i gave to the old pes games, but the last couple of years i haven't bothered with footy games as i find them pretty tedious and boring. It has been a revelation though as ive been playing soooo many otherv titles that i would never had bothered with if i was still into pes/fifa and i've absolutely loved it!
As for questions for the review, just one- is this game actually FUN to play when playing against the AI?
jdkoke on 23 Sep '11 said:
Let's face it he's s**t it at everything whether he's runnin or nae!
rustym on 25 Sep '11 said:
So I'm not the only one then, thats a relief.
I dont think I've truly enjoyed a footy game since pro evo 5 on PS2, I havent even downloaded the Fifa 12 demo and likely wont incase it makes me want to buy it and possibly miss out on Rage, Uncharted 3, Arkham city ant the other AAA games coming soon, also I get too angry playing against the cheats online and swear at the tv and with a baby coming soon that cant happen lol.
slimify d on 26 Sep '11 said:
erm so far id say grab 11 but im bitter that i cant tackle anything or anyone, a team of OAPs could get past me with very very little effort :S
theres a demo of both give them a whirl thought i would say if u do decide to go for 11 wait a week after 12 is out it will be like £8
Cam0505 on 28 Sep '11 said:
I would like to know which players you are unable to transfered (a list of the world class players would be awesome) for example in fifa 11 signing Milner and other players who had just changed clubs was impossible. Also how affective the scouting system is in terms of can you buy players and sell them off within a season or two for a quick profit like in the old fifa games. Lastly do loyal players like Rooney, Messi, Van Persie, Lampard, and Ryan Gibbs move clubs a lot? as in do other clubs sign them on a regular basis and how easy is it to sign loyal players like Messi?
KOD459 on 2 Oct '11 said:
Please help me I bought FIFA 4 two things online and it's my favourite game. It says my firewall is restrictive and I can't play online any help please to make it moderate
jdkoke on 6 Oct '11 said:
Go staright in to 12 and you won't have to adjust yer defending from 11. Speaking of defending in 12 it really isn't that hard, plays more like real life so if yer any good at football you should get it fairly quick. If you go for 11 and want it on PS3 I'll sell ya it for a fiver and postage. Goin on ebay this weekend
dell29 on 10 Jan '12 said:
guys i have a pc so all i want to know is how can i change the weather.on be a pro.i just went to the setting and put some speed in the game.and now all the games in be a pro are at the day time.can someone tell me how to change it to day or night pls..