Since forever mobile football fans have had to put up with handheld versions of FIFA and PES that play like the game you had at home, a few years earlier.
Essentially, the price of playing on the move was the need to obstinately ignore progress, pretending the revolutionary engine redesign your game of choice had recently undergone wasn't all that, and certainly not more important than belting in 25-yarders on the train to work.
It has the realistic ball movement that's marked the series out in recent years, and the crucial weightiness of the players that makes them feel like tussling men rather than animations.
The realities of development mean that the game is based on FIFA 11 rather than FIFA 12. Even the career mode calendar is a holdover from last year's version, and it also means the controversial tactical defending from FIFA 12 is out, replaced by the older automated 'pressing' approach (holding down 'X' to home in on the man in possession).
Is this laziness, or a way to simplify defending to accommodate the Vita's lack of second shoulder buttons? Either way, I didn't miss the problematic manual tackling (or much else - a gloomy comment on FIFA 12 given how painful returning to 'old' football games normally is).
The back touchpad can be used for shooting too - imagine its rectangle shape is the goal, and you can place shots accordingly. At first working out the angles, shifting your hands and not accidentally sliding fingers onto the pad make this hard, but master it (time in the arena is essential) and you'll be able to score deeply satisfying goals from all angles.
Comments
13 comments so far...
buffig on 21 Feb '12 said:
Placing a shot using the rear touch pad, useful touch interface, not just a gimmick. More of this please devs!!
clayf1ghter on 21 Feb '12 said:
Got this and Uncharted through the post this morning, just need a VITA to play it on now.
humanhand on 21 Feb '12 said:
Right there with ya!
BenThomasFoster on 21 Feb '12 said:
I couldn't stand the old style defending, even compared to my hopeless defending now which can sometimes just let people wal through me. Don't know why i'm even reading this i'm not even getting vita even if it was given to me for free i'd sell it instantly
T-Jani on 21 Feb '12 said:
Great story!
Very_Silver_Ownz on 21 Feb '12 said:
I've read a review of this on a newspaper saying its basically FIFA 11.
TheLastDodo on 21 Feb '12 said:
I've read the same thing, apparently it's FIFA 11 but with 12's kits, squads etc.
KK-Headcharge78 on 21 Feb '12 said:
I've played it and it is Fifa 11 basically which is not a bad thing (apart from the tackling sometimes) It is fluid, looks great, takes little time to get used to and has a familiar feel. However I personally don't need it on a hand held; a whopping telly, xbox and FIFA 12 (and FIFA 12 is clearly superior to 11) do the job so much better for my personal tastes.
clayf1ghter on 21 Feb '12 said:
Fifa 12 is better but not by much the jump from 11 to 12 is nowhere near what it was from 10 to 11.
The two big changes with Fifa 12 are the new tackling system which I don't use, so that doesn't bother me that it's not on the Vita version and the updated physics which are.
For me it's win win I also have a big tv and all the gubbins but I have to ask myself why wouldn't I want a handheld version that I can play anywhere anytime. I couldn't think of any good excuses so I've bought it and can't wait to give it a spin.
KK-Headcharge78 on 21 Feb '12 said:
Fifa 12 eat's 11 come on, more options, better animation, more games modes, an ultimate team that works, better manager mode etc.... I'm too busy driving or working to be playing handhelds, rest of the time I'm at home and a TV beats a handheld anyday. As I said not for me
clayf1ghter on 21 Feb '12 said:
I'll admit it's a better overall game with the things you've mentioned but as for the gameplay it certainly doesn't eat it and thats where it matters. All the game modes and other points you listed apart from ultimate team are ported across to the Vita version from fifa 12 anyway so it's makes the whole point about saying fifa vita is fifa 11 redundant.
Anyway each to there own lets not get in a mud flinging match. Maybe a handheld PES will come along that blows all previous football games out of the water and fifa will as quickly resigned to the history books as PES has been.
Mmmmgrolsch on 21 Feb '12 said:
Cool.
skabone on 21 Feb '12 said:
'controversial tackling'......?
The new tackling is much better; it requires a modicum of skill compared to the homing missiles of before. Its not perfect but I saw it as a brave change and the next iteration should be sharper.
I'm guessing this probably has the same exploits as 11 - they suck