Fifa 12 [DEMO] Review
Platform Tested: 360
Platform(s) Available: 360, PS3
Football
At last, the next instalment of FIFA arrives in the usual just over a gig download. The latest outing promised a brand new 'Impact' engine - two years in the making! Gone are the forced animations holding together the impressive fakery and in are the real-time rigid body dynamics and improved AI; creating superior realism for football. So, the question is, was it worth it? Or even, is it worth the usual £40-50 price tag?
Watching the players on the pitch, I can't say it's impressive, in fact its tricky to even see the difference between the animations vs. realistic physics. Perhaps it's just me, but the real test is of course.... hacking. Sliding around like an animal is not only fun but possibly the true test for such an engine, doing this really does show the best results [but maybe not the best way to create friends]. The tackles appear fluid and obviously quite realistic with players being swept off their feet and stumbling around each other at a press of a button.
It's easy to go on about the physics vs. the animations, but there are other improvements. Gone are the days of loading during substitutions [at last!], seamless substitutions now take place during the match with a more appealing animation within. Andy Gray has 'left' being replaced with Alan Smith and a slight improvement on graphics has yet again taken place. Apart from that there is not much to say, well, except Arsenal being placed at five stars...
Nonetheless, is it worth the money? Each FIFA game has boasted new features; with 'Be a Pro', 'Be the Keeper' and handballs creeping in over the years, but with only the physics being the only true new feature it simply comes short of the 'impact' [sorry pun...] left by previous renditions.
My opinion, stay with FIFA 11 unless you're desperate for the updated teams [though Nasri and Fabregas are still with Arsenal], slightly better looking tackles and more fluid menus/substitutions. Just not worth the £40-50.
Perhaps the full game will show more but it still tops Pro Evo hands down.
Rating: [Demo based]
Audio: -
Graphics: 7/10 [Great, but always room for improvement]
Gameplay: 8/10 [Excellent smooth football]
Multiplayer: -
Presentation: 9/10 [Annoying spinner over screen feels a bit much]
Lasting Appeal: -
Story: -
Better than Pro Evo 2012 - Hardly better than FIFA 11 at this stage - Still the best in category though
Ram
Second Opinion
Another new Fifa game, more claims at big new changes. But do they really make that much difference? From what I've played; not really no.
Tactical defending takes a bit of getting used to but isn't that different from the way I have always defended (i.e. don't constantly spam the pressure/tackle button and you'll be fine). Some people won't like it though.
The new physics system is nice although it feels a little off at times.
Play actually gets stopped now if no one kicks the ball out of play when a player is lying on the floor in agony and you can see straight away what's wrong with him, which is nice.
Other than that it's mostly a polished Fifa 11. I'm a bit disappointed that a lot of the commentary from Fifa 11 remains even though one of the commentators has changed, but glad that they have sped up loading times when the ball leaves play.
How much you want the game will come down to how much of a football fan you are in the end. No doubt the updates will be enough for some though others would be better to hold off for a while at least.
Illusion
Second Opinion
Another new Fifa game, more claims at big new changes. But do they really make that much difference? From what I've played; not really no.
Tactical defending takes a bit of getting used to but isn't that different from the way I have always defended (i.e. don't constantly spam the pressure/tackle button and you'll be fine). Some people won't like it though.
The new physics system is nice although it feels a little off at times.
Play actually gets stopped now if no one kicks the ball out of play when a player is lying on the floor in agony and you can see straight away what's wrong with him, which is nice.
Other than that it's mostly a polished Fifa 11. I'm a bit disappointed that a lot of the commentary from Fifa 11 remains even though one of the commentators has changed, but glad that they have sped up loading times when the ball leaves play.
How much you want the game will come down to how much of a football fan you are in the end. No doubt the updates will be enough for some though others would be better to hold off for a while at least.
Illusion
