Review

FIFA 07

By Bones
October 04, 2006 16:01 PM PST
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FIFA 07's realistic crowd reactions and stadium cheers represent some of the best audio in any sports game.

Graphically, FIFA 07 is by far the strongest game in the series so far - excluding the incredible Xbox 360 titles. As expected, the Playstation 2 and GameCube versions fall behind the strikingly superior Xbox game, but all three "current-gen" console incarnations shine with the distinctive EA polish and world class presentation. Overall, character models look smooth, the environments are wonderfully accurate and detailed, and the animations are fluid and true-to-life in their depiction of these top athletes.

Amazingly, the game's audio not only manages to stay on par with the excellent visuals, but also nearly steal the spotlight. Booming home crowds now chant real team songs and cheers in echoing unison while reacting to every bit of tide-turning on-field action with collective boos and explosively dramatic exhalations.

So Many FIFAs, So Little Time

If you're a soccer loving gamer who somehow missed picking up this year's excellent 2006 FIFA World Cup, then do not pass up this slightly superior semi-sequel with improved AI, slightly tweaked gameplay, and incredible online integration (a great feature that's sorely missing from the internet-inept GameCube version). However, if you've already got a copy of 2006 FIFA World Cup, it's hard to really recommend buying the (barely) better FIFA 07.

While this latest title has the advantage of a few additional features and some nifty new nuances, the differences don't really merit a new purchase if you recently invested in EA's other excellent soccer title this year. Even so, FIFA 07's allure is hard to deny, making this game a sure-fire rental for seasoned vets and a must have for new soccer fans.