2006 marks quite a turning point in the duopoly at the top of the football video games world. Pro Evolution Soccer 6 moved a week further back away from FIFA and scored the biggest first week sales figure since Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas when its PS2 and Xbox 360 releases were combined. It was put into bigger long-term perspective than normal, though. EA split FIFA 07’s releases, with most up first but the 360 one directly against Pro Evo, and went on to have the kind of run at the top of the charts into the new year that the series hadn’t managed since FIFA 98.
This is one case where my policy of playing the best-selling format of each game most obviously cuts against the story. The 360 versions were probably the most important ones, but the PS2 ones remained easily the best-selling, so that’s where I’ll be. Not even for the last time!
What’s new in FIFA 07?
Once again, the PS2 version has very little in terms of the gameplay, with changes going into the rebuilt-from-the-ground-up 360 version. That’s entirely to its benefit, though, with the philosophy of building on success proving a good one again. Little bits of special skill control are added, together with some new ball physics and more of the bits of players acting on instinct to, for example, hack away the ball from the goal line, which were in World Cup 2006. On first starting, the game presents you with an option as to, effectively, whether you want to use FIFA’s button layout or Pro Evo’s. This was already common in the latter for years and it going in the other direction feels like a belated bit of humility.
The other big new mode is the Interactive League. The idea of this is that you sign up as a fan of your favourite club, and games you play contribute towards an overall league score for that club. It didn’t catch on in a very lasting way, but it shows EA asking the questions which would get them big answers in the future: how could they tie their game more closely to people’s fandom of real life football?
What’s gone?
Not much if anything, which is smart in itself.
Who is on the cover?
Wayne Rooney of Manchester United and Ronaldinho of Barcelona. Again. There’s less attempt to make them appear like they might be in the same place, and even less of a compelling image, but it does get across a message of continuity.
What’s on the soundtrack?
The vision of an eclectic and international selection is followed through on much better than previously: from the Korean hip-hop of Epik High to the Beninese highlife of Angélique Kidjo to the Japanese post-punk of Polysics. Only the selection of British alternative proves even more stodgy than usual. Anyone remember Morning Runner?
Who is the best player in the game?
There are two players who share a rating of 92. One is Wayne Rooney, a rarity at this point for a cover star. The other one, like the previous year, is Gianluigi Buffon. After a couple of years of lower leagues providing the worst-rated players, this was a case of the reverse, since Buffon’s Juventus were playing in Serie B following their demotion as a result of the Calciopoli match-fixing scandal.
Who is the worst player in the game?
Bolton and Ireland’s 17-year-old right back Matthew Cassidy, rated 27. Which feels a bit harsh on someone who was excelling at youth level. He never actually got as far as playing for Bolton, but took a path less travelled to four years playing in Cyprus, starting with a year at popular anime Enosis Neon Paralimni.
What do the players look like?
See FIFA 06 (and FIFA Football 2005, and…)
How does it play?
Like a slightly slowed down version of World Cup 2006, but a bit more refined. The sense of holding a finely tuned instrument remains, and there are different ways to score than just defence-splitting through balls. It’s clearly set up for a lot of goals — I had an early match end 5-4 — but they seem to flow naturally enough out of what’s happening for it not to feel much of a problem. I particularly enjoyed the way that the possibility of the unusual was included. Making a cross from the edge of the area and having it sneak into the goal at the far post was a fluke that felt like actual football rather than a gap in the game.
How does it score on the sepp-blatter-rain-of-banknotes.gif greed index?
It’s pretty much the same game again, and it was the third FIFA game of the year. 0.8 sepp-blatter-rain-of-banknotes.gifs.
If FIFA 07 was a football team at the time, who would it be?
Back on top as if it was the ‘90s all over again, and with a newfound confidence: Manchester United.
FIFA 07 spent a total of ten weeks at the top of the UK chart. Details of what was #1 in other charts at the time after the page break…
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