FIFA Soccer 10 Full Game Impressions

[demencia_total]

I managed to get the game a full day early, so I'm going to start playing in a few minutes. Also, since other people are getting the game tomorrow, just post your impressions here to get things going.

I'll be posting my initial thoughts on the game after I play a few quick exhibition games.

[demencia_total]

Re: FIFA Soccer 10 Full Game Impressions

I finished my first match. It was a 10 min match on World Class Slow Speed and full manual controls. Barcelona (me) vs Real Madrid (ai).

I want to start by saying that the AI seems a little different to me from the demo. Maybe it's because on the demo the custom settings aren't turned on or whatever, but Madrid actually reset the offense several times when they couldn't find gaps. The AI is is still eager to go forward, but they took their time to dissect me in many cases.

We both finished with 10 shots, 5 of those on target. There were a total of 10 fouls, 7 for Madrid and 3 for me, although there were about 5 instances of the play on rule, so I would say that in total there were 15 fouls in the 20 mins of game, which isn't bad at all. We shared the ball 50-50, so no one had the upper hand.

Madrid made three substitutions that were actually spreaded very well, which is a surprise considering how the AI loved to substitute 2 or 3 people at the same time in 09. First one was at 61 mins, second at 75 I think, and the third one was late in the game.

The game was tied at 0, but at the 89th minute Guti (who I think came on as a substitute) managed to get free and scored the winning goal. So the game ended 0-1 with me on the losing end. Very enjoyable match I must say.

[southernbelle]

Re: FIFA Soccer 10 Full Game Impressions

lucky bastardo... i get mine friday (UK).

have you tried the Manager Mode? specifically want to comment on FORM and injuries. specifically, some say that injuries have not been fixed.

[demencia_total]

Re: FIFA Soccer 10 Full Game Impressions

I'll try it out tonight, only played two games so far. We'll see how that goes.

[southernbelle]

Re: FIFA Soccer 10 Full Game Impressions

also heard the finesse shot is deadly but will be patched. might as well get some good ones in and save the video!

[calcutta]

Re: FIFA Soccer 10 Full Game Impressions

I'd be keen to know how the AI Cristiano Ronaldo played against you, especially since you were playing on World Class...did he try any stepovers or other tricks when he was on the ball one-on-one against your defender?

I'll pick up my copy tomorrow after work.

[southernbelle]

Re: FIFA Soccer 10 Full Game Impressions

i really hope the stars play with skill this year (AI)... i am getting stoked about this game. will get mine friday... outside chance for THursday...

[demencia_total]

Re: FIFA Soccer 10 Full Game Impressions

I'd be keen to know how the AI Cristiano Ronaldo played against you, especially since you were playing on World Class...did he try any stepovers or other tricks when he was on the ball one-on-one against your defender?

I'll pick up my copy tomorrow after work.

He tried a few things, but there's not really anything that truly defines any of the stars unfortunately, they need to give signature packages to the stars next year. You still have that feeling that its truly him because of his physical attributes and stats (same with Messi, Kaka, Ibra, etc), but its a shame that they don't stand apart more.

i really hope the stars play with skill this year (AI)... i am getting stoked about this game. will get mine friday... outside chance for THursday...

You know what? After playing about 5 games now, I can honestly say that the AI in the demo has nothing in common with the one in the full game, at least with the settings and clubs that I have played. I just had a friendly against Villareal in the MM that I started with Barcelona, so I decided to play my bench. The thing is, Villareal did a beautiful job keeping the majority of the possession (55%) and passing the ball through, picking me apart from different angles and being really patient. The game was full of fouls from both sides, and I truly felt overwhelmed with a weaker squad. They only had 13 shots considering that my young guys couldn't keep possession for long, and it wasn't until I substituted the regulars that I started to gain possession. They came really close to scoring several times, but I pulled a late win with a goal from Ibra who came in as a sub late.

Overall, I am finding it hard to score in World Class and full manual. The AI doesn't seem too over agressive defensively when you play bigger clubs and they will defend effectively, but when you play the smaller ones they are usually more foul prone and its easier to keep possession. I am really surprised at how smooth playing against the AI is on World Class, seeing as how ridiculously things developed in the demo. The Slow setting feels SLOW, at least in the Spanish League which is where I have played most of my games. They also make mistakes with their passes just like a human would on manual, so they don't feel like automated robots. It really feels like your playing another human for the most part.

But they aren't perfect. The AI will make stupid inbound passes from time to time, and there are ocassional games where there aren't many fouls called. It's also too easy to run full speed into a dribbler and steal the ball cleanly if you have a superior defender.

I dwelved into MM mode a bit with Barca. You start with the same kind of deal like last year, choosing a manager name, the settings, sponsor, etc. Like it probably was mentioned in all those MM previews, you can select the level of play and the difficulty level of negotiations and transfers. You start playing four friendlies against clubs in your league and preseason cup games, and then the season officially gets underway. The transfer system seems more balanced, as you can't just sign anyone and everyone. I tried signing Sergio Ramos who was put up for sale by Madrid, but he wouldn't sign with me on the account that we were rivals. I also tried to sign Sergio Aguero, and it was a no go. I'm sure its easier with the bigger clubs, but it probably will be a challenge to sign people with smaller ones. If you think its still all too easy, just bump up the difficulty of negotiations.

Unfortunately, the weird Form situation that people have described is true. It's just really stupid how it works, and it shouldn't be that way. Player's overall for different matches seem to be all over the place. But in no way is it a game killer as some people have suggested. It's just annoying.

Ah, and the patch to correct the precision and lob shooting is up, so no worries on that front.

[Muzyk23]

Re: FIFA Soccer 10 Full Game Impressions

damn..thanks for the impressions..getting the game on Friday..can't wait!

[ezio]

Re: FIFA Soccer 10 Full Game Impressions

He tried a few things, but there's not really anything that truly defines any of the stars unfortunately, they need to give signature packages to the stars next year. You still have that feeling that its truly him because of his physical attributes and stats (same with Messi, Kaka, Ibra, etc), but its a shame that they don't stand apart more.

That is one of my biggest problems with Fifa. Almost all the teams/players feel the same and there isn't much difference between the stars and the other players as you pointed out. I still think PES does a better job with that.

[therizing02]

Re: FIFA Soccer 10 Full Game Impressions

Thanks for the EXCELLENT impressions Demencia.

A couple of questions/requests.

-Can you check the CTT and see how many save slots there are? I believe there were 28 in FIFA 09.

-What are the shooting CTT settings for the teams you played against?

-Can you play a game with EPL and Serie A teams to see if the styles of play are different?

-Playing defense on World Class, is it beneficial to play passing lanes or to go straight at the player in possesion like it's been for years?

-Are you noticing tactical changes throughout the match from the CPU?

-As you get more into MM are you noticing that the CPU doesn't play the same starting 11 every week?

Thanks man!

[Tubby Mack]

Re: FIFA Soccer 10 Full Game Impressions

enjoying the reviews...keep 'em coming!

[thurstones]

Re: FIFA Soccer 10 Full Game Impressions

alrighty, I got it earlier today so I've had a decent go at each mode.

Manager mode:
They've really taken the whole 'form' thing too far. You quickly realise that what at first appears to be a nice addition has too much bearing on the game. Fatigue is slightly more pronounced than last year, meaning squad rotation is a little more important. I found myself still having to rotate a little bit even with full training facilities. Apart from form and the new menu presentation, there are very few new features in MM. I really wanted a comprehensive stats page where I could see league leaders in a number of stats and club records, but stats are still confined to the "top 20" goals, clean sheets and cards. You can't even check who has the most assists.

Overall a bit dissapointed with the 'new' MM

BAP:
Be a Pro is the same old 4 season basis underneath. It is essentially the same except for player development, which has improved greatly. Instead of getting to a 95 overall within 2 seasons and allocating points wherever you want, it is now based on achievements. eg. you might need to score 5 headers to get +2 heading accuracy. This system is much better. It means that your player improves in the areas you succeed at and encourages you to diversify your style of play to unlock everything. This system is great but doesn't go very far towards hiding the very basic FIFA 09 be a pro mode. Your progress is still only measured by those club and international sliders which say "crowd favorite, squad player" etc.

Those are my thoughts on the modes. Finally, the gameplay engine is a lot more collision based. Everything feels very physical and most turnovers occur from being muscled off the ball. The game plays very very well but is similar to 09 in the sense that it still suffers from obvious flaws (repetitiveness, shocking foul system...). I would say it's the best football game ever but when I think of PES5, no obvious flaws jump out at me straight away...
Anyway, it's still very good and you should all buy it. I'll try to field some questions too.

[ezio]

Re: FIFA Soccer 10 Full Game Impressions

I have one question.

Do all the teams/players still feel the same or does it seem better this year?

[thurstones]

Re: FIFA Soccer 10 Full Game Impressions

they seem to play the same again man. They still have their different playing style tags (like direct passing etc) like fifa09 but I don't think they've really added anything that differentiates the way different teams and different leagues play the game.