FIFA Soccer 10 Full Game Impressions
 

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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...

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.

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.