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IGN Review of FIFA Soccer 11
The PSP is never the focal point of attention when it comes to FIFA's development resources, but that has never stopped EA Sports from putting out a competent package for fans of the portable alternative. This year is no different, even if the engine running the PSP version of FIFA could use some work after going relatively untouched the last few years. The gameplay is as solid as ever, especially with the new 360-degree dribbling abilities previously exclusive to consoles, but the new Be A Goalie Mode suffers because of the limitations of the PSP hardware.
As soon as you boot up your PSP it's clear that not much has changed from last year's effort. Menu designs are the same, action on the pitch is delivered in the same manner and the Soccer IQ (a set of knowledge-based questions about the sport) and Challenges Mode (a list of game outcomes that you must equal) have been a part of FIFA PSP for years now and have only had slight presentation elements tweaked.
Thankfully EA Sports did take the time to implement the 360-degree dribbling that first debuted on console versions last year. Essentially this allows players to break free of the old dribbling that only allowed for eight directions of movement. It gives star players the abilities to pull off some cool moves in tight spaces without having to hold the left trigger to activate actual tricks and skill moves. The effect is lessened when sprinting, which still feels a bit rigid, but if you can keep the ball close to your player's body the difference is clear.
The single truly new mode is Be A Goalie, but sadly it doesn't perform very well, even in comparison to the disappointing version found on consoles. Playing as the net minder on PSP means that you're stuck looking at the action from behind your goal for the entire game. On consoles you can press the select button to warp up the field to have a modicum of control over the action, but the PSP's hardware doesn't allow for that. Instead you're stuck waiting for the action to eventually threaten the goal you're protecting, but I've played in games where I didn't have to make a single save. Needless to say it wasn't the most exciting of FIFA experiences.
Thankfully the standard Be A Pro career mode is still as solid as ever and allows you to create a young star and take him through his career. It hasn't changed much at all in its core design. You'll still see the on-field indicators letting you know the players you're supposed to be defending and the ball still has that ethereal glow as it makes its way around the field so you can keep track of it easily.
In the way of multiplayer, there's once again no infrastructure support. Instead all you'll find is traditional ad hoc play which performed well enough in our tests. Strangely enough, we experienced some jittery gameplay and lag when the space between our PSPs stretched beyond ten feet. It wasn't too much of annoyance, but it's something to consider if you want to play against someone far away from you.
Graphically the game is pretty much identical to last year's offering, meaning that it performs well for a PSP game but doesn't impress in any one specific area. Player details are solid during close ups, but don't display the aesthetic differences that you get on console versions when using the standard gameplay camera angle.
©2010-09-30, IGN Entertainment, Inc. All Rights Reserved
As soon as you boot up your PSP it's clear that not much has changed from last year's effort. Menu designs are the same, action on the pitch is delivered in the same manner and the Soccer IQ (a set of knowledge-based questions about the sport) and Challenges Mode (a list of game outcomes that you must equal) have been a part of FIFA PSP for years now and have only had slight presentation elements tweaked.
Thankfully EA Sports did take the time to implement the 360-degree dribbling that first debuted on console versions last year. Essentially this allows players to break free of the old dribbling that only allowed for eight directions of movement. It gives star players the abilities to pull off some cool moves in tight spaces without having to hold the left trigger to activate actual tricks and skill moves. The effect is lessened when sprinting, which still feels a bit rigid, but if you can keep the ball close to your player's body the difference is clear.
The single truly new mode is Be A Goalie, but sadly it doesn't perform very well, even in comparison to the disappointing version found on consoles. Playing as the net minder on PSP means that you're stuck looking at the action from behind your goal for the entire game. On consoles you can press the select button to warp up the field to have a modicum of control over the action, but the PSP's hardware doesn't allow for that. Instead you're stuck waiting for the action to eventually threaten the goal you're protecting, but I've played in games where I didn't have to make a single save. Needless to say it wasn't the most exciting of FIFA experiences.
Thankfully the standard Be A Pro career mode is still as solid as ever and allows you to create a young star and take him through his career. It hasn't changed much at all in its core design. You'll still see the on-field indicators letting you know the players you're supposed to be defending and the ball still has that ethereal glow as it makes its way around the field so you can keep track of it easily.
In the way of multiplayer, there's once again no infrastructure support. Instead all you'll find is traditional ad hoc play which performed well enough in our tests. Strangely enough, we experienced some jittery gameplay and lag when the space between our PSPs stretched beyond ten feet. It wasn't too much of annoyance, but it's something to consider if you want to play against someone far away from you.
Graphically the game is pretty much identical to last year's offering, meaning that it performs well for a PSP game but doesn't impress in any one specific area. Player details are solid during close ups, but don't display the aesthetic differences that you get on console versions when using the standard gameplay camera angle.
©2010-09-30, IGN Entertainment, Inc. All Rights Reserved