FIFA 12: Special Edition

First thoughts were frustrating, awkward, anger & anger. After a while though, you get passed the tricky defending & the game starts to grow on you.
It's the subtle differences that make a huge difference - quick throw-ins, player movement & impact engine. I found on FIFA 11 I was pretty good at keeping the ball & didn't realise how much I relied on pressing to win back the ball, but on FIFA 12 I have to be even more patient. Every FIFA fan will have to unlearn what they knew on previous FIFA titles & start from scratch. Defending is now an art form & creating chances is so much more satisfying. Well done EA, can't wait for the full version.

just decided to change my review of the game completely as after playing against the harder difficulties it become clear to me that when playing against the cpu player the new "impact engine" and "defence system" are just there to make the game harder for the player. every tackle you go for either misses or they run through your player, slide tackles don't work and the cpu players are always perfectly placed, and yet again a football game doesn't get difficulties right, why do the harder difficulties only increase the speed, stamina and skills of the opposing players that's not a difficulty because it makes players stats pointless, the harder difficulties should make their team work better and change tactics not make them the flashx11.

I agree with most reviews on this, there is a noticeable increase in difficulty throughout the game. However, persistence is the key and after 2 or 3 hours of play, you start to work out the new features and how the game insists you deal with them. The new defending system has brought a new dimension to the game and having good defenders who can anticipate the play helps enormously (not really required on previous versions as all you had to do was plough into the attackers to win the ball back). This time you need to think positionally and not dive in to tackles as you would if playing the game in real life - some people may not like that as there's admittedly less fun in defending than flamboyant attacking play. However, it does instill a sense of acheivement when you jockey your opponent, anticipate his movement and make a block or tackle. The pace of the game is slightly slower (by default) but you will need this extra bit of time to defend properly, experienced players can of course increase the speed of the game.

Attacking is excellent as usual, with the welcome addition of being able to hold a shoulder button to execute a skilled pass (backheel, flick etc). Crossing has also been overhauled and needs to be relearned, especially with no instruction manual in the box but again, is an improvement on FIFA 11 - I scored the majority of my goals with headers last year which is a little unrealistic. Graphics and player likenesses has been dramatically improved and the commentary so far seems marginally better (though you need to play the game for a few weeks before you start noticing the repetition!).

My only major complaint is the fact that you are still unable to play career mode with a friend over xbox live?? This is something which EA dont seem to think we'd want, but personally, I prefer to play on the same team as my friends as opposed to against them - this is probably more appealing to the older gamer like myself who doesnt obsess about 'beating' my friends at games but enjoys the social and teamwork aspect of what the game can offer.

If I could, I'd give the game 95% for this reason, but otherwise, any football fan should buy this game

I echo the thoughts of others that found this initially frustrating but then after a while it seems to just grow on you.

In previous versions it was far too easy to defend but now you have to work at it and master new skills in order to stop your opponent and create chances. The timing of your challenges is crucial, you have to get it right and if not be prepared to be beaten by the opposition. The result of this makes the overall gaming experience more satisfying than ever!

It seems to flow a lot better too. Substitutions used to do my head in on FIFA 11 when the game would stop and go to a cut scene but now they happen instantly and quick throws and free-kicks make it much more enjoyable.

Really looking forward to the full game coming out. We're going to have to learn a few new expertise this year, gone are the days when people can just hold two buttons and defend against you at will, it's now a skill of its own!

Bring it on!

The game is obviously aimed at online play, because the single player is horrible. The lack of AI effects both attack and defence. In attack players make poor straight runs at best, in defence no matter how much pressure you put on the ball, the computer can always play its way out if you are playing Brighton or Barcelona.

Tactical defending - Tackling is a waste of time, as the computer knows its coming and just turns, you end up just letting them knock it around until they have a shot, cross or through ball you can intercept. If you switch back to oldschool defending, its even worse.

Player inpact engine doesnt work, you get fouled and get booked for it, computer doesnt foul anyway, not had a free kick in half a season.

In general the game is too slow, its like playing football on the moon. Some of the new stuff they add is completely pointless, you now have sliders to set how often your or opposition players make mistakes, it all feels so unnatural.