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FIFA Soccer 09 makes another PS2 appearance.
FIFA Soccer 09 on the PS2 doesn’t do much more than tweak the formula from FIFA Soccer 08 but if you missed out on 08 or are a diehard soccer fan, there’s a lot to like here.
The main singleplayer mode in FIFA Soccer 09 is the Be A Pro mode, which was introduced in FIFA Soccer 08 on PS2 (and made its debut on other platforms this year). In this mode, you create a character and take him through his career. Here you can take your created player from the bottom of the ranks and watch his career progress through the year.
The gameplay is almost identical to last year’s game, which is good news since FIFA Soccer 08 on PS2 was the previous highlight of the series. The core mechanics that you’d expect from the game all work very well here and it’s nice to see that EA Canada added some functionality that pro users are going to use (like the new shield mechanic). There’s also a new Casual control mode in the game that automates the dribbling of the ball and allows you to focus on shooting and passing. Gamers used to a more traditional soccer game won’t enjoy it but newcomers should find it useful.
Visually, the game looks great on the PS2. Player models are all fairly detailed (for a PS2 game) and the animation system is still fluid, though the animations themselves seem largely unchanged. The audio work is also well done. The commentary is a bit repetitive but generally on the ball, the sound effects sound great and help bring the game to life, and the soundtrack is about what you would expect from an EA Sports game.
FIFA Soccer 09 on the PS2 was a in tough spot since FIFA Soccer 08 was already quite good on the console (and needed a lot of improvements on the others). As it stands, the game is still a lot of fun but largely unchanged from last year’s version. As such, it’s only really commended if you skipped 08 or are a diehard soccer fan (and don’t have access to current-generation platforms). -- Jose Liz, PGNx Media
---- Oct 31, 2008
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