FIFA 10 Review

Buy FIFA 10 Now

If you have resisted the temptation to upgrade your PlayStation 2 to its younger brother and successor the PS3, you may be happy to hear that you can still enjoy FIFA 10 from developer EA Sports. Unfortunately it seems that not as much time and effort has been spent on the creation of this, with the focus being on the dramatic improvements to be seen on consoles such as the PS3 and the Xbox 360 instead. Lacking in online play altogether and displaying graphics that age the game in an instant, you might do better finally upgrading the old console or simply sticking with previous versions of this game in the series.

Two new modes are available for you to enjoy on the PS2 version of FIFA 10, Be A Pro and Season Mode. As you take to the pitch to be a pro yourself you’ll soon discover that, short of some subtle changes, you will be playing in effectively the same way as in the previous title within the FIFA series. Fortunately it will feel more as though there is some aim to your exploits, with your mission to reach for a coveted spot upon the national team of your selected country. Experience points and attributes are earned though the games that you play, ensuring that you return to this mode in order to achieve your final goal.

The Season Mode on the other hand seems to simply be a greatly reduced version of the Manager Mode features present on the other consoles. You’ll be responsible for controlling your team for just a few games, there’s no options to transfer players or have access to the detailed statistics on your team that are available on the Xbox and PS3. What this leaves you with is an experience that is definitely more suited to a casual observer of the sport, not for avid fans.

Other modes available to you include a Tournament Mode in which you can pick your favourite team within a number of different leagues, competing for the cup as your reward. Also a facility to allow you to practice your moves is provided, granting you access to the pitch to perfect your corner kicks, penalties and more. Yet again it seems that these modes have been ignored through the production of this title, with little discernable changes noticeable from last year’s game.

When it comes to graphics you will quickly be aware that the PlayStation 2 has become an old console. Your framerate is likely to suffer if many players are within the same general vicinity on the pitch, and many details have been sacrificed to keep the play running as smoothly as possible. Details on the faces of your players, for example, will only become clear within a few slightly more aesthetically pleasing action replays.

On the whole it seems that the developers have wasted their time (what little they spent) on FIFA 10 for the PlayStation 2. As a football game in its own right the gameplay is reasonable and may entertain you for a while, but you would be better just to stick to last year’s title if you own it, or bite the bullet and upgrade your console once and for all.