FIFA Soccer 2005’s graphics take on a television presentation-style look, and it works wonderfully. The far-off look is obviously needed for gamers to actually play the game, but the animations totally look realistic even at that distance. Whether you’re simply dribbling the ball, or try heading a goal, the players and animations are done in a simplistic manner that makes it all the more believable. My favorite is when you miss a wide open shot and your guy looks back up at the sky in disbelief. For those plays that do require an instant replay, the TV presentation zooms in at a different angle to show you what you missed. Here is where you can see the amount of detail put in to the players. Big names (although there aren’t too many here in the U.S.) are depicted well in facial features, while everyone else looks lifelike too.
As far as the audio side of the ball, two things play a big role at FIFA 2005’s success. The two-man commentary of John Motson and Ally McCoist call the game beautifully. The two will banter at the beginning of the game, talking about the importance of the match, or about Ally’s old career and how he handled those types of games. Additionally, they’ll follow right along with the action. Maybe it’s easier for commentary for soccer since every minute is not action-packed (like football), but regardless, it’s pulled off well. The other reason the audio is so good is because of the crowd interaction. They seem to follow the game even better than the commentary. In the past, it seemed like the crowd was just there, and not actually into the game. This year, while you’ll hear those famous chants and such, you’ll also hear the roar of the crowd when you score a goal, or if a player gets a yellow or red card. All of this adds up to a big win in my book.
