Hi Guys,
I know this is a site dedicated to PES. Though any competition to the product is worthy of a note. Thats if you regard Fifa08 as a genuine contender. Here I will forward my view and some noteworthy comparisons. ANd the reason I seem to write these little threads once in a while is because after 18 years of playing sports simulation titles (first game I ever fell in love with EA's bulls vs Celtics 1988), I have a good eye for quality.
Right from the kick off, I noticed something not so new but closer to what is intended. Fifa08 no doubt tries to emulate PES and has made some inroads this time around. You will find as a PES fan that at times you get a micro second of Dejavu. This is a positive development for Fifa08 as we do need the competition to keep things improving all the time, but the Dejavu feels more like around the ISS Pro Evolution days of about 4-5 years ago. The problem is in the engine of the game. Fifa will never match PES unless they build from bottom up.
Passing:
The passing element in the game is more like PES than any other element except for a few big issues in my view. When you tried to cross more often than not the player on the wing will just kick it straight ahead out of bounds!
The direct passing using x button is very imprecise and you would be lucky to get two passes accurately hit your target. But maybe I lacked practice so I wont judge that too harshly.
On the positive the depending on how long you hold the button you can control the power fairly well and with a little practice make good use of it in through pass situations.
Shooting:
This is the area that PES is in a class of its own. I have not scored goals that are repetitive in any of the PES series games in the las few years. Fifa08 falls well short in this area. THe physics of the ball flight are to blame for the problem. When you shoot the ball just moves aross the screen without giving the feeling of ball flight or direction. Sometimes it happens so fast that it leaves a hollow feeling no matter how good the goal might have been. Even for an arcade style it just feels unsatisfying to say the least.
Goal Keeper:
Depending on whether the shot is high or low the same result seems to surface. If the shot is low the keeper gets his hand on it fairly quickly and behold! somehow flicks it over the bar! IT just looks very unrealistic and stupid for a game that has been in development for so many years.
If the shot is mid height then the balls is pushed just past the post. And if its higher the goal keep is a genuis and waits as it sails (well it might be more acurate to say shoots like a bullet) over the bar.
AI:
The computer seems to be smarter and the game is much harder to score than Fifa07. But sometimes the backline of the defending team leaves a little to be desired. The players in your control dont seem to make a big enough effort to open up the play. You have the ball and expect a player to make a move so you can pass and they just wait for the ball and then the opposition is right on your ass. But overall ts much better than last year.
Graphics:
The graphics are good. Fifa developers always seem to put a lot of effort into the design of the game. IT runs smoother than last year and I saw no glitches or slow down during gameplay or replays using a 7900GT on high settings.
THe one thing i dont like about Fifa are the goals. I dont like them. They seem a little small and the angles give you a view more of the outside. I love the camera angles in PES, yu can get things just right so you can plan ahead. Also the net movement went the ball is scored is a little 90's like. PES again adds to the realism with decent net animation. When the ballis score in Fifa the net is so think you can hardly see the ball in most camera views.
Overall:
I would say Fifa08 is a better game than Fifa07, but still not a real threat to compete with PES series. I would say it is about 4 years away from resembling anything like what PES is today, andby then who knows where PES will be as a standard.
Hope the comments were of some assistance.
I know this is a site dedicated to PES. Though any competition to the product is worthy of a note. Thats if you regard Fifa08 as a genuine contender. Here I will forward my view and some noteworthy comparisons. ANd the reason I seem to write these little threads once in a while is because after 18 years of playing sports simulation titles (first game I ever fell in love with EA's bulls vs Celtics 1988), I have a good eye for quality.
Right from the kick off, I noticed something not so new but closer to what is intended. Fifa08 no doubt tries to emulate PES and has made some inroads this time around. You will find as a PES fan that at times you get a micro second of Dejavu. This is a positive development for Fifa08 as we do need the competition to keep things improving all the time, but the Dejavu feels more like around the ISS Pro Evolution days of about 4-5 years ago. The problem is in the engine of the game. Fifa will never match PES unless they build from bottom up.
Passing:
The passing element in the game is more like PES than any other element except for a few big issues in my view. When you tried to cross more often than not the player on the wing will just kick it straight ahead out of bounds!
The direct passing using x button is very imprecise and you would be lucky to get two passes accurately hit your target. But maybe I lacked practice so I wont judge that too harshly.
On the positive the depending on how long you hold the button you can control the power fairly well and with a little practice make good use of it in through pass situations.
Shooting:
This is the area that PES is in a class of its own. I have not scored goals that are repetitive in any of the PES series games in the las few years. Fifa08 falls well short in this area. THe physics of the ball flight are to blame for the problem. When you shoot the ball just moves aross the screen without giving the feeling of ball flight or direction. Sometimes it happens so fast that it leaves a hollow feeling no matter how good the goal might have been. Even for an arcade style it just feels unsatisfying to say the least.
Goal Keeper:
Depending on whether the shot is high or low the same result seems to surface. If the shot is low the keeper gets his hand on it fairly quickly and behold! somehow flicks it over the bar! IT just looks very unrealistic and stupid for a game that has been in development for so many years.
If the shot is mid height then the balls is pushed just past the post. And if its higher the goal keep is a genuis and waits as it sails (well it might be more acurate to say shoots like a bullet) over the bar.
AI:
The computer seems to be smarter and the game is much harder to score than Fifa07. But sometimes the backline of the defending team leaves a little to be desired. The players in your control dont seem to make a big enough effort to open up the play. You have the ball and expect a player to make a move so you can pass and they just wait for the ball and then the opposition is right on your ass. But overall ts much better than last year.
Graphics:
The graphics are good. Fifa developers always seem to put a lot of effort into the design of the game. IT runs smoother than last year and I saw no glitches or slow down during gameplay or replays using a 7900GT on high settings.
THe one thing i dont like about Fifa are the goals. I dont like them. They seem a little small and the angles give you a view more of the outside. I love the camera angles in PES, yu can get things just right so you can plan ahead. Also the net movement went the ball is scored is a little 90's like. PES again adds to the realism with decent net animation. When the ballis score in Fifa the net is so think you can hardly see the ball in most camera views.
Overall:
I would say Fifa08 is a better game than Fifa07, but still not a real threat to compete with PES series. I would say it is about 4 years away from resembling anything like what PES is today, andby then who knows where PES will be as a standard.
Hope the comments were of some assistance.
