2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa Hands On 2

29 Mar 2010 at 13:41:43 by Andy Alderson

Following our brief hands on with 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa earlier this year, we recently sat down for an extended session with the game in the hope of answering the question on every FIFA fan's lips: will it be worth the price tag? The announcement of a World Cup game so soon after the release of FIFA 10 has led some to suggest the game will be nothing more than a cosmetically-enhanced money spinner, with nothing to justify a full price release. Well, the naysayers will be pleased (or slightly less displeased) to hear that FIFA World Cup will be worth your hard-earned. Of course, if you've played the last major football event title, UEFA Euro 2008, you know this already as EA Sports has form for using these titles as a testing ground for gameplay tweaks and new features, and FIFA World Cup is no exception.

Let's get the gameplay enhancements out of the way first. The touted 100+ gameplay tweaks may not have a profound effect on the way FIFA World Cup plays but they do combine to create a faster, more responsive game of football. It seems a little bit quicker to trap and release the ball, meaning you're more likely to craft some tasty passing movements and, in conjunction with the improved AI, it makes for a more fluid game of football. Perhaps it's the placebo effect taking hold, but your team-mates now seem to make more intelligent runs, creating space for themselves inviting you to play a through ball. The AI works both ways, with better positional play in defence too. For example, the opposition AI is no longer as susceptible to the lofted through ball down the line which has always proved to be a dead cert in previous FIFA titles.

It seems as if many of the tweaks have been made to fix annoyances in FIFA 10. Keeper behaviour is less erratic, it's harder to lob them from in and around the 18 yard box and, mercifully, they now seem capable of dealing with front post crosses. They've also got out of the habit of hoofing the ball upfield at every opportunity and will throw the ball out much more regularly. EA has also tweaked the penalty-taking mechanic too, adding in a composure meter. As well as directing your shot, you'll also have to hit the sweet spot of  the meter to avoid a Chris Waddle-esque orbit-ball. It's clearly designed to convey some of the tension and atmosphere of the world's most famous footballing competition and this is a theme that runs throughout the game.

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