As you may have read, I was lucky enough to be playing FIFA 10 at the event at the Emirates stadium yesterday with 25 other members of the FIFA community (and their +1s). Throughout the event I was updating my previously mentioned Twitter feed with my thoughts, but after getting home last night there was a bit of an NDA scare - when they handed me the paper to sign I was too busy looking at the screens with FIFA 10 on going “ooooooh”, and suddenly people were talking about an NDA date that I wasn’t aware of.
The updates were then removed as a precaution; however, after a chat with EA this morning I’ve been told that we have clearance to comment on the gameplay of these early builds as much as we like. Cue a sigh of relief and the end to my nightmares about being sued.
So click below to see all of my Twitter updates from throughout the day.
HELLO LONDON; I made it. Forgot to say, I can send messages to Twitter but can’t see the page - so I can’t answer any questions! Sorry!
Okay, first game over. Burnley v Man City. I can beat a man, and I can WHACK a shot. Very happy. More after the next game!
So much more responsive, and even more so when you use the slow dribbling - which is great.
Old build has 360 slow dribbling but not 360 degree sprinting which is disappointing but I’m told this will probably change.
Can’t describe the feeling of beating a man and scoring a hard, dipping into the back of a rippling net. Much more refined game.
Response times when you sprint in this build are a bit iffy, ran the ball out of play three times in three games so far, but should be fixed.
New commentary is great, seems to be more specific lines now. Messi’s face is also spot on, as are others, faces are better all-round.
75 minutes in and in the game opposite me, Dani Alves of Barca is knackered from being sprinted all game. Stamina is much more realistic.
Cross-field balls still a bit floaty in this build but hopefully that’ll be worked on because you can actually hit driven crosses by the box.
New line-up screen features the kits of the team - sounds like a little thing but it makes the game look so much more like a real match.
New scoreboard features the colour of the team behind their section of the score, another little thing but really nice touch.
Goalkeepers have had so much work, they can really stretch to fingertip the ball away - without being superhuman. But…
…in this build they make some really realistic-looking errors, and some shocking ones too - Cech has just palmed the ball into his own net!
Just testing the AI… So much better, when a player muscles the ball off you you can ‘believe’ it. It’s not like it’s ‘cheating’.
Snow match going on next to us, just conceded because of its awesomeness. Absolutely brill weather effects.
So many more OH! moments which is something FIFA 09 was missing with the floaty shots etc… The more you play it the more you appreciate it.
In this build the AI CPU on Pro has ran into the keeper when they should have scored a few times, hopefully that will improve.
WHAT A GOAL! Tim7 [Evo-Web] takes the free-kick ON THE FLOOR at pace, FLIES into the corner! Four grown men shout and make a fool of themselves. Worth it.
Overall CPU AI is a lot better, more challenging without so much of the ‘cheating’. This day is going to end way too soon.
Playing the later build now, seeing all kinds of shots; the ball physics are just spot on. Such a refined game. Less cut-scenes is great too.
Had a few issues where the player runs up to the ball [coming down from the air] and starts tiptoeing [waiting for it to fall], ala FIFA 09, but I’m assured that will be looked at.
CRACKER! MJSmith2k [Evo-Web] skins a defender, fake-shots and SLAMS it in. This is what FIFA has been missing. Stunner.
Tried fully assisted, seems harder. Only scored one goal - the game can be played slowly and it’s a LOT more tactical.
Button-mashing doesn’t yield the same results. Tackling isn’t a case of holding down the pressure button, it requires much more timing.
Through-balls are nowhere near as effective as before, requires an actual opportunity rather than just hammering it and getting a chance.
Goalkeepers are improved in the newer build, less stupid mistakes - cross-field balls still a bit floaty but still time for that to be fixed.
Looks like our time with the game is over. That’s all the updates I’ll be sorting today, stay tuned for a podcast over the weekend!
At this point I posted an end-of-day review. The following tweets are lumped together to make reading them easier!
Well I’m on the train for 3 hours now so I may as well type out some final thoughts over a few million tweets… None of us wanted to leave.
It’s just such a polished game. That’s the main selling point - all the old niggles have gone and when you factor in the ball physics you get all the passion that some people might say has been missing. Scorching goals, fingertip saves and more. Some stuff I forgot to mention; we played as lower league Spanish teams (which were present, no English ones) and WOW. They were done properly. Different game. Also, when you get a good player, you can murder the opposition with your movement. As Barca Eto’o was a nightmare for the opposition BUT not to the point where it feels like an exploit. That’s one of the strongest feelings I got from today; everything you see is BELIEVABLE.
Players can knock you off the ball, but only players who would be capable, and only in the right situation. It all looks so real. There was never an instance where I said ‘that’s ridiculous’ - things only ever happened when appropriate. That’s the biggest change by far.
Also, we tried assisted for a laugh, and get this - they’ve made it harder. Assisted shots miss the target most of the time! Result! Can you ping-pong passes? Well some have said you can’t - in my experience you can, BUT it’s the defenders who have improved. After a few pings around the field a defender (always better positioned by the way) will stick a foot out and knock it away. Speaking of which you get some wicked deflections, and some amazing reflex saves.
Right, that’s DEFINITELY my last update of the day. Thanks for reading!
