Worldwide, soccer is the most popular sport, with passionate fans found in every corner of each of the 7 continents. No other sport generates such loyalty.  This may come to a shock if you have been living in a cave, or if you live in the United States, as we still deem football and baseball (our national pastime) as our go-to, sports of choice.  Slowly, with the respectable growth of the MLS, we have started to jump on the bandwagon and give futbol, I mean soccer, the chance it deserves.  Hopefully, with the release of FIFA Soccer 10 from EA Sports, we will start to appreciate the chess-like strategy and exhilarating tension that makes soccer the great sport that it is.

The first thing you will notice after jumping into this game is how realistically your player handles the soccer ball. Long gone are the animations that make it seem like a string is attached between the ball and the guy you are controlling.  Now, the interaction is much more natural.  As you dribble and pass around the field, you will notice that your players are not infallible.  Rather, you will see the ball accidentally misfire off of a foot and go out of bounds while dribbling down the sideline.  This may seem like it would get frustrating, but it adds a slight layer of realism to the game that brings pure joy when you successfully pass and dribble your way around defenders, ultimately leading to a stellar goal.  Along with this added realism, EA has gone the extra mile with player models this time around, creating much more realistic players.  This also goes with the beefed up graphics, as soccer has never looked this good.  Shadow modeling from the surrounding stadiums cast beautiful dark and light spots across the field, adding great depth to the overall experience.   With a game that is usually played from a far camera angle, it is hard to showcase these detailed graphics.  But the animations can be seen from any distance and will cause friends to possibly believe you are watching a live broadcast.

Feature wise, FIFA has all the standard modes of play, with the inclusion of fully fleshed out online play.  This really helps with the worldwide feeling that soccer brings to the sport.  The other big feature, Virtual Pro is also new to the series and attempts to make a sports game into an RPG.  You begin by creating your own player with the specifics of your liking, very similar to any other EA Sports game previously released.  The difference is that this character is available across all modes of play.  So whether you are playing an exhibition match, a season game, or a 2-player battle, you can use your character and slowly build him up.  Prior to each match, you will have accomplishments like take 5 shots or have a game rating better than 7.0.  By achieving these, as well as hundreds of other smaller feats, you will build the skill of your created player.   It is a nice touch that adds to the overall game and keeps you connected with your player as you progress.  If you actually play in Virtual Pro mode with your created player, you will be locked onto your guy for the duration of the match.  You will gain or lose experience points depending on completed passes, position on the field to defenders and other smaller factors that you usually don’t pay attention too during a game of soccer.  Not only does it add to the gameplay, but it makes you appreciate the game of soccer much more than you ever had.

FIFA Soccer 10 has elevated its game to a new level.  Other than a few minor gripes with the graphics (frame rate drop during replays) and some standard audio (would like to have the crowd be a bit more dynamic), the game is a spot on translation of the biggest game in the world.  The Virtual Pro mode really demonstrates the numerous small nuances that a soccer game involves and in the end, will make you a better FIFA Soccer player.  You will start to see how switching fields really spreads out the defense, allowing for more gaps and easier scoring opportunities.  In prior soccer games, every goal was scored by a one-timer.  This is far from the case in FIFA Soccer 10.  You will be blasting shots from the top of the box, executing corners, and wildly kicking in an off balance deflection for the game winning goal.  I wish all sports games could recreate the actual sport as well as FIFA Soccer 10 does.

[A copy of the game was provided by the publisher for review purposes.]