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I
t would seem, from this slip up, that EA Sports' FIFA franchise is undergoing some major changes again. This seems to happen every couple of years. FIFA 97 for the PlayStation, while not completely without merit, is the most disappointing EA Sports game I have played in a long time. It is also perhaps the best looking and sounding sports game I have ever played.
This is what happens when you try to perfect something that is already close to being perfect. In most respects, FIFA 97 for the PlayStation is too much of a good thing - which is, of course, exactly what we want from our videogames. Only problem is, the area where FIFA 97 scrimps on the good stuff, is where the most work should have been done; the game play.
FIFA 97 is just much too slow. It almost seems that this FIFA takes place under water. The lack of speed is completely unnerving. It makes you overlook the plenitude of features, the brilliant music, the absolutely amazing motion captured animation and the nifty (but still unplayable) opportunity to savor the recreation of indoor soccer.
FIFA 97 should have been the answer to every PSX owner's prayers. Instead it is a nightmare. A garish trophy, forever reminding us about the cardinal rule in videogames: Never Let The Gameplay Come Last.
Built For Fans?
FIFA 97 is such a tasty looking sports title, your mouth practically starts to water just looking at the pictures on the back of the box. Watching the attract mode will also have you believing in miracles. But, when you actually step out onto the pitch, the tune changes dramatically.
You can perform scissor kicks, flying headers, back taps, bananas, rainbows and all sorts of killer lob passes. Your FIFA goalies have never been so formidable, or so flexible. Leaping around like their lives depended on it (in some countries, this is actually the case), they move with clarity and physical abandon. This is a game that has visuals worthy of drowning in.
All of the moves are in place, along with all of the motion captured players and international teams you could ever want, and the electric atmosphere of real live pro-soccer has been expertly crafted. But the mere act of moving up the field to take a shot on goal has become so tediously demanding, the whole FIFA 97 enterprise caves in on itself.
Rock My World
As is becoming routine for the Electronic Arts CD-ROM games, FIFA 97 comes equipped with a seriously juiced soundtrack. This year's score is a lot harder edged than the swank, multi-culti funk fest of FIFA 96, but I enjoyed the new rawness. As a counterpoint to the guitars, there are scratchy hip-hop-jazz ethers floating through the pause screens as well.
The opening attract scenes are marvelous. They're filled with soccer footage from around the world and the ambient buzz rock that chases these stalwart images down is infectious. Needless to say, the attract screens do exactly what they're supposed to and the music and sound effects help them along tremendously.
The in game sound effects in FIFA 97 are obscenely cool. The international fans are out of hand (nothing strange about that). The bump and slide of skin shredding physical exertion on the soccer pitch has been well replicated. Most impressive, however, is the play-by-play commentary by the trio from the old country, John Motson, Andy Gray and Desmond Lynan. These guys really get into their work and you can tell they absolutely love the game. The synching of the play-by-play to the action is extremely tight, despite a few embarrassing "Sega Genesis SportsTalk" moments. You could almost close your eyes and enjoy the FIFA 97 experience as a radio broadcast.
FIFA 97 serves up an all you can eat audio buffet. I feasted.
Bring It In
As an added bonus, and as another way to show the world that EA's FIFA Soccer games are the 900 pound gorillas that everybody has to beat, an indoor soccer option has been thrown in to the package. Great idea. But aren't indoor games famous for their quickness?
In all fairness, the indoor game looks cool and is slightly less frustrating to play then the full sized outdoor game, because the restricted playing area almost masks how insufferably weak the speed is.
Still, whether you play inside or out on the turf, be prepared for shots on net that look like they're floating in on a warm summer breeze, players that take forever to wind up before passing or shooting the ball, and lots of slow motion slide tackles. And because of the ridiculous response time and severe chugginess of the movement in this game, you can kiss any thoughts of pulling off some wicked-cool one timers bye-bye.
Collectors Only
If you absolutely must have every licensed product with the FIFA endorsement on it, then by all means, dig in. You'll be able to revel in all the names on the world's best teams. You'll be able to see beautiful videogame camera movement, gorgeous motion capture work and truly impressive 3D design. You'll savor the sweet sounds on this disc, provided by one of the finest audio teams in games today. But what you'll be doing most of all, is dreaming about what might have been.
victor
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