Back at the E3 Expo 2012, EA Sports’ full on list of titles
was ready for us to try, and the first thing we wanted to get our hands on was
FIFA 13. From what it looks like, once we picked the team, configuration, and
launched the game, FIFA 13 does not seem to have changed one notch from its
predecessor, graphically speaking. So what’s new in the football franchise?
After trying out this little beauty, the first I’ve realized
is that the new simulation is less dynamic than its predecessor. By less
dynamic, I meant less of a show-off and more realistic, with harshness in
tackling. When players throw the ball, there is a real battle going on, when two football
players rush for the grab, giving greater substance to the game, sometimes more
difficult to grasp.
The other thing you notice after a few minutes is the AI
behavior of the footballers. All the bizarre racing back and forth across the
field are gone when we move into the opposing camps: from now on, our virtual
team members change their pacing, speed and direction according to our own
movements. In this sense, they are conquering more than before and are able to
create better opening for you, rushing through the defenses, and can score
beautifully.
However, if EA Sports has focused on the forefront of core
simulation, they have not forgotten the defense mechanism. Again, you can see
the evolution of physical impacts to help protect their libero’s purpose.
In one instance, my fellow teammate drew away from the pack and brought down
a rushing enemy. In return, the attackers have a new
dribbling system, a more efficient one that looks very much like FIFA Street
engine in some parts, requiring more skill nonetheless.
The first steps are promising for FIFA 13, although it will take
time to master everything before finding your own same FIFA 12 level as the
ball feels heavier, and strikes are harder to gauge.
EA Sports has worked to make a sequel that is even more
realistic, so the player has that feeling of unpredictability that is known in
Football. The title is only two third done, but as of now, it looks like it’s
ready to wear once again the Football Simulation crown for the year.
Ozimandus has been reviewing games and gadgets since 2003. He's not afraid of speaking his mind, and loves to share his love of everything geeky.