FIFA 12 - Review

That EA Sports' Fifa franchise might ever drag itself out from under Konami's pitiless boot-heel and offer a properly credible alternative to Pro-Evolution Soccer seemed highly unlikely until exactly a year ago. When Fifa 11 hit the shops, the incredulity couldn't have been more widespread if Fifa itself had announced that, from now on, it was going to be a non-profit organisation with accounting transparency. Fifa 11 was a match for PES 2011 in every respect.

Fifa 12 has the potential to go one unthinkable step further. What's certain is that it's a significant upgrade on Fifa 11 and, by extension, is the most satisfying Fifa instalment so far (and not only because EA Sports has done the decent thing and banished Andy Gray from the commentary box. Alan Smith – not the Yorkshire Eminem, but the former Leicester City and Arsenal centre-forward – is an ideal replacement. If there's a less lascivious sound than his Midlands monotone I've yet to hear it; those who feel the English language deserves a thorough debasing will be pleased to hear Andy Townsend is in attendance too).
Much of Fifa 12's immense playability is due to the new player impact engine EA Sports has spent the last two years developing. The physics of Fifa 12 – the interaction between players on the pitch, the physicality of the way they address the ball and impact on one another, the entirely believable movement of the ball itself – are sufficient to make all previous soccer games seem a bit pedestrian. Fifa 12 is a fluent game, convincing enough to make it seem, at times, not far from watching real football. Even AI players now have intelligence worthy of the description, so their decision-making, particularly where defending is concerned, is, finally, not a guaranteed cause of impotent fury.
The usual various modes of play (career, online seasons, Ultimate Team) ensure the game's longevity (Ultimate Team is, for once, available at launch and on disc) and, as is compulsory with Fifa, authenticity is complete to the point of OCD: more than 15,000 players and 500 clubs are licensed.