Sorry if a similiar thread was posted already... I guess u can call me a soccer video game fanatic... i have owned evry major soccer game released(imported or not) on the PC, Sega, Genesis, PS, PS2, and even Nintendo so u can say i'm pretty serious about soccer simulations. When i read all the hype about the latest version in the Fifa series i was very skeptical. EA's marketing never fails to fluff up their games as much as possible, often(actually always) making the game sound much better then it ever turns out to be. Once i start playing any EA soccer game for the first time and get over how nice looking the graphics look and become accustomed to the feel and controls of the game it often becomes rather fun to play... for about a few hours and then thats it. The big problem with the Fifa series is its repetitive gameplay and feel. Fifa is a far cry away from the gameplay of a Winning 11 or PES2. So my purchasing of EA's soccer games is more out of curiosity then anything else. Im forever curious to see if EA can make a game that can rival Konami in gameplay. Can EA do the unthinkable with its last volume?? On to the game: As i first started playing the game in professional mode i realized how difficult it was... I was having much trouble performing simple tackles on players as they just sprinted by me. I would continuously lose the ball in my end of the field to an attacker in a dangerous position because i would be trying to make a pass when in reality i wasn't even in possesion of the ball. The fact that the ball isn't glued to the players feet is a very realistic but became increasingly frustrating when i thought i had possesion of the ball in my 18 and tried to clear it to no avail as the ball had rolled a few feet out in front of me and into the path of an attacker. On the attack i couldn't even look remotely dangerous as i would try to beat a man with the dribble only to be muscled off the ball easily. This and the fact that many player ratings are completely generated and way off base left me cursing at EA once more. After an hour or so of playing i threw down the PS2 remote and pondered on how EA could have the onions to shove another crap simulation of soccer down our throats for our hard earned cash. I shut it off and took a look at my calender to see how much longer before PES3(Winning11 7) would be released in the states and began to cry like a little girl(dramatization). The next day i decided to give it another try(the thought of $45 down the drain kills me). As i began to play i started to realize a few things. The fact that i had extreme difficulty mounting any kind of attack was just a sign of how realistic the game really is because after all soccer can be very frustrating and requires patience much like this game. After i perfected the simple tackle and became accustomed to having the ball constantly rolling in front of me i began to take part in some really competitive matches with scores of 0-0, 1-1, 2-1.... thats all i ask for. I have had the game a few days now and it hasn't felt repetitive yet. IMO by far the best soccer simulation ever realesed by EA and a serious competitor to the Konami series. PROS: >realistically difficult and frustrating gameplay >outstanding graphics >much improved stadiums and crowds. >variable crowd attandances(not always accurate) >wear and tear on players through out a match as they get dirty from flopping around. >wear and tear on fields through out the season. >outstanding soundtrack >career mode is a step in right direction >some players really look like real life counterparts >return of training mode CONS: >many incorect player attributes and ratings >many players look nothing like real life counterparts >career mode in need of much improvement and refinements >shooting too easy(I scored a number of 40yard blasts into the corner of the net) >the menus are some of the worst i have ever seen Rating: 8/10
Although a lot of players do look nothing like the real player, I was also amazed by how real some players did look (for examples, score a goal with Ruud Van Nistelrooy or Ole Gunnar Solkjaer of Man U and you'll see how good some of these players look). I too noticed how easy shooting is. Pretty much all my goals are 40 yard blasts or set pieces. Overall, I really like the game and think its an improvement over 2003 (I would be set if I could just get a creation center and also figure out how to unlock the 3rd kits)
Well, if you have it on PC, they are making it to fuse with the Total Club Manager series. So you can do all kinds of managing things in career mode. That's the only reason why I purchased it this year. Other than that, I was actually not going to by the FIFA title for the first time in my life. The thought of being able to use the team I manage and play with it made me drool, I can't wait for TCM to come out.
Re: Re: Final FIFA 2004 opinions.. Well, I can help with the third kits. You can either get them through the EA Sports BIO thing, they give you a league's kits for every few levels you gain. The other way is to beat every team in that league. If you go to the Hall of Kits, you'll see that all the kits have locks on them. To open the home and away kits, just beat that team. When you beat every team, you get the third kits. I'd also like to add that the Crowds really are fantastic. I just played against Real Madrid at home, and you can actually hear the Capo leading the chants with his megaphone. Almost brought a tear to my eye
Re: Re: Re: Final FIFA 2004 opinions.. Thats my problem; I'll go play a team, beat them, and immediately go the hall of kits and they are still locked! Thats why i'm really annoyed (i really think there must be some flaw with the game cause i go on to my BIO and it says I've played like 10 games and have a winning % of 0 even though I'm like 9-1) Thanks a lot anyway!
ok 3 quick questions on the game for anybody who has the game 1) know if it has real live crowd noises from any mls team for example metros possibly or fire and dc?...and does it still have the korean chants?. 2)how updated are the metros lineup and us national team 3) how updated are the mls kits?
Right now I'm very frustrated with FIFA 2004 on Playstation 2. I was just playing my MLS career mode and to my amazement, 14 games into the season the announcer declared that I had won the championship. The season still continues, but now after each game, the training screen doesn't come up. Now what? Also, they don't even have the real MLS season format, just a single conference with all the teams against each other. And last year's uniforms! Also, I can't seem to use my USB Linksys network card to play online. Also, Clint Mathis was just injured on June 21 and his estimated arrival date for getting back is June 7. Eddie Pope's estimated arrival date was June 14, but two weeks after that mark, he's still not off the injured list. As a positive, I noticed that the training did seem to be paying off somewhat. I was able to take players on more. Galvan, coming in off the bench, was able to dribble around two defenders to score a great goal. I wish I had bought the PC version so I could at least hope for a patch, but as it is, seems like I'm stuck.
Don't know about the korean chants, but there are really no MLS specific chants. I on't know how accurate it is, but i'll give you their line up in a minute. Well, this is probably the most confusing thing about the game to me. There are some new kits, and some old ones. The Fire have their new kits, though the player's number is right on top of the "FIRE" and "CHICAGO" on the front of the shirts(clearly a mistake because it looks very bad). Kansas City has the new kits, DC has their new kits, SanJose has the new home kit, but the old away kit. LA has the old kits all around. Not too sure about the rest. I haven't played too many MLS teams.
Well then, I guess i don't have to post the line-up, unless you want me too. But i would like to mention that that injury return date thing frustrates me as well. It really doesn't make any sense.
The Metros line-up is acurate in the sense that everyone that should be there is there except for Ju-slow-wiak who joined the the team late in the year. Now the ratings of the Metro players and many other MLS teams aren't what u would call acurate. Eddie Pope got a 64... and i think Ziadie got a 64!?!? c'mon! Johnny Walker... one of the top MLS keepers is rated a 61 just like the Metos's backup keeper Paul Grafer!?!? Now without the creation center.. u cant even fix EA's mistakes. Oh yeah.... Ricardo Clark is white!! And Eddie Gaven has facial hair and looks nothing like a 17yr old.
The lack of a Creation Center on the console is one of the biggest reasons why I'm against buying this game. I don't understand why EA ever took that out. Maybe because the CC prolongs the life and fun of the game so if you hear bad things about next year's FIFA series, no worries, just keep playing the current game and use the CC to adjust your team roster and ratings for that season and wait till the following FIFA series. Meaning: EA loses money. I think I'll hold out until they bring the CC back for the console (if hey ever). I would rather have that than a team management feature.
Its a really good game though... by far the closest EA has ever come to the simulation of real soccer. BY VERY FAR!! Its the stupid little things that hurt an otherwise great game..
i think this is an alright game. and as some of you mentioned the dribbling isnt that good. i think it might be almost impossible to just go past a defender with a cut, or hesitation move.
Soccer simulation?? Now correct me if i'm wrong (I bought the game a week ago and returned it after about 10 games to get Tony Hawk), but if I remember correctly there were too physics problems with the game: 1. The ball bounces of a player's leg as if it were a flat surface, as opposed to a more cylindrical shape. 2. If a player is dribbling the ball and another player runs across it, unless the player without possession presses tackle, little to nothing happens (EG the ball is attached to the attacker's leg almost) Ok other than there are still a few problems. 3. Jeff Agoos can catch Thierry Henry. Or Zambrotta can rip 30 yard crackers. 4. There is no way to dribble around an opponent. Yes I understand you get musclede off the ball in the real game, but it seems as if they push the player in what would be a foul in real life. I mean Christian Vieri gets knoicked of the ball with a challenge by Demarcus Beaseley. Although I do like the way corners are taken.
You are right... but still not close enough. You must all now either wait for Winning Eleven 7 or get Winning Eleven 6... I think WE7 is also called Pro Evolution Soccer 3. While these games lack a specific button that fools an opponent you can use things like stepovers followed by a cut in one direction or simple changes of direction to beat players. Timing is everything, from sprinting down the wing to catch a bouncing ball (ie, if you run too fast you will over run the ball and have to slow down which means the defender will get good position and likely win the ball), to headers and shooting. Guess what, its possible to score from outside the box, in fact, I score probably 1/3 or Schevchenko's goals from outside the area. One of the best aspects of this game is the use of strength and balance, defenders with great strength will win 50/50 balls and be able to use their shoulder without fouling an opponent to win the ball. Attackers with great speed and balance complemented by some strength can weave through defenders and stay on their feet after partial tackles, while players like Wiltord and Heskey, while strong, hardly ever regain possesion after a tackle because their response is not as high as say Totti (who can dribble damn near everyone). Style of play actually counts in WE6... I can play my own specially created formation and play conservative and give up no goals, but if i cant score i can push forward my dmids and try and get a goal, at the risk of giving one up... This beats all FIFA games due to the tactical options and strategies available and the thinking required, with fifa it has been all about button pressing. In WE6 you need to find the weak point of your opponent and attack it, unless its manu against Celtic which means its a pretty easy game. I won the CL final (not called that though, they dont have the license) playing against Juve by sitting back and letting them push 6-7 and sometimes 8 men forward and then sending my players off in a counter attack because when they had 5 or more men back I could not penetrate their defense.
Yes, soccer simulation. That is in fact what every game is intented to be. Did anyone say it was the perfect soccer simulation? NO. The point i was simply trying to make is that compared to prior attempts by EA at the simulation of real soccer, Fifa 2004 is by far the closest thing to it. Another point i was trying to make is that real life soccer is very frustrating in the sense that it is hard to string a number of good attacking passes together to become dangerous. In real life it is hard to beat an opponent with a dribble or cut numerous times in one game. How many times in a real life soccer match do u see a player dribble past 4-5 opponenets in one play. Not very often i would imagine. This is is why soccer is a very low scoring game and consists of the usual scorelines 0-0, 1-0, 2-1 etc.. Fifa 2004 does a great job of recreating that aspect of soccer. This game shows that EA is at least trying... and in the next version or two we could end up with a great game that surpasses Winning and what not. Combined with real players and teams.. what more could u ask for??
That's actually what I'm looking for in a game. I don't want EA to give me a button that allows me to beat defenders. I want EA to give me all the tools I need (fakes, step overs, sprints, etc..) to beat a defender on my own. If I beat my opponent I don't want it to be because I pushed a button! I want it to be because I outplayed him. Because I knew how to time my moves and runs. I wish EA would implement this in their FIFA games. Again, it just allows the user to have more control of his team and players so beating an opponent depends more on his skills and strategy and not just pushing a magic button (FIFA 2001 had that... if you were ever down and losing just run down the wing, cross the ball, double tap the shoot button and you would automatically score on a bicycle kick). Hey, how are the corner kicks and free kicks in the game? Is a direct free kick (shot on goal) similar to FIFA 2003 (with the target and ball spin controll)? Can you specifically target/aim who you want the ball to go to when it's a goal kick? Can you specifically target/aim who you want the ball to go to when it's an indirect free kick?
In WE there is no arrow, or pointer, u judge where the ball is going based on how the player stands over the ball (all players have a standard angle that they use to kick the ball after you get used to it, aiming becomes simpler) As far as aiming indirect kicks and goal kicks, you can aim in a general direction, if there is no player in that area then, oh well. Also this game allows you to switch the modes of passing from something like *auto search (this will play the ball to a player in the direction you press) *auto pass (this will play the ball forward to a fitting target the computer decides) and *manual (you control the specific angle for the pass) You have to weight them each properly for best results * these are not the exact menu names, i forget them right now but you should get the point... Also an interesting addition is the manual short pass... you know sometimes you hold up and right to pass to your right wing streaking up the flank and the ball goes to your striker instead? Well you usually curse, but you can not plabe the computer anymore, the right analog stick is now a manual pass which means any direction you tap it in (its pressure sensitive for proper weighting) the ball will go at specifically that angle. Crossing is where this game is great. Holding L1 swings the ball towards the middle otherwise the cross is aimed at a player. Holding R2 wil raise the trajectory of the cross or send it far post, depending on how hard you hit the ball. Double tapping the cross button (o) will send a low cross (around chest height, perfect for diving headers or leaning forward, or volleys far post) also tapping the cross button three times will send a cross on the ground (rarely works, like in real life, unless there is no defender close to the target) Soccertes, if you can get by the fact that Rivaldo has Italian parents since he is called Ravoldi in this game then you will love it. I miss the complete kits and correct names, but hell, nothing beats playing a nice ball to Schevchenko, watching him shield off a defender and then turn cutting inside, then out, watch the defender stumble and hesitate and with a grin, lash a shot from outside the area and beat the keeper...
I like this game. I hate how it seems that attributes have no bearing on the gameplay. I don't like how I'm not able to beat a defender off the dribble. They need to fix this. Also, Hull City are in Division 1 and hopefully moving on to the Premiership!
You took the words out of my mouth. Like the original poster I too buy EA every year out of curiosity (and blow $50 in the process). I've had FIFA 04 for a couple of days now and while I admit that it's immensely better than the last couple of farces, it still lacks that "style of play". WE6 was so intuitive after the learning curve ramps up that you almost forget you're playing a video soccer game. For this reason, you don't need all the "crowd-specific chants" and licenses because you get so caught up in the strategy and finding the weaknesses in your opponents that you don't really hear the chants or see the actual kits. I own Tiger Woods 04, Madeen 04 and NHL 04 and by far FIFA has the worst management options of these other EA titles. Why can't I tweak a formation in FIFA (like I can in WE6)? Why can't I generally play defensive but allow my left back to play up a little further to exploit a weakness in the opposing teams right side? These are all options in WE6 and used to be in FIFA (see RTWC 98). Also, what's with the prestige points? Why can't they just let you collect revenue from tv, stadiums and merchandising like real soccer - I mean if I play in a championship game and there are 80000 fans in the stadium, I should get the money that goes to my bottomline. In this idiotic "prestige" format, I also have to achieve certain objectives. is this a sports sim or an RPG? EA is definitely going in the right direction but only gets points for being better than they used to be, not by comparing it to current competetion (see WE6 or WE7) which still blow it away!!
this game is much more difficult than Fifa 2003 and I expect it to have a longer shelf life for that reason. Problems - virtually impossible to beat someone off the dribble - even Zidane gets robbed all the time. But it's much more difficult to score unless you create space for a good shooter, which is a lot harder to do in this game. No more walking the ball in through the central defense. I'm disappointed that they did not include champion's league and custom tournaments, but I like the game so far.
FIFA 2004 doesn't have custom tournaments or even a generic Champion's league? This is what kills me! I don't care if EA takes all the tournaments away, but at least give me the custom tournament so I can create and play the tournments EA neglects to put in! Hey mtkillamanjohno.When you wrote: Were you talking about FIFA or WE7/Pro Evolution Soccer?
I like it for one reason only: FINALLY I can be QPR without spending 6 hours in the creation centre. HAHAHAHAH!!!