BEST GAMES

Here we go again; FIFA 12, annually updated and bought by the masses, but is it actually worth the £40 price tag? The simple answer is _yes_; it definitely hits the back of the net. Imperfect in areas, but the sheer effort, depth and host of game modes makes it a game that will be played right up until the release of FIFA 13.

The key updates from FIFA 11 are close control, player impact engine and, perhaps the most evolutionary, tactical defending. The latter is the change you’ll notice instantly; rather than just hitting the A button and seeing your defender run aimlessly toward the ball, with tactical defending you can take a more satisfying pause, timing the tackle to perfection, and whipping the ball off the attacker’s foot. Though, if this is mistimed and you catch the player, he’ll go down like Cristiano Ronaldo in the box with a slight gust of wind. Essentially, it’s just an aesthetic change, adding to the realism of the game, but, unfortunately, it’s one of the worse changes – some of the collisions end with players being thrown 10 feet in the air.

Player likeness is life-like; in some cases it is a joy to behold, but seeing a sweaty Wayne Rooney up close on the replays is something that everyone apart from Coleen can do without.

Aside from these potentially frightening close-ups, the game is an absolute joy to play; the attention to detail is second-to-none, and instead of pushing an incomplete half-baked addition, they make damn sure the add-ons they do make are virtually flawless.  In my opinion, FIFA 12 is the closest to the real thing you can possibly get without lacing up and actually going outside, and to many it’s far more enjoyable to take AFC Wimbledon from League Two obscurity to Champions League success, than playing with jumpers for goalposts.

Words by Jack Lodge