-response is still average
I don't find this at all, seems fine, the player momentum may make it seem unresponsive but that's just realistic. Also, if you're sprinting then the player will obviously perform the action after you press the button as they need to reach the ball
-Animation cycle still makes it feel clunky
Not that sure what you mean, but if you mean that animations can't be interrupted then what's bad about that? I'd rather have that than ugly animations which can be "cancelled" at almost any point, making them look even worse ala PES
-headers still lack power
I have done some very powerful headers, with players steaming in with late runs and powering it in and defensive headers seem to go a fair distance with X/B, but I agree about standing headers being a bit weak
-ball still feels floaty and light with passing and crossing
That's too vague, the passing seems very realistic and the crossing has been especially improved for 09, they can really be whipped in Beckham-esque now
I think some people's views on how heavy/light/floaty a football is is blurred by what it was like in PES, with the ball knocking players over etc. A football is light and hangs in the air for some time when played long.
-shooting is improved but just never gives me the same satisfaction as any PES ever......still feels weightless
Again, the weight/floatiness of a football issue here.
I think the shots get too much backspin, but apart from that they seem just as good as they have in PES
I think the fact that the keepers are fairly realistic in 09 makes shooting frustrating to some people because in PES the keepers would let shots in from anywhere, on FIFA you need to think more about when to shoot/where to shoot from. Finesse shots very impressive to me on 09, their trajectory seems very realistic.
PES "controlled shots" (essentially the same concept as FIFA "finesse shots") never impressed me, and you never felt like the player was trying to wrap their foot around the ball to bend it into the corners, it just felt like a less powerful shot with a bit more accuracy.