yeh the running and dribbling animations and feel in fifa 12 is a bit clumsy/odd/robotic? IMO
I don't how to explain this, and my english doesn't help either.
But i feel that when i'm controlling a player and making some turns to dribble or to open space for a pass or just find a good spot to shoot (not necessarily getting the marking defender behind), I don't know.. I simply don't feel a natural sense of gravity and body limitations, and theere's no much variety between players while dribbling. This also can be apllied to player movements without the ball, defenders can also recover too easy wwith impossible moves.
EA really need to focus on physical body movement with and without the ball, and also first touchs. If EA manage to sort these things out, they can make a classic game. They have the whole package, the game has very good graphics (it could be better, but i don't expect much more than this in this current gen), very good sound, very good content and for the first time (after a ong time) they have a SOLID gameplay that simply works fine (at leat from what i've seen so far), the AI is not perfect but it's way a head of the last fifa i payed, there's no comparison, and now we have space to work with the ballin possession, there's some challenge with the new tatical defending and the new collision physics is good and it will be even more improved since it's a new feature. You know... the game is good, really good, but it lacks this "something", this varied battle in one on one's with different possibilities of dribbling a player with a simple move or messing up the play with bad touchs that help defender to recover and steal the ball, the sense of players sturggling to keep the balance while dribbling as well, and of course all these depending on the player you are controlling.
I know the was probbably much discussed on here, but it really is something that frustrates me since EA, with FIFA12, has given a step with the right direction, but as i sai, they are in the half of the way to dliver us a classic and magical game.
I know this video has been posted here a long time ago, but it really summarizes many things.
EDIT: here's the video. sorry lol
YouTube - FIFA 12 demo lack of weight/inertia
Just pay attetion how quicly the defender recover. He is running in his full speed, but when the attacker brakes, he manages to recover in such speed as if he was just walking before that 180 turn.