Mini review, after about a dozen matches with the full, NTSC PS3 version:
Firstly, I need to say that Konami definitely get some things about football. There's so much right about this game:
- Dribbling is nailed on. With skilled players you feel empowered, with unskilled you feel silly. It doesn't require 'fireball' esque button combinations to beat a man with a good dribbler, as it shouldn't.
- Shooting is solid, though occasionally seems to ignore where you tell it to shoot (left/right side of goal). But it is satisfying and you can score from anywhere (my biggest gripe about FIFA is that saves seem pre-determined).
- Player individuality for your team is great. I can 'feel' the difference between players easily, and even with the crap graphics tell who is who by their movements
- Randomness is beautiful. I missed a penalty that hit the cross bar twice, without going over the line (a la Bryan Ruiz against Chelsea). Had an own goal where the cross deflected off two players into another defenders standing leg and in. It looked perfect
- As always, Konami have nailed the faces, some staggeringly correct ones in there.
- ML is going to be crazy addictive, with one caveat as below. And generally, there are enough modes in here to keep me happy.
Now the bad bits
- The vs. CPU game has been broken for years, and is still broken. Just as an exercise, I counted, in 3 matches, the number of ‘loose’ headers that went to one of my players, or when my player was ‘allowed’ to get to a loose ball first. In 3, 15 minute matches there were 5 such moments. Probably upwards of 50 went to the CPU. It is scripted, it’s that simple. A 50/50 ball that is equidistant from your lightning quick striker and their lumbering defender will be reached by the big defender first.
- I’m actually quite good at defending now, but my tactic is to turn ‘auto’ tackle for your teammates, and block lanes. Because I can’t tackle the CPU. My CPU controlled teammates are good at it though. So I let them do it. It’s not the least bit satisfying, but hey, it works.
- Every team might as well be a random set of individuals wearing different kits. I’ve played all 12 matches against different teams, and every single one, regardless of player, position, skill level whatever – they all attack the same way. There are 2 strategies:
1. Pick up ball, run towards goal. If stopped, either perform unstoppable close control skill to skin defender (sometimes with the ball going THROUGH the defenders foot) or exploit the space left by the uncontrolled, idiotic CB who runs forward, leaving a man behind him.
2. Run down the wing. If challenged, 9/10 tackles result in a throw in to the CPU, who then keeps going down the wing. Eventually they isolate your full back, and they will get their cross in. It may take a few tries, but with bobbles always going to them, it will come.
Now yes, you can tell who their ‘fast’ players are, and from some of the misses I can tell who their ‘strikers’ are. But if I go in to tackle a centre back, he can just as easily ‘hop’ away from me as anyone else. This leads to another thing that pisses me off:
- The CPU knows it’s not going to lose the ball. Hence, the majority of time, the keeper/ defender will just pass to another CPU player in their box. Regardless of the conditions of the match, how much pressure they, how close one of my players is etc. Because they know that I will not be allowed to make a tackle.
- And overall, that’s my problem with the game. It feels on rails. Not all the time, not like 8 way directional rails or something. But it feels like there are 1 in 10 interactions with the game that are pre-determined a few steps in advance.
Conclusions:
- I’ll keep playing it because I can’t stand FIFA 10 or 11. I’d imagine that around Christmas I’ll give 12 a try, but this is still the best way to get your footie fix.
- If the community can make CPU controlled teams feel different, then I’ll start to like it. At the moment the ML is useless to me because not only do you feel like every match is the same, but Wigan are sometimes harder to play against then City.
- Konami need to take a year out or something. This game isn’t finished, it’s sloppy, buggy and while some will find that endearing video games are big business now. It’s irresponsible to release something that requires a few patches to make it playable. Especially something that, ironically, has evolved so little in the last 10 years.