Difficulty:

Just Right

Time Spent:

100 or More Hours

The Bottom Line:

"Just plain fun"

The FIFA franchise is typical of the sporting computer game genre. Every year EA release a newer, slightly more polished version of last year's game and pass it off as new. In essence, this works, as there are usually just enough new features on offer to keep the hardcore crowd coming back for more.

This year's installment seemed largely the same; there were a few rumblings from the developer about "revamps" to the manager/be a pro modes, but EA's definition of the term was always loose.In truth, the modifications to these modes aren't ground-breaking, but they do improve them in small ways.

Far more importantly, however, are the changes wrought on the match engine. Again, they're small, but they make for a much more enjoyable overall experience. Indeed, it's thanks to these that the "Be a Pro" mode is playable for the first time in its history; your teammates still make baffling decisions at times, but overall they're smarter, and the controls of your own player are that tiny bit more intuitive.

There are still multiple problems, of course. Your goalie is still worthless the majority of the time, and the tackling system has been ramped up to such an extent that "standing tackle" has become far and away the most important stat in the game. Purists may enjoy the more responsive defensive mechanics, but too often the ability to tackle feels overpowered, and it can render games on harder modes frustrating, as you're almost reduced to waiting for a screw-up from the opposition to exploit.

Likewise, the foul system is still flawed. Sometimes you'll make what appears to be a great tackle, only for play to be halted for a foul. Sometimes this can really disrupt the flow of a game, and leave you grinding your teeth and shouting a volley of abuse at the referee (which, to be fair, may enhance the realism of the footballing experience).

Despite these caveats, however, the simple fact remains that FIFA 11 is noticeably more fun to play than almost any other FIFA game I can remember. This year, it would seem, EA have outdone themselves.