I've always enjoyed played soccer games. I started with ISS on the SNES and have been hoping from game to game ever since.

I was quite disappointed with FIFA 2006... and here is why...

Graphics:
The animations are generally good, although when the players run there is something odd about it.
The textures could use quite some work, they are ugly on closer shots. Quite a few details seem to detract from the game.

Sound:
Few complaints here, some musics just don't seem to fit it, but they are generally good. The crowd and the narrations are well done.

Gameplay:

Here is where it all crumbles apart, of course. While the gameplay is mostly obvious (traditional soccer gameplay), there are some parts to it that just don't feel right. For instance, how you feel that there is not much control over passes, shots and tackles. Sometimes it will recognize passes as low shots, sometimes crosses will be over-head shots... Plain annoying. Or how easy it is to lose the ball and if you try to imitate what the cpu does, it just doesn't have the same effect.

I also hate how they strip away from you the control over the players. You can only move 'em in certain conditions (example, you can move the attackers if the goal keeper has the ball), or do certain moves (you cannot slide tackle if you are away from the ball and if it is not being passed). I miss this freedom and it deeply annoys me how I cannot control a bunch of things that would help me play, even if they looks silly.

The bunch of modes avaiable is nice, variety is a good thing. The bad thing is it is just so easy to get mad at the game, because there are things that do not make any sense, at all. Specially with such poor keepers, well, at least yours. Some easy to defend shots will hit the net.

The offside is also very annoying... not the rule, but how it works in game. In one play, my player shot the ball (he was ahead of the rest of the team), the ball hits an opposing team player and returns to the foot of another player of my team... which was now ahead of everyone. Since when is this considered offside? Exactly, never.

Some teams seem completely unbalanced, having some ranked worst actually performing better.

One thing that annoys me dearly is the controls outside the matches. Moving around the interface is annoying, instead of having simpler-one-button ways to use it, you have to constantly move your mouse trying to see what you selected because the music information overlays the selection...

All in all, I'd say Fifa 2006 is a pretty frustating experience. If you want a fun soccer game, stick with Winning Eleven. Actually, stick with any other game, it is hard to beat this one on mediocreness.

--Otto