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FIFA 2004 Review
Chris Leyton
03/11/2003
Can the latest version of FIA continue to rebuild the franchise...
Whilst weâre all die-hard âPro Evoâ fanatics at the TVG Office, it must be said that EA deserve recognition for steadily improving the âFIFAâ franchise.
âFIFA 2004â is essentially based on last yearâs version, widely considered as a massive improvement and a step forward for the franchise. However the guys at EA havenât been lazy with this yearâs version, and have implemented a number of new ideas and game modes to keep footie fans happy.
The major addition to the âFIFAâ series this year is the inclusion of the âOff-the-Ballâ system. Designed to give playerâs greater freedom for player runs into space, the system works by holding onto the Left shoulder button and switching between three different players. By using the right analogue stick, players can then make this player run into space and slot a pass through to him â“ well in theory. You see as with many of the new techniques introduced over the years in the âFIFAâ franchise, the âOff the Ballâ system merely confuses matters as itâs too hard to keep a check of your player on the ball and the one off it at the same time; whilst we applaud EA for trying to introduce new ideas, youâll rarely use this technique after the first few goes.
However the actual game of football isnât too bad and faithfully replicates the events of a real-life game. Whilst âFIFA 2004â may not have the fluidity or instinctive nature of the âPro Evoâ series, you can certainly enjoy a good game of football whilst the trademark presentation and attention to detail is enough to drag you away from âPro Evo 3â for short periods.
Simply put âFIFA 2004â is an absolute joy to watch, the player models displayed during the close-ups are quite frankly unbelievable, whilst the presentation throughout is very reminiscent of SKY Sports transmissions. Every little detail has been perfectly recreated, youâll recognise terrace chants from stadiums up and down the country and players animate similarly to how youâd expect. Whenever the game pauses for a close-up or a replay of an event youâd be hard pressed to distinguish the difference between this and real-life, it is quite frankly that amazing. Unfortunately the game is prone to bouts of slowdown particularly on the Playstation2 version, whilst it doesnât make the game unplayable it certainly is enough to notice and downgrade the overall look significantly. Itâs also worth noting that the actual animation system isnât a patch on âPro Evo 3â, whilst it looks impressive you can certainly notice that animations donât flow together as seamlessly as in âPro Evo 3â.
In terms of an actual game thereâs a hell of a lot on offer. The game offers an extensive Career Mode for single players, which sees you taking on virtually any club in the world and becoming their Player Manager. In this role you must select the correct training to undertake each week, secure new signings and sell off players whilst also playing the game at the end of every week. Itâs an excellent feature that provides more then enough challenge to âPro Evosâ Master League mode, and will certainly keep players entertained for months to come.
Away from this mode are the standard features that let you compete in various competitions, whilst itâs also possible to take the game online and play against others or import your team from EAâs âTotal Club Managerâ titles.
