Here at Outcyders, there's a general feeling that, while FIFA on the "next-generation" consoles like the Xbox 360 and PS3, is all well and good, it may be getting a little bit too... serious for us now. After all, while your hardcore football fans may love the ability to meticulously manage budgets on a team, and care deeply about improved ball physics - sometimes, you just want to sit down, and have a great, fun virtual kickabout. And that's what FIFA 12 on the Wii looks set to provide.
Hover football seems all the rage, now-a-days.
The follow-up to last year's cracking FIFA 11, FIFA 12 is again a game that refuses to take itself too seriously. Although it's got all the usual authentic line-ups, teams, leagues, and players you've come to know and love from the FIFA license, the gameplay here's a little bit different. Rather than putting all of their time into developing accurate ball physics, on the Wii, the emphasis is on fun, with each match being influencable by a number of powerups, that either let you infinitely sliding tackle, or even better, gives you 100% accuracy, letting you score from practically the edge of your own goalmouth.
Luckily for us, FIFA 12 looks set to keep that same arcade accessibility, whilst adding a number of new, and intriguing features into the mix. First up are the Awards, which are the game's version of achievements, and challenge you to do anything, from signing a top rated player for your team, to scoring with a goalkeeper (finally, something that rewards it!).
FIFA City. Strange idea - but it'll be interesting to see how it turns out.
The awards system, it seems, will be tied into a mode called FIFA City, a confusing sounding idea that gives you your own city, that'll grow, and get fancier as you earn awards. Growing your city, in turn, will unlock new players, kits, and power-ups, which you can then put to use in the Intercity Cup, taking on neighbouring cities in a series of tournaments.
Along with the new features, the usual suspect modes have been tweaked, too. Manager Mode promises a new transfer market that'll challenge you to balance your budget (which has us a little bit concerned, as last year's stars system, which gave you an overall star limit your team could have, and let you buy players with the stars you have left over worked fine for us), while traditional 11 v 11, 5 v 5 street games, and the Streets to Stadium (Be a Pro) mode make their triumphant return.
With any luck, we'll be getting a better look at FIFA 12 on the Wii at the German games festival, Gamescom next week. Make sure you check back soon to find out what you've got to look forward to.
