If you have liked FIFA in the past there is no reason that you won't like this with focus on the control of players and a more in depth manager mode.
After last year’s iteration being a huge success FIFA 10 had to at least reach the bar of quality FIFA 09 delivered. However on first look you may be deceived as if it wasn't for the big FIFA 10 logo you may think you have bought the wrong game, but it is only until you start to play can you feel the subtly differences that has created a more fluid and realistic football game.
The reason why the game feels different is probably because this time you have 360 degree control over each player, meaning you don't have a set eight ways to turn. This may not sound a big change but now running down the side line is much more difficult than in previous games which change your whole play style if you like to play wide. The control you gain means that dodging players is much smoother and the precision of your shots are much greater. Also on the animation front the players react much more realistically. For instance if you do a long through ball players on your team will try and dodge the ball so it gets to the player you want it to. Another instance is when you are fighting for position against another player, you will now see a jostle between the two players and this adds another stat on the players so now if Drogba or Rooney are faced in this scenario the chances are that they will be able to fend off the defenders, whilst players such as Robinho and Torres may not be as strong.
Of course the A.I has been significantly improved; especially the goalies as you will see them pull off more unique saves and will look different most times instead of the scripted keepers in the past. All the players also have a much more round physical feel as players will react just as in real football, so defenders are more likely to win a jostle between attackers, but attackers will have better control so are more nimble.
Another tweak to the gameplay is free kicks. Now you can take quick free kicks and not have t o go into a cut-scene like position. More interestingly though is the introduction of set piece creations. If you’re in the Arena menu and go into the practice mode then from here you can create a set piece. These can be mapped to one of four directions on your d-pad and used whenever you get a free kick or corner in offline matches or unranked online matches. Again on the subtle front, the referee will try and dodge out the way of the ball and when giving out a card you will not always be take out of the game to see the referee throw a card in your face. All of these mechanics adds to a much smoother experience to the game when playing and makes it the most fluid FIFA game to date.
The manager mode has also been greatly improved adding a bigger emphasis on player progression, rotation and feeding real life stats into your career. It will reward your ability to pick and choose get transfer opportunities and has a great emphasis on playing the mode as a real life manager, so playing several seasons switching between clubs and rating your ability as a manager through stars.
The Virtual Pro builds on the concept of Be a Pro that was added in FIFA 09 making you create your own player to put into any team you wish. This character can be manually created in the game or you can go to the FIFA website and upload an image to get a greater likeness to you. The only problem has been an overloaded server so it has been difficult to upload a simple image and map it to a character. Once you have made your character most of the game modes you use him in will add to his stats. For example in the practice arena just scoring goals will improve your player’s accuracy. This implements into most offline game modes and is a good progression to see your player build through the ranks.
The old game modes return from the previous FIFA including 10 on 10 Be a Pro online but the interface online has been slightly streamlined making it easier to find the game mode you wish. In fact the whole user interface will look very familiar with the beating music in the background and the arena used as a hub. However as some of the new features blend into the old ones it is difficult to find what you wish to play or you may not understand what something does. EA have tried their best to put tutorial videos to help you voiced by Martin Tyler. In fact speaking of the commentary it is as good as the last game still having the witty banter between the two.
FIFA 10 on the front end is not all that different but the small changes made have easily put this above the previous game. The animations run smoother, problems with FIFA 09 tweaked probably after community feedback and just over all more fluidity to the gameplay. The 360 degree control is truly the biggest addition and the Virtual Pro is a step in the right direction for the Be a Pro game mode. This is FIFA 10, so let's.