So, I played the demo for 3 hours. Woke up early to get my hands on it before going to work. I wasn't expecting much after reading all the stuff and comments here n there. Because yeah, FIFA09 was a little better than 08,and 08 was probably just a little better than 07,but a newer FIFA was never overwhelmingly better than it predecessor. There were time's when I said, I hope they added this feature or that feature to the new version, and I was a little disappointed everytime.But I was very surprised today. The best way to put it would be to say that it had "everything" that I thought should have been there in FIFA 09.
Ill start with the AI. The AI was better than in 09, a lot of things that the humans could do and the AI couldn't do in 09, were possible in FIFA 10. For example, the chip over the head of the GK. I dun think I saw AI doing that in 09 all that often even at world class difficulty level and in FIFA 10, It has already done it at least twice and successfully too. I like it. It was too easy in 09, charge your keeper and 9 out of 10 times, you've successfully defended the goal. And I also noticed the AI actually using defensive and offensive tactics. For example there is this new tactic in the game called "side overload" which is about concentrating play on one side of the pitch leaving a winging lurking openly in the other side. So the side using the tactic can surprise an opposition by long passing the ball to the open winger on the other side. Now I actually experienced the AI doing that to me, in fact it score on a penalty when I was left with no option but to charge the keeper at the open winger.
The passing of the AI has a significant improvement. The passing is quick and more ambitious. In FIFA 09, it seemed the AI would make a pass after holding on to the ball for a particular amount of time and hence we saw the AI give away the edge at a very strong position. In FIFA 10, its easy notice how the AI would first invite a player for a challenge, and just pass the ball as soon as the player tries to pressurize the AI with a tackle or a run. So yes, the AI passing system is much better and way more complex now.
There is also a huge difference in the way the rest of the team supports the player. In fact, the gameplay overall has is more fluent.One important improvement is the pass direction system. Till FIFA 09, if a player passed the ball while pressing the "right" key, the ball will go straight to the right, even if there is a defender in the way, regardless of the empty space on either side of him. The pass could be a great pass if it was just a little away from the defender in line. And honestly, it was probably the worst of all things I dint like about FIFA 09. It was so frustrating at time. This little problem has finally been addressed in FIFA 10, a pass finds its way through multiple defenders and is capable of shifting the line of the pass slightly away from the path ordered by the key.
Speaking of passing,there is more understanding between the receiver and the sender in FIFA 10. The receiver actually pushes and shoves the defenders to receive the pass. The overall flow of the game is very different, the animations are just a touch better than in FIFA 09 and there is at least a 50% increase in the sense of freedom in general play. The much talked about 360 degree tackling makes it more interesting. It works fine, but maybe makes the game just a little slower since now the player has to go through two steps before making a 90 degree turn, but it does make the game a lot more open. Balls fall at open places rather than always ending up at someones feet.
About heading,finally the players have necks and collar bones involved in the heading. In FIFA 09, heading a pass forward to another place would kill the flow of the ball and wouldn't reach another teammate especially if its the 2nd or the 3rd touch to a pass. Now, they heading is a lot more powerful and real. i d
I haven't been able to make up my mind about shooting, it seems more realistic at first but maybe it gets too easy to score as you play on. Nonetheless, there is a huge difference in the shooting system from its predecessors. The after effects on a player are a lot more realistic though, they fall and roll after taking an awkward short more realistically. Its easier to roll the ball into the net, unlike previous games where u almost always had to smash the net.
