FIFA Street
Overview -
Going by both soccer and football, the beautiful game is humanity’s favourite sport. Played on just about every landmass on our planet, it draws record numbers of spectators and their passion is well documented. Not surprisingly, many video game releases have featured the cleat and ball game, with Electronic Arts’ FIFA franchise being the most popular of all.
For years, arcade sports games have meant good business when they’re done right. Midway capitalized on that knowledge in the 90s and Electronic Arts has picked up the proverbial torch with revamps of the now bankrupt company’s intellectual properties like NFL Blitz. However, EA has also created its own over-the-top versions of different sports, including FIFA Street, which just received its fourth iteration.
Video Review
Featuring a road show that makes stops in visually renowned cities like Dubai, Paris, New York and Amsterdam, FIFA Street’s World Tour mode is a visceral treat. Each region’s culture is represented in its court, as well as its quick opening cinematic. Highlights include an eight-bit Parisian court and a floating tile masterpiece that can be found in a digital representation of Venice. If the ball goes out of bounds, it’s destined to meet either a stone bridge or a great amount of water.
It’s the courts that really make the action pop. They’re so great-looking that it’s hard to get bored of seeing the same one over and over again throughout the course of a six game tourney. In fact, these are some of the best sports game locations that I’ve ever seen. Unfortunately, the players’ animations aren’t as impressive, with some rather forgettable ones amidst others which look good but not great. You’ll have to forgive running animations that repeatedly stop and then start again mid-dash.
The inclusion of popular European club teams, Major League Soccer organizations and international teams makes well-known players available. They will act as competition during later stages of World Tour mode, but can only be taken for use when they’re defeated in a street challenge. It’s nice that superstars can be added, but the game’s achievement list counteracts that by offering awards for leveling up eight created stars. If you become good at that, those team members will end up being better than the million-dollar celebrities. Granted, they do look pretty good.
Audio Review
FIFA Street doesn’t have any memorable audio elements. The basic sounds it does offer are very ho-hum, uninspired and utterly forgettable. Minimal chatter can be heard during matches, as the game generally rests on its laurels by using music to keep armchair athletes engaged. That mixture of electronica and hip-hop fits in well, and sounds quite good, but the same songs are repeated ad nauseum. It’s hard to fault their fidelity, however.
One nice touch was the inclusion of international announcers. While playing in Japan, the showcased arena’s announcer will speak in his native tongue. The same occurs in every other hotspot, meaning that you’ll get a bit of an education as you play. Those voice over actors count down the last 10 seconds in each half, announce goal totals and declare a winner. Other than those occurrences, their voices aren’t used very often, which is a shame.
In the end, FIFA Street is a decent game that could have been a lot better. I can’t help but feel that EA Canada missed its mark with this one, although they still delivered a relatively enjoyable experience. Those who were expecting something pulse pounding and incredibly unique won’t find that here, but hardcore footie fans will find a mild amount of enjoyment from this release. Casual fans will want to rent or borrow it instead of making a $60 purchase, because they’ll probably get bored after a week or so.
