FIFA Street 2 – Review

FIFA Street 2 is the sequel to EA Sports’ commercially successful 2005 arcade soccer title, FIFA Street (which is in itself a spin-off of the popular NFL Street and NBA Street). Part of the EA Sports BIG catalogue—all of which feature extreme sports or traditional games with an arcade feel—the game is meant to appeal not necessarily to the soccer-sim enthusiast, but to a more casual, trendy gamer.

FIFA Street 2 moves soccer from the hallowed grounds of legendary football pitches and into worldwide urban locations. The game features 4-on-4 soccer action (instead of the usual 11-on-11) and allows the player to create their own footballer and progress him through the ranks of the street soccer circuit. As the created footballer improves and passes certain tasks, they earn Skill Bills, which can be used to buy more talent, after which professional soccer players are more likely to clamour to join the team.

A major component of the game is its trick points system, which awards points based on successfully deking opponents and combining tricks with team-mates. The more often the player can keep the ball away from the other team while performing different skill moves, the more points they earn and the stronger the eventual shot on goal will be. Amassed trick points also contribute towards an aggregate total that fills up a Gamebreaker meter; when the meter is full, the player races to a spot on the field/court and is given a short amount of slow-motion time to skilfully beat opponents and shoot at goal—complete with a trail of blazing fire.

Did we mention that FIFA Street 2 isn’t a realistic soccer sim?

The majority of playing time in FIFA Street 2 is spent in ‘Rule the Street’ mode, where players advance through their street-soccer career. By participating in tournaments, challenging rivals, and unlocking more levels, players progress through the game, eventually earning a place on their chosen soccer star’s international squad. The included mini-games can range from straight-up soccer matches (where the team with the most goals wins) to contests in which teams must amass a certain amount of trick points before their opponents, or score a certain amount of Gamebreaker goals.

This extreme take on soccer—the world’s most popular game—will certainly appeal to some audiences. There is a decent amount of customisation available, from designing an assigned home court to creating a specific and personalised soccer player, and unlocking new kit fashions for them. The gameplay itself is also fairly deep, and it is not the type that can be beaten in one afternoon with very little effort. Still, the game is not without its faults.

One of the major issues with most ‘extreme’ games is the tendency towards button mashing through the control system, and FIFA Street 2 is no different in that regard. There are literally hundreds of different moves and tricks to be performed with the help of the right thumbstick, also known as the ‘Trick Stick’. Unfortunately, since only a small glossary of tricks is available in the actual game manual and in the game itself, most of the possible combinations are left to the player’s own motivational experimentation. The process is sadly reminiscent of wrestling or skateboarding games where any combination will do something, but the A.I. opponents do not react negatively or positively to your lack of creativity.

As if the button mashing in FIFA Street 2 weren’t bad enough, the controls also tend to be somewhat unresponsive. Even the best players on offer are not particularly agile, and when this occurs in the cramped environment of a dusty Brazilian back lot, there’s not a lot that can be done. Overrunning is also common, as is bumping into walls (though for some reason that doesn’t affect a players’ control of the ball). The only time on-screen players appear athletic is when utilising the Trick Stick, but that is simply a matter of the game executing pre-programmed moves rather than human ability to move a player quickly and effectively around the playing surface.

Unfortunately, FIFA Street 2 also lacks an extensive practice mode that would allow for the honing of different skills; there’s a juggling mini-game and a few very basic tutorials, but players must rely on in-game experience to learn and become comfortable with new combinations and moves.

The graphics of FIFA Street 2 are fairly below average for a 2006 release. The soccer players perform intricate moves and the game is crisp and clear, but it’s really nothing special. Player models look fairly accurate, and all of your favourite footballing stars are here representing their respective national teams. Unfortunately, there’s not much consideration for who these players are outside of their generic rankings (like ‘Power’ or ‘Shot’); shouldn’t it be harder to pop the ball over the head of 6′7″ Peter Crouch than 5′7″ Michael Owen? You’d think so, but it’s not.

There is also occasional wonkiness with the game camera, which can lead to opponents scoring because the ball isn’t even on the screen, something that should never happen in a game where, in theory, it should be easy to centre the camera on the ball and follow its movements.

Gamers with hearing difficulties will be able to enjoy FIFA Street 2 at nearly the same level as their unimpaired counterparts. While the game does have a soundtrack and in-game commentary (and taunts), none of it is important for the progression of the game. All useful information appears on-screen: in the game selection screen, there are full text descriptions of each type of mini-game available, and in the game itself players are provided with helpful visual clues in lieu of audio, including “Goal!” at the top of the screen, and a glowing red bar when the Gamebreaker meter is full. This is a wonderful, inclusive addition to FIFA Street 2, as it allows players to fully experience the game regardless of any hearing difficulties.

Sadly, however, one thing deaf gamers will not be able to take advantage of are the tutorials, which give audio descriptions of how to perform basic moves. Thankfully these lessons are not fundamental to enjoyment or gameplay.

Female gamers will have to look elsewhere for gender representation, because it is non-existent in FIFA Street 2. While there are understandably no women on the international team squads, the Create A Player mode would have been an excellent opportunity to turn the game toward gender-inclusive fun. Instead, women must create ‘themselves’ as men, and while this is not unheard of in the gaming industry (particularly in sports games), the Create A Player mode in FIFA Street 2 is fairly deep customisation-wise. The game gives full control over many different parameters, and it boggles the mind why the developers thought it was so important to include gamers of different races, body types and general looks, but not different gender.

FIFA Street 2 falls into the realm of the new generation of extreme, larger-than-life sports titles. Fans of sports simulations may groan at the mere sight of these games, as they lack all sense of realism in the gameplay (besides, when have you ever gone to a rundown London parking lot to play soccer and run into Wayne Rooney, who was desperate to join your team?). But, for gamers who like to rocket-launch shots or gain style points as opposed to goals, FIFA Street 2 is a decent enough title. It has its faults and doesn’t astound in any specific areas, but the premise is interesting, it has a lot of depth in its gameplay, and it’s fun for gamers who aren’t remotely interested in the offside rule or red cards.

Review by Sharon

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