Alright folks. I must tell all of you that I am a raving European Soccer Fanatic! (or Football as I like to call it. Because, well, it just makes much more sense! Considering the literal understanding of the word, AND I just think the Europeans have it right.) I never put the sport's news out of reach at all times, and even when i do i get cramps like a female who's birth control pills went horribly wrong..... OK, that was a bit much.



As you might expect, being a member of such a website as Destructoid, I am also an avid gamer, and that would definitely be the right idea. So, put the 2 together, and you get an Avid Soccer Gamer! I have proudly played the Pro Evolution Soccer series on PS2 into the wee hours of any day in which i get a chance, for the past 2 years of my life! (sorry Euros, i know i am late, but after all, I am American ;) so i have not discovered the greatness until late)

Even though this game is amazing and probably the most addicting game i have ever played in my life, It can also be the most frustrating game EVER because of many different reasons: whether it be 1: I cannot seem to score against a team I know I should be owning, 2: I blow a huge lead and let the team own me with 3 goals in the last 15 minutes, or 3: I JUST miss a goal that would have been the greatest one seen this side of the Atlantic! (much respect Euros :)



Now given, all of these frustrations are usually caused by my 6 hour gaming spells on the game and i just get burned out, but still, I sometimes get the idea that if i spend this much time loving the game, then it would return me the favor, and THAT is where i go wrong.



So, what has happened lately when i am frustrated with PES? I turn to FIFA.

FIFA and i have a long and frustrating relationship. Unlike PES, I have been ATTEMPTING to enjoy playing FIFA for about 13 years. I have received SO MANY pleasures from the series in many different facets of it's design. However, I have absolutely one HUGE problem with the series: GAMEPLAY!



Ever since the series' debut: "FIFA International Soccer" in 1993, I have yet to play a FIFA game where i could actually get the satisfaction of not having to yell at my team's players for not running into the OBVIOUS open space. The sad thing is that down to this VERY DAY FIFA 08 lives up to this standard.

The game is probably the best LOOKING AND SOUNDING sports game on the market (for Xbox 360 & PS3) with all of it's superbly polished menus, amazingly real grass textures and color, kinetic player animation system, real ball physics, amazing number of licenses, cool trick system, ridiculous audio quality, and numerous, inane statistics and values...

Yet, whenever i hold LB (or L1 on PS3) and tap the pass button, i expect the player which passes the ball to go on a SPRINTING run.... What happens is more like a lollygagging jog into the space, so the impending 1-2 i was trying to set-up ends up being stopped by a defender that is clearly outnumbered and outclassed. I don't get why i must play for 30 minutes on professional sometimes just to get 1 goal. (sure this may be the adjustment period from just shutting PES down, and switching to FIFA, but COME ON!) I don't get why in order to see more than 4 passes strung together, i must labor in gameplay that is as slow as my 85 year old Grandfather taking a piss . Absolute RUBBISH.... I enjoyed FIFA 07 more than this one! Loaded with ANGER and FRUSTRATION every time i lose the ball, because i know i will have to spend the next 10 minutes trying to make successful passes, i almost hurl my Xbox 360 controller into the wall!



This is when i finally make the decision to dump this game back into GameStop's store and spend the returned funds on something worth my money. The sad thing about this all is that i have always been too lazy and brainwashed by some "Amazing new Skill or Trick or Feature" that EA Sports SUPPOSEDLY throws into their game every year. Well BY GEORGE!!! That will NOT HAPPEN AGAIN!



Sure, your David Beckham looks mighty lovely in this HD FIFA 08, but if i can't get him to pass it where i want to, Who The Hell Cares!!!

Peace to all you FIFA lovers, Just venting Mates, Just Venting.
FORZA BARCA! FORZA JUVE! FORZA ARSENAL!