For being an American, I'm a pretty big fan of soccer. Along with that, I've really enjoyed
the FIFA series on this generation of consoles. I like how they reworked the engine to have
better ball physics and great animations. While FIFA '08 had its flaws, it was still pretty
good, and the quality of the FIFA games is catching up to the PES series.

Recently, EA Sports started showing off some of the upcoming '09 sports games, but they
haven't shown much of FIFA '09 yet. So I used my awesome internet skills (Google) and I
was able to dig up a little information on FIFA '09.



First off, the game has an improved AI system. What EA has given each player an area
around them that they watch. Depending on the situations, their behaviors will change. It is
supposed to be a lot more realistic than '08. Also, your teammates are smarter off the ball.
So no more of passing to an area where a player should be, but he doesn't get the pass.

They have also fixed the responsiveness of the game. This means that they game will
recognize the input from the controller a lot better than in the past. The game will feel more
fluid because of this.

EA also reworked the physics of collisions. In the past, the games never took into account
the strength and the weight of the to players that were battling for a ball. Now that has all
changed. Players that are stronger will go down less. Also, collisions are specific to different
areas of the body. So if a player gets hit in the leg while it is planted, there is a good
chance he will go down, and maybe be injured. The player with the ball will also be able to
dodge tackles now. This makes for more realistic gameplay.

Some more features include:

- Improved graphics and lighting system. There will also be a fully implemented weather
system that can and will affect the conditions on the pitch. If you watched the UEFA
Champions League final, you will know that weather can change a lot about a soccer match.
- Ability to tinker with formations and how your team plays. According to EA, there are
thousands of different combinations of different factors, like defensive style, offensive style,
if you want your team organized or running freely, etc. They say it changes a lot about the
way FIFA is played.
- Referees on the field, finally. Also, there are dugouts where the subs and coaches sit.
They have unique animations for the sidelines, like subs warming up before going in.
- More teams and stadiums.
- Interactive celebrations, like the ones from UEFA Euro 2008.

Two magazines from the UK have features on FIFA '09. Here are scans from OPM UK.

OPM UK Page 1
OPM UK Page 2
OPM UK Page 3
OPM UK Page 4

The new issue of PSM3 had a cover story about FIFA '09. On the cover it says "EA's latest
silences its sternest critic...yes, us." PSM3 usually favors the PES series, but they were very
pleased with early builds of FIFA '09.

I'm really excited for FIFA '09. From early reports, journalists are saying this could be the
best FIFA game yet. The official site went live today, and there
should be a trailer and screenshots for the game soon. FIFA '09 comes out in late
September, with a demo probably in late August to early September. For all you FIFA fans
out there, are you excited for this new version of FIFA?