It’s not just that the crossing and through-ball passing are wonky and unwieldy (they are), it’s that FIFA 12 is simply more granular and oppressively sensitive than any of the games before it. It’s ostensibly similar to other games in its genus, but unrecognizable in its specificity and mutation. Nevertheless, my initial problems getting in FIFA 12 illustrate that this game is not for dilettantes.įIFA 12 (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3)ĮA Canada’s endless refinement, endless iteration, has turned FIFA 12 into the Galapagos Islands - everything from the physics engine to the controls to the high-level design choices of each mode has been rarefied, specialized, and tailored to suit its environment.
I’ve become pretty devoted to improving Paris Saint-German’s lot, but it may be that I’ve simply been beaten into submission. I left my first several matches feeling frustrated, impotent, and powerless.įIFA 12 gets better, exponentially so - though I’m not prepared to say if that’s through the realization of good design principles or some sort of digital Stockholm Syndrome. Players moved like they were covered in molasses, my passes were inaccurate and under-hit, and apoplectic flailing had seemingly replaced tackling in my center-backs’ collective skillset. My first impression of FIFA 12 was not good.
