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  1. #1
    DF VIP Member Bald Bouncer's Avatar
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    Xbox 360 Has FIFA 13 fixed FIFA 12's seven greatest flaws?

    The FIFA series may be the world's favourite set of footy sims, but that doesn't make it perfect. Though excellent on the whole, FIFA 12 had its fair share of wobbly moments - the new defending system in particular has proven incredibly divisive. Has FIFA 13 tackled these and other blemishes? Let's find out.
    You might want to read our first and second FIFA 13 previews before continuing.

    1. Defensive nightmare

    If you spent most of this year jumping up and down in your seat, manically screaming "why the hell did he just fall over?" then you're either wrestling with Tactical Defending or you should go see a psychiatrist. The system was laudably ambitious, trading homing missile syndrome for twitchier questions of positioning, but it didn't quite take off. Mastery came slowly, making early play sessions feel too much like hard work, and although you could at least attack with confidence on higher difficulty levels, you'd get nervous if your opponent so much as sniffed your area. So to speak.



    Is it fixed?

    Yes. No. Sort of. EA hasn't reverted to the idiot-proof homing from previous games, but it has diluted FIFA 12's system. The same mechanics make a return - you'll track your opponent until you see a good opportunity to step in - but you have some AI assistance with the angle of your tackle. It should remove a lot of the frustration without sacrificing too much realism.

    2. Brace for impact

    FIFA 12's Impact Engine is great. Big sliding tackles actually feel like big sliding tackles. Limbs no longer glide through each other in replays. But it did cause problems. Players from the same team would constantly trip each other up, and goalmouth scrambles turned into drawn-out petting sequences that would make your grandmother blush. It's a little too sensitive, producing over-the-top reactions to very slight touches from defenders. (Admittedly, those exaggerated responses seem a bit more realistic following last season's real-life antics.)



    Is it fixed?

    It certainly seems so. EA have spent a lot of time totally redesigning the system, altering every aspect of the design down to the very last joint tension. Players will no longer lock together on the grass, as new behaviour causes pairs to roll away and get to their feet, and you won't see people exploding away from each other as though hit by a train. It shows that EA have listened to the feedback, and we hope that those comically impossible leg breaks have been banished forever.

    3. "The referee's a [something that rhymes with grunt]!"

    You won't find the refs in FIFA 12 brandishing three yellow cards à la Graham Poll at the 2006 World Cup, but they will make many a bizarre decision. Some will book you for the slightest touch while others will allow a Roy-Keane-esque leg breaker to go completely unpunished. It's annoying to hang on to a lead until second half stoppage time only to have it snatched away by a penalty awarded by the awful Derek Millborrow for a perfectly timed tackle.



    Is it fixed?

    Again, the outlook is positive. EA has addressed problems with the referees alongside tweaking of the Impact Engine, giving the men in black a better understanding of on and off-the-ball collisions. This will hopefully resolve issues with unpredictable strictness. Whatever happens, you'll probably be able to customise refs for maximum possible leniency in the game's settings.

    4. Footballers are stupid

    Footballers are hardly renowned for their love of Shakespeare or Mastermind high scores - Frank Lampard's 150+ IQ is very much the exception - but FIFA 12 does seem to err on the side of village idiocy. This would happen at both ends of the pitch, with defenders allowing attackers to run into open space while they stood around scratching their backsides, and strikers making bizarre off-the-ball runs which would lead them either offside or off the pitch.



    Is it fixed?

    For the team with the ball, problems seem to have been eradicated completely. EA has implemented a number of fixes: not only will players try to stay on-side, they will change their runs to match the opposition's movements. EA claims that players can think 'two plays' ahead as they make clever runs to create space for team-mates, which will surely lead to a more satisfying, dynamic adaptation of the beautiful game. Unfortunately, things are a little murkier for lumbering centrebacks, with no word from EA on defensive AI improvements. Given the work put into attacking intelligence this is a potential banana skin. Let's hope that defenders will be more Vincent Kompany and less Titus Bramble come release day.

    5. Familiar faces

    EA's love for big name players is clear for all to see - every player in a top flight game is instantly recognisable. The firm's modellers and animators have religiously recreated Cristiano Ronaldo's iconic free kick stance. However, move a few rungs down the ladder and matches turn into dissatisfying games of "Guess Who?" The line-up of a League 1 side might as well be an army of Stormtroopers.



    Is it fixed?

    They're working on it. EA aims to apply its proven tech to more players than ever this year, meaning that James Tomkins may actually look like James Tomkins. However, they haven't given out specifics. Our suspicion is that there's only so much memory and processing power to go around. FIFA 14 for next gen, anyone?

    6. Far from the Madden crowd

    FIFA 12 is a bit of a looker. Each blade of grass is represented in perfect high definition, and if you look closely enough, you could actually see the beads of sweat dripping from Rooney's beautifully rendered noggin. Lovely. Shame the crowd consistently break the illusion. Those dreary, low resolution cardboard cutouts are a jarring contrast to the wonderful visuals radiating from the pitch below.



    Is it fixed?

    We're not hopeful. There has been no word specifically on graphical improvements for the crowd, and with EA clearly focusing on improving gameplay this year rather than rebooting the engine, it seems unlikely that would be a priority.

    7. A soft touch

    If FIFA 12 was your only experience of football, you'd be forgiven that thinking that all League 2 players had trained at Barcelona's famous academy, as they all have an uncanny ability to stop a spinning, looping ball dead. Sadly, as anyone that's paid money to watch real football will know, this is not the case, and EA should wake up to that fact. It makes players with the technique to actually do it in reality feel redundant.



    Is it fixed?

    Thankfully, EA has neglected sleep this year, staying up into the small hours working on this very problem. There's a new first touch system that makes player's attributes matter more and also adds an element of randomness. Although it'll mean that top level player's control will occasionally let you down (which has the potential to be frustrating), you'll certainly notice a difference between the gifted and not so gifted. Those with the ability to pull down a cross-field Paul Scholes pass will be few and far between.

    What else do you think FIFA 13 needs to fix?

    Source

    3 Thanks given to Bald Bouncer

    Fearless (19th August 2012),  mr_fuse (22nd August 2012),  muttleymacclad (19th August 2012)  


  2. #2
    DF VIP Member Fearless's Avatar
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    Default Re: Has FIFA 13 fixed FIFA 12's seven greatest flaws?

    Interesting read but for me its not what do we need to fix, its what do we need to add more importantly.

    For me intergrating an Ultimate Teams system with Club games would be really cool, we chatted about this on clubs night.

    Earning coins for Club games which would then allow you to replace randoms with better players would be sooo much fun and an make playing many games worthwhile.

    Different cup modes, FA Cup, Champions league etc

    They give us a little more each year, Club games has had little if any updates in a good few years, sadly i lost interest in cup or league games this year.

  3. #3
    DF VIP Member muttleymacclad's Avatar
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    Default Has FIFA 13 fixed FIFA 12's seven greatest flaws?

    @fear have you seen the other post by Danny about the changes to clubs. no iteration with UT or coins etc but looks like an improvement nonetheless.
    Mml


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    "When a naked man is chasing a woman through an alley with a butchers knife and a hard-on, I figure he isn't out collecting for the Red Cross." - 'Dirty' Harry

  4. #4
    DF VIP Member mr_fuse's Avatar
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    Default Re: Has FIFA 13 fixed FIFA 12's seven greatest flaws?

    Got to say that article was pretty spot on with its impressions of Fifa 12.

    The improvements by the sound of it seem to be addressing all the issues we have moaned about this season.

    the one thing that does worry me a little playing as any is "Unfortunately, things are a little murkier for lumbering centrebacks, with no word from EA on defensive AI improvements."

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