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FIFA Street Review - Xbox

A few years back, Nike started a new hype in the world of soccer. They showed us pros like Ronaldo, Figo, Ronaldinhio and Henry covered in Nike gear playing football… sorry, “soccer” in fields that were a little beyond the ones you see on TV. These players played soccer like you’ve never seen it before, with crazy moves, quick shifty passing and crazy dashes you never get to see, on fields like cages and warehouses. The day these commercials were put to air a culture was born into the lights, a culture that was already there for years and years but was never accredited by many other than team selectors. That was street soccer, which was later turned into what we now call futsol.

In FIFA Street you’re filling the soccer boots of an unnamed gifted street soccer player which you design and name yourself, trying to earn street credit and respect by “owning the street” in various locations including Amsterdam, London, Nigeria and naturally, Rio De Janeiro amongst many more.

Gameplay

FIFA Street is a fast-paced soccer game where game plans and coaches do not exist. You go out with 3 players and a goalie and you play soccer, period. The Gameplay is nonstop, with no fouls or throw outs to interrupt the frantic passing and shooting and crazy beat tricks (rinse, vary, and repeat). There is no referee involved, so you’re finally allowed to do as many sliding tackles as you want; only catch is, you have to aim them yourself, unlike some of the other FIFA games where a sliding tackle is a foul risk yet a guaranteed ball. The wall is dubbed “your 5th man” and you’re encouraged to use it in beat tricks as well as in passing, where you can pass “around” an opponent.

FIFA Street screams “It’s not only about the result, it’s about winning with style” and the gameplay definitely focuses on that aspect, perhaps ignoring other aspects of the game. The tricks are amazing, and executing them with the right thumbstick, or the “trick stick” as it’s called, is a breeze, especially with the addition of the “modifier” button, which opens up a new set of tricks. Not only that, but the skills executed depend on the level of skill the player in question has. For example, Ronaldinhio would have more chance of performing the “crazy legs” move than your average soccer player who would feel out of place with all those tricks going on around them. So you get an amazing array of moves at your disposal, which you can use to humiliate your opponent be it your mate or the game’s AI.

Speaking of AI, it’s rather disappointing, and I think this is due to the programmers assuming that the game will be used most in multiplayer, or just plain laziness. The friendly team AI, for a start, is most unhelpful, and unlike other FIFA games would not intelligently jump in to catch a loose ball. Instead, emphasis is put on the “man-o-man” strategy, ... (continued next page)