It’s not that FIFA 07 plays a bad game of soccer, it’s that it plays a game of soccer with a few too many moments of frustration. It looks great and the physics of the game is captured nicely, but a next-gen soccer title should leave you feeling like you have more control over the action than ever before, not less.

FIFA 07 can be played in a straight match mode or you can guide a team through a season in Manager Mode. Manager Mode adds a layer of team management that goes beyond simply playing as a single team for an entire season. One of the first things that you’ll need to do is to pick a corporate sponsor for your team, but when you hit the field your uniforms will still bear the logo and name of your team’s real world sponsor. You can customize the look, placement, and color of logos on your car in next-gen racing titles, so I can’t why the game can’t simply replace the uniform logos with that of the sponsor you’ve selected. Anyway, when your not spending time playing games you’ll sped most of your time in this mode spending experience points earned in matches on improving your team’s skills and attributes in a manner more akin to RPG games than sports games.

The game’s Challenge Mode is an interesting mode in which you are tasked with obtaining a certain goal during a match such as maintaining possession of the ball for a given amount of time or better. The Challenge Mode includes 85 different challenges, so it will keep you busy for a while.

Multiplayer gaming is support on Xbox Live from straightforward one-on-one quick games to two on a side co-op play. The Lounge Mode supports 20 player leagues and will keep track of your records in an online standings table. A bevy of leaderboards will allow you to see how you stack up against your online foes. The online play is probably more enjoyable than the single player modes simply because you feel that the playing field is more level. When online each player has to cope with the game’s quirks and you’re not up against an AI player with an inside edge with the system.

Overall, FIFA 07 can be enjoyable enough, but you’ll probably find that you simply expected more out of the game. The advanced graphics and physics are great, but why should you have to deal with control issues, fewer teams, and fewer modes of play that current gen gamers all get for $10 less. If you’re a soccer fan and you only have an Xbox 360 available then give FIFA 07 a try for yourself. If you have an older system in your home as well, you may want to seriously consider sticking with the current generation for another year.

In The End, This Game Hath Been Rated: 75%. FIFA 07 is an evolutionary step in the transition to next-gen gaming. Those looking for a revolutionary leap will have to wait at least another year.

« Page 1 of 2