14 DAY TRIAL // FIFA 12 is, almost by definition, one of the biggest video game launches of the year, the new installment in a franchise that has been about more than simple on the field matches for quite some time.
But, however many Ultimate Team and social spaces the EA Sports division introduces, the heart of any FIFA release is playing against another real human, pitting brain against brain, team choice against team choice, controller against controller or keyboard.
So for this Quick Look at FIFA 12 I invited one of my colleagues to jump in, using the Xbox 360 controller, while I used the keyboard (yes, I am old school and, yes, before the FIFA 12 demo I have not played the franchise since 2008).
The first one notices is that it takes some time for players to adjust to the new controls for the defensive side of the game, especially on a controller, but after a few matches the new system, which emphasizes team work and relies less on tackles, becomes familiar and more interesting than that in FIFA 11.
The Artificial Intelligence is important even when it comes to multiplayer matches and at times the team mates I had seemed sluggish and uninterested in attacking, especially when I am going towards the goal in the middle of the pitch and looking for options on the wings.
Goalkeepers also seem a bit quick to move of the line and shut down individual runs, which tends to make scoring goals less frequent than I was remembering them.
The new found physicality of FIFA 12 is also on full display, with late tackles happening on the fringes of the play and collisions in the air looking as painful as in the real world.
There are also some goofy by products of the new Player Impact Engine, like players getting entangled long after the ball has lost their vicinity, but they add rather than detract to the multiplayer experience.
Here's a video showing one of our FIFA 12 matches: