Every year, one unshakable event happens in the football world: the release of a new part of FIFA. In 2011, fans of the series were waiting for "FIFA 12" with special interest, because the developers promised a real breakthrough in the gameplay (well, as usual). For the first time, the toy appeared on the basis of a single software core with the same set of functions for all versions at once: PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The promises were partially fulfilled: something has really changed, but in general it's still the same "FIFA" - with updated lineups, slightly modified gameplay and a new reason to arrange friendly matches with friends.
The main innovation of FIFA 12 is the Player Impact Engine, a system of physical interaction between players. Theoretically, this meant that there were no more scripted collisions, no rubber animations - just a realistic fight for the ball, taking into account the mass, speed and angle of impact. In practice, everything was not so clear. Yes, the players began to behave more naturally: the defenders could expose the body and competently push the attacker away, the collisions looked more lively, and collisions at high speed began to resemble real football accidents.
But sometimes the engine worked too hard. For example, one unsuccessful jerk could lead to a domino effect, when two or three players fell on top of each other, and the goalkeeper suddenly flew into the post, as if someone had launched him with a catapult. And there were enough strange bugs: football players could get tangled in their legs and spin around on the spot, as if they were performing a ritual dance.
Another important change is the new security system. Now it was not enough to just run up and press the selection button: you had to keep an eye on the position, set the body correctly and wait for the right moment to knock the ball out. It added realism, but at first it made me suffer a lot. But over time, it became clear that this was really a step forward, and it was quite realistic to adapt to the mechanics of actions.
As with any new FIFA game, the graphics have become a little better. The models of the players have improved, their faces have become a little less plastic, stadiums have acquired more details. But this cannot be called a revolution. But the animations became smoother, and the fans in the stands behaved more vividly. The commentators, as usual, continued to repeat the same phrases, but this is already a tradition. It seems that new lines flashed by, but I don't really follow this in principle in the series.
FIFA 12 was definitely a step forward thanks to the Player Impact Engine and the new defense system. This made the game a little more realistic, added chaos to the clashes, and increased the importance of tactics. But otherwise, it's still the same "FIFA" that could have been predicted with your eyes closed.
It was interesting, familiar, and sometimes even fun to play - especially when there were funny bugs with football players flying into space after a collision. As a result, FIFA 12 simply continued the series without revolutionary changes, but also without failures. As they say, stability is a sign of mastery. I liked it.
9 out of 10.
