The much liked Fifa Street franchise from EA Big is back for the third time. You can expect the usual: High-scoring, five-a-side football on enclosed pitches, where tricks and skills are fast but movement is laboured and where no rules exist. But the most obvious difference between this one and the others is that EA don’t have realistic player models but more of a rather cartoon look. As you might expect, Peter Crouch, has a very comical appearance with stick legs on a beanstalk body. You will find yourself giggling at the players. As you would expect, visually Fifa Street 3 beats all previous titles and makes excellent use of the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 consoles.
Animations are amazing, lighting movement to cover for cracks in the blending, body shapes are absurd, high-jumper twirls into perfect, gyroscopic overhead kick coordination. Also the skills and tricks are beautifully animated such as, shimmies, feints, step-over’s and Rebonas. Players will also run up walls to flip over an attacker’s outstretched leg in a tight corner. Dance around the pitch whilst performing various classy skills by using the right analogue stick. For every trick you perform points go to your “Groundbreaker” meter, which when full will reward you with a fire shot.
Shots can be unleashed from nearly anywhere, usually by charging up the shot button in advance of receiving the ball or while in space. Although there are a number of skills and tricks to perform don’t expect a mountain full of them as you will be in for a disappointment. The defensive aspect of the game is less amazing. Tackles are limited to barges and sweeps, rather than proper slide tackles which means you’re only form of defence is to attack.
Besides the changes in visual style Fifa Street 3, perhaps the biggest change in the gameplay comes with the new multiplayer offerings. Fifa Street is a perfect game for multiplayer fun and its a welcome feature. Ok, so it won’t have you nailing down the perfect formation or performing the precise long balls as you would find in Fifa or PES, but Fifa Street’s format is perfect for light-hearted party play. Multiplayer game modes include; standard format, timed matches, Headers and Volleys, Gamebreaker goals only, and straight five-a-side games (without Gamebreakers).
Playground Picks mode is another multiplayer mode which could be described like that Adidas football advert from the 2006 World Cup where two kids pick from the world’s best players for their playground kick-about. In Fifa Street 3, you choose an international side and then each player takes turns to select their five team members from the nation’s line-up. Single Player mode is slightly disappointing; this is basically because it’s too easy. Scoring goals against the opposition appears too easy and the AI just seems to be unable to score making it a very uncompetitive mode. But if this doesn’t bother you then you are in for a treat with various match types. Sound is much improved from previous versions. Players communicate with each other by calling their names as if it was a real game of playground football. You will also find the soundtrack very appealing and modern with electric mix of today’s most happening beats that amusingly slow down like a record player whenever the ball goes out of play.
