2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa - Keep The Noise Down!

I’m convinced my neighbours were seconds away from calling the police to my house yesterday. If they had, I would have been forced to admit that all the noise and swearing wasn’t due to me being attacked but that I was, in fact, playing a video game.

 

I’m pretty sure that excuse wouldn’t have gone down too well, but fortunately the old lady in the house opposite took her hand off the phone after hearing me shout “Get in you beauuuuuty!” then watching me dance around my living room like a mad man.

 

The reason for all this? I’d just won the online FIFA World Cup on penalties in EA’s new 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa game.

 

Now I’m not the sort of person who usually gets carried away by emotion. I can watch a hilarious comedy on my own and not laugh out loud once, and I can sit through a horror film and be cacking my pants without ever screaming at the top of my voice. So there was definitely a large feeling of surprise as well as satisfaction as I flicked the Vs at my opponent on the other side of the world after he spooned his final penalty over the bar.

 

Passion is the perfect word to describe a game that seeks to represent the biggest sporting event in the world, and EA have done a cracking job in bringing a huge dollop of that to you through your console. From the dancing crowds and the slightly annoying but unquestionably atmospheric sound of the Vuvuzela horns*, through to the feeling of slamming in the winner and watching your captain lift the famous trophy, if you’re into footy then you’re going to find it almost impossible not to be gripped by the passion of this game.

 

Which is why it’s so much more than the ‘FIFA 10.5’ some cynics suggested it would be ahead of its release. If you’ve heard that and you’re still thinking you’ll wait for FIFA 11, let me tell you – from one football fan to another – you’re missing out.

 

Not that FIFA 10.5 would have been a bad thing, of course – after all, FIFA 10 is the best-selling sports game of all time – but it just doesn’t do 2010 FIFA World Cup justice.

 

Why? Well for starters guess what happens if your opponent quits on you during an online World Cup game that you’re winning? Yep, you get the victory. After being quit on while 3-0 up so many times on 10, this is enough reason alone to love this game.

 

But that’s not the only reason, because there are over 100 improvements from FIFA 10 and some of them are genuine game changers. Keepers no longer get lobbed 30,000 times per match, it’s not possible to score from the halfway line, refs are less whistle happy, crossing and heading is an absolute joy once you’ve got the knack of it, you can receive the ball and get it out of your feet without breaking stride and dribbling with the left stick is more responsive – so you’ll be scoring goals like this** in no time.

 

And I haven’t even mentioned the highly addictive Story Of Qualifying mode that will have you hooked for hours while you try to unlock challenges from the 2006 World Cup.

 

But by far the best thing about this game is the online World Cup tournament. Just make sure you practise the new penalty system before you get started, or you may end up doing this.***

 

Darren is the Deputy Editor of MATCH football magazine 

 

*  //www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBs8B4ioXPk

**  //www.youtube.com/watch?v=jk-kXwjASEE

***  //www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9x9U5D27S4