Right stick in the mud
Posted by: not-Greg in FIFA08, FIFA09, goal replay, manager mode, negotiations, tags: FIFA08, FIFA09, goal replay, manager mode, negotiationsIn PES2008 I’ve got to mid-season 2017 in my Master League career, but after a spell of PES fatigue I’m taking a couple of days off to play FIFA08 on the PlayStation3. This blog is still called PES Chronicles and I am still a PES fan. I believe I will always be a PES fan. You don’t shake off the memories of a solid decade of high-quality football gaming just because of one relatively bad year. When I close my eyes on this world for the final time—whenever that may be—I will still be able to remember, with exquisite pleasure, smacking one into the net with ‘Michael Owenn’ from 45 yards out in ISS ‘98. I’ll remember scoring that volley with Bergkamp in PES5. I’ll remember so much. (Oh, yes, I’ll probably think about my family and stuff too. Yes, I’ll do that.)
I’ve posted many times before about my Manager Mode career with Coventry City. After a couple of early seasons of struggle when I was still learning FIFA08, I got them promoted into the Premier League. I played on the default Semi-Pro difficulty level, which was difficult enough for me at the time, believe me. FIFA08 is a hard game to master—a point that cannot be emphasised enough. It was another tough few years before I was able to win consistently on Professional difficulty level and take the league title. Then I spent another few years trying to win the Quadruple—League, Cup, League Cup, and European Cup. I finally got it, in season 2014.
At the start of season 2015, I bumped up the difficulty level to World Class. Big mistake. I was nowhere near ready for the levels of aggression and skill shown by the AI. Getting the ball is a nightmare; keeping the ball is a greater nightmare. I needed to consolidate at Professional before dreaming I could handle FIFA08 at a high skill level.
That’s another thing that’s tripped up countless refugees from PES. So many have assumed that there must be some kind of equivalence between the two games’ skill levels, then masochistically set the difficulty to World Class or Legendary, and then complained about the game being unplayable…
FIFA08 is its own game, with its own gameplay styles and quirks, and most of all its own difficulty levels. There is no cross-correlation with PES difficulty levels. Why would there be? Professional level on FIFA08—the middle of five difficulty levels—is roughly the equivalent of 4.5 stars difficulty on PES (i.e., somewhere between Pro and Top Player). World Class and Legendary difficulties would be the equivalent of six and seven stars respectively, if PES went up that high.
This morning I played four more games in my career with Coventry City in season 2015. I left it in November 2015, just before the start of the European Cup group stage, and after I’d just been knocked out of the League Cup by, of all teams, Aston Villa. I was a mediocre 5th in the table after losing many of my opening league fixtures. I’d played those early season games on World Class difficulty—like I said, a big mistake.
With the difficulty firmly set to Professional, I started a league game against Manchester United. I feared the worst. Playing one of the game’s top teams ‘cold’ without having played FIFA08 recently could only spell trouble. So I played conservatively, forcing myself to keep my passing sensible so as not to concede possession cheaply. This is the key to the game—possession is the key to the game of football and to the game of FIFA08. I’ve always known this, in theory, but rarely practiced it with a joypad in my hand. The relatively more arcadey PES2008, of course, has given me bad habits. I kept wanting to work the ball up the pitch in two or three passes. That’s possible in FIFA08, sometimes, but not often enough for it to be a constant option, as it is in PES. You have to take your time, probe for the opening, send your players on runs, decide against passing if they’re marked, check back, start again…
I scored a couple of timely goals either side of half time. I ended up winning the game 3-1, with Man Yoo getting a cheeky consolation goal in the 90th minute.
Next up were Newcastle United. It was a similar game to the preceding: I played with concentration and held onto the ball when I couldn’t see an obvious defence-splitting pass. It’s the best and only way to play football. For several seasons now I have had Cristiano Ronaldo in my Coventry City team. (Just saying those names together—Cristiano Ronaldo and Coventry City—makes me feel happy, and sad, at the same time.)
It’s far too easy to buy great players and quickly assemble a great team in FIFA08’s Manager Mode. It’s ridiculously, preposterously, and almost insultingly easy. It’s one of the game’s major flaws, IMO. In my other career with Dagenham & Redbridge in League 2, I had a near-Premier quality team by the start of the second season. In this CCFC career, Cristiano Ronaldo signed for me without a murmur even before I’d won anything. It’s a peculiar fact that PES’s Master League transfer market, for all its flaws, is a hundred times more realistic in this regard. Until you get your team to a certain level of accomplishment, certain players just won’t sign for you. And you can customise this difficulty in a range of options before starting the career. EA needs to fix the transfer market for FIFA09 and beyond, if it wants the disgruntled PES hordes to start taking it really seriously.
No, that isn’t the greatest-ever computer game goal that’s ever been scored. It’s bread and butter, really. I’ve posted it here for a few other reasons. Cristiano Ronaldo scores it (and, yes, I do have him wearing the number 2 shirt; I’m not fussy when it comes to shirt-numbering). This goal showcases something very important about FIFA08—that it can be a pacy, fast-flowing game when played in a certain manner.
Use of the right analogue stick is critical. In the replay, just after Ronaldo receives the ball, I flicked the right stick towards space and he sprang forward, knocking the ball a couple of yards ahead and leaving the two Newcastle defenders trailing behind. You can see the moment in the replay—it’s when the ball suddenly shoots ahead and the camera follows it on its own. Then I was through on goal, in a situation that’s so easy to mess up on FIFA08. The goalkeepers are extremely dodgy in some areas, but generally great in one-on-ones. As the keeper advanced I picked my moment—also aware of the defenders tracking back and almost upon me—and feathered the shoot button. The ball went under the keeper’s body.
I recorded the replay and posted it here just because of the build-up play. Finding an attacker with a pass in a good position around the box is hard enough; getting that attacker into a prime goalscoring position is harder still. In this case it’s all about the flick on the right stick. Without that functionality in FIFA08, there’d have been no goalscoring chance and no goal.
After the two league games I played two European games in a row. Yes, one after the other. That’s another quirk of FIFA08’s league setup that I don’t really like. In reality, European group games are not played consecutively.
The games were against Bolougne and Utrecht. I won them both. The Utrecht game was the better of the two, a genuinely exciting 2-1 victory after they took the lead on 30 minutes. After the final whistle I had to stop play for the day—the so-called real world unfairly required me to do things in it—and I did so grudgingly.
At this rate I won’t want to go back to PES2008 tomorrow. But I will go back to it. However, I will be coming back to FIFA08 regularly from now on.
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Hi Greg
I was away for a couple of days. Enjoyed reading your 2 FIFA posts.
I have been playing FIFA 08 solidly for a week now, no other football title being played.
I am quite ashamed with my past ignorance towards FIFA, being what the forums call a PES fanboy. After buying Euro 2008, 3 weeks ago and then 1 week later going out to buy FIFA 08.
It has took me 3 weeks to get used to how the game plays. As I type I have 21 from 24 matches on Professional difficulty in Manager Mode. I am really enjoying it, getting familiar with the full game from controls, menus, game play, the shooting from long range is more satisfying because it is harder. I am glad I chose to ignore people who continually slate the game.
I think you still have PES players who are reluctant to give a go, as I said I was one of these people. I am glad I gave it a go, and stuck with it, it has a STEEP learning curve.
Like most games, it has it’s faults, but as forums and converted PES players are saying, EA is moving to correct these faults with each title, without taking away anything from previous titles, unlike Konami.
I was a little ashamed to switch to FIFA, after turning my nose up at it for years, but I have got over that. I have bought 3 versions of PES 2008 this year, so I gave that title plenty of my time and money.
I listened to the latest WENB podcast last night, there was a mention of 3 rumours. The 3rd one, probably doesn’t mean anything to people like yourself but that they are allegedly losing licenses, they don’t know if it’s club or International teams.
I like the guy in podcast, will be gutted if this happens, especially if the old firm are taken out.
that should be I have won 21 from 24 games. With no 5-4 score-lines, far from it, hard earned 1-0, 2-0 wins.
heraldo - Glad to hear you’re enjoying FIFA, after my two days on it (and a sneaky few more games this morning, heh), I have to say that I’m wondering just why I still play—and love, and look forward to the next version of—PES. It’s more than just habit. It’s ideology. I’m still as much of a PES fanboy as I imply all the FIFA-hating PES fans are. I know it. But, behind it all, I still love the core PES gameplay. This is why I love PES2008 (the PSP/PS2 version, of course) so much—it’s the essence of PES.
Having said all of that, my FIFA08 sessions these past few days have reminded me what I’ve been missing out on. A proper, sensible, grown-up, sober, soccer sim. Maybe I’m just getting old, but isn’t this what we should want a football game to be like?
I’m adding another must-have to my PES2009 wishlist. As well as HD-worthy graphics and ‘classic’ gameplay, I now want a drastically slower pace.
p.s. Some of my FIFA08 league games were played at night! As you know by now there’s a bug in the game which means that all league fixtures take place in the daytime. Now I’m playing occasional ones at night. I don’t remember downloading an update to the game since the last time I played. What has happened?!
p.p.s - There are two little things about FIFA08 that aren’t in the manual, or at least not obviously. 1) In the Arena (the loading screen shootout thing) press any button on the d-pad to take a free kick or penalty from the spot where you are. 2) In-game, there’s a version of PES’s ATT/DEF level adjustment: press R1+left/right on the d-pad.
Greg
I stumbled across the Arena freekicks and pens from a blog last week.
I didn’t know about the Attack/Defense levels, will try that in about an hour when the good lady goes to work.
I am preferring FIFA to UEFA to be honest, the pace is accurate in FIFA.
Thats 5 days I have stayed clear of PES, after that shocking scoreline.
I do hope for a return of classic PES in 09, I hear that it could be released earlier this year. They have to slow the game down and bring back balanced game play, taking out the emphasis on attacking.
You’ve changed your tune regarding HD graphics, could this be to playing FIFA recently?
I will go with your original shout of 2010 before we see this, the guys at WENB also think that. If they get game play sorted, online fixed that will be an improvement, as the graphics are not that bad, the players are more realistic than FIFA. Although FIFA’s new face engine looks good, I hope this applies to all faces in game. The players in my Celtic Manager Mode look shocking.
Funny you say FIFA is a more grown up game of football. We used to say that of PES, with FIFA a game for kids who cannot play PES. Times change, not always for the good.
heraldo - yes, most of the players in FIFA look like reanimated corpses don’t they! Wayne Rooney in particular looks absolutely terrifying. Definitely a case of ‘keep your distance’. I’m happy to play with a camera a long way away from them, put it that way
Personally I’m not bothered about the window dressing that goes along with a football game. FIFA had slick presentation and licenses for 10 years but its gameplay was totally shocking. PES was shabby in comparison - lower-res graphics, laughable presentation (those menus!), no licenses - but the gameplay was gold-plated, triple-A, 10/10. Now PES has dipped, and FIFA has risen, and the licenses and slick presentation etc. of FIFA are something that we can enjoy along with a very good game of football. Strange days indeed.
On a sidenote, I scored one of my best-ever FIFA08 goals this morning—a finesse shot into the top corner from 25 yards out—and all I’ve got to show for it is the usual grainy mobile phone footage. The replay save upload function to EA’s servers has NEVER worked for me, have I mentioned that?! Not once. I’ve tried everything. I’m resigned to never saving my FIFA goals. It’s a shame as the high-quality flv. replays on EA Sportsworld really do look good. Does the replay upload system work for you?
Greg
To be honest mate, I haven’t tried the replay option from EA, I am getting good enough quality from my Digital Camera. I have 4 replays saved, I will send you a link later, I am scoring a 25 yarder every 2 games. I have really got the hang of long range shooting.
I have been practising skill moves the past 2 days, for an hour at time. I have got the hang of the Up and Over Flick, used it today, flicked it over defenders head and shot, hit the crossbar, I was ecstatic.
Another skill I have got the hang of down the flanks is the Ronaldo Chop, more often than not you gain a foul or you skip inside your man.
For the faces, I will have to keep my comment politically correct, they are shocking!! As my late father would say, they have fallen out of the ugly tree.
heraldo - Looking forward to seeing those replays. I’ll be posting mine on Sunday (in an all-new regular FIFA Sunday post). You’re turning all FIFA hardcore! I’ve never actually managed to pull off a trick in an actual game. I know how to do a few of them and can spend several minutes amusing myself in the Arena, but in games they don’t come off for me. Maybe I’m just not determined enough. I remember a few years ago playing PES5 online (the PC version), and someone did a Marseille turn on me and went on to score in the same move. I nearly cried! I had a go at doing one back to him, but just lost the ball. I felt embarrassed and never tried again.
Greg
I played this numpty online in one of my ten games, I was obviously Celtic he was Man U. He went 1-0 up doing lolly-pops, marseille turns in his own half. I let him, just took fingers off controls, had a laugh. I went 2-1 up and started my own lolly-pops etc. He disconnected
The Ronaldo Chop is effective, easy to do. I only really do them when I am in front, to be fair the game is still too hard (especially UEFA) to do them regularly. It feels good pulling them off though.
I can’t do the Rabona, tried for half an hour today. There is something similar, can’t find it in any manual or tips online, (R1 and circle) which is strange as circle is pass. Scored a few like this on arena, lobbing the keeper from the edge of the box.
Started scoring lots of chip shots, I just love those types of goals.
We will have to get a game sorted sometime both FIFA and PS2 PES. Add a 7 to my name for PSN ID.
Cheers
Greg
Here’s a link to my goals I told you about
my manager mode goals
Disgusted at the quality after uploading to youtube, the file size was under 10mb and still it chewed it up. I might upload them onto my .mac site. As I have noticed the videos are stopping at the start, never had a problem with my Celtic videos I uploaded in the past.