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FIFA Street 3 Review for PlayStation 3

FIFA Street 3 Review for PlayStation 3

Where Feet Meet the Street

It’s been a few years since EA SPORTS BIG has given us a FIFA Street title. The old series needed quite a bit of work, and thankfully a lot more attention was lavished upon this next-gen version. However, the title still needs a lot of work and is about as deep as Hannah Montana’s set list. Having said that, the presentation is wonderful! I was truly impressed with the environments, player caricatures, and music selection. The simple controls are also great for a genuine pickup-and-play experience, but after a few hours you’ll wish there was more of a challenge. If you’re looking for a goal-filled giggle and a humorous take on the world’s game, then FIFA Street 3 should provide you at least a handful of hours of lighthearted fun.

FIFA Street 3 screenshot

FIFA Street 3 will quickly immerse you in a world of over-the-top football. The inclusion of a new Game Breaker mechanic makes your entire team a collection of acrobatic soccer gods capable of pulling off wall flips, volleys, bikes, and upper 90 crackers with ease. There are 250 of your favorite stars crammed into eighteen international selections and a bunch of unlockable, developer-created sides. The new single player Street Challenge mode has a good deal of content that should occupy you for three to five hours. The unlockable content and diverse makeup of the teams you’ll challenge should be enough to provide you with the impetus to complete the entire mode. However, the gameplay does become quite repetitive not long into the experience.

There are several reasons for this. First, the game’s victory conditions such as first to five goals, no Gamebreaker goals, score using only headers and volleys, etc. are ever-changing, but not substantively different. Sure, a goal may be taken away from you because you scored the wrong way, but all in all it is difficult to distinguish between different scenarios. Second, the Game Breaker feature makes playing the game just too easy against the computer. Once activated, any member of your team can score from almost anywhere within the offensive half and beyond. Third, teams that you challenge will be categorized as Enforcers, Youth Stars, Speedsters, etc. though you can pretty much beat any team without changing your tactics one iota. Fourth, the A.I. defense is pathetic. Once the controls become second nature to you, you’ll be able to go the length of the court by simply juggling your way into the opposing net. For some reason this move is unstoppable, much like the fade away Hail Mary in Tecmo Bowl. Finally, beating teams in mini-tournaments and opening up unlockables should only be part of the experience. A more expansive career mode that gets gamers into the action would be far more compelling.

FIFA Street 3 screenshot

Fortunately, the multiplayer modes both off and online are pretty fun. Human opposition provides a steep challenge that all but the savviest should find demanding. Of course one-on-one matches are the most fun, but you can also play with two to eight players in online co-op play. The inclusion of the Online World Challenge is a neat feature that allows you to pick your favorite international squad and then challenge other teams in the World Challenge Tournament. All of the results are tallied in order to see which country has got the best collection of street-ballers. I also really liked the Playground Picks mode that has you and the opposition select five players from one team just like on the playground. This makes for very even teams talent-wise unless the team is Portugal and you pick second; in that case, Cristiano Ronaldo will most likely shred you apart.

FIFA Street 3 screenshot

The game’s presentation is about as good as it can be. Besides the fact that it outputs at 1080p and at 60 fps, the engaging locations, hilarious player likenesses, and content appropriate music are near perfect. Whether playing on the beach, an oil rig, or in the Mediterranean sun, you’ll be transported to a very believable world.

FIFA Street 3 screenshot

Moreover, the hand drawn caricatures of the players are so well done that you will be laughing out loud at the strikingly funny resemblances. Raul’s nose looks like the Wicked Witch of the West’s; Rooney’s got a face only a bulldog could love; and Donovan’s forehead is about as shiny and bulbous as a brass doorknob! There is one glaring mistake though: where are Ronaldinho’s bucked teeth? I mean come on, that guy should look like a beaver. Regardless, it’s safe to say you’ll want to beat the Street Challenge if for no other reason than to acquire all of the unlockable players. The music is also very good. I don’t enjoy Euro-beat music, but considering the setting it fades appropriately into the background and adds a lot to the overall feel. Thankfully, there are no annoying announcers to drive you crazy as there was in NFL Tour. The lack of repetitive commentary really works in the title’s favor.

The controls are very simple to use. This makes FIFA Street 3 a very noob-friendly title. Crazy moves, feints, and tricks are executed by simply rolling around the analog stick. The trick controls are definitely an improvement over previous iterations, but the simplicity of the system combined with the haphazard defending makes the game feel shallow and unrewarding after a while. Only dribbling will fill up your Game Breaker meter which is just not right. I would love to see more emphasis placed on defending and quick one-touch passing. As it stands right now, gameplay is pretty much one-dimensional.

So how does this game stack up overall? It’s got to be the best FIFA Street to date. The presentation is exactly where it needs to be and deserves high marks. Gamers will be pleasantly surprised to find such a smooth and attractive game. Disappointingly, the gameplay feels only moderately better than the title’s predecessors. There’s definitely a lot of tweaking that still needs to be done before the game can be considered truly fun. The controls are too simple for any true depth, and while I like the attack-minded gameplay, I wish it wasn’t attack-centric. I suppose it will due for a few laughs though. Thankfully, the game sells at the reduced, if not bargain, price of $49.99. World football fanatics should enjoy the title, but they will definitely be wishing for a lot more.

RATING OUT OF 5 RATING DESCRIPTION 4.5 Graphics
The visuals are very nice and silky smooth. I absolutely loved the caricatured player likenesses and interesting settings. 3.3 Control
The pick-up-and-play simplicity is a good idea, but after all it hinders long-term gameplay. 4.1 Music / Sound FX / Voice Acting
The music is not my cup of tea, but it really works well with the title. The lack of repetitive commentary works in the title’s favor. 3.0 Play Value
The game’s fun to play for a little while. Unfortunately, your fondness will wane once you master volleys and learn to juggle from one end of the court to the other. 3.4 Overall Rating – Fair
Not an average. See Rating legend above for a final score breakdown.

Game Features:

  • New Controls and Trick System: Ultra-responsive controls and an easy-to-use trick system give you instant control over your idols. Combine flicks, drags, and traps to pull off impossible moves and show you’ve got the skills to hit the big time.
  • Team of Heroes: Choose from over 250 of the world’s best players representing 18 of the top international teams, plus a few hidden extras!
  • Specialist Players: Choose from Tricksters, Enforcers, Playmakers, and Finishers to give you different skill sets and options on the ball, and then make your mark on the street.
  • Game Breaker: Fill your momentum meter to unleash a whole new set of over-the-top tricks and electrifying moves. Leap past defenders, flip over teammates, or performing gravity-defying one-timers to score spectacular goals when the game is on the line.
  • Enhanced A.I.: Street-smart players that pass and move with style makes FIFA Street 3 the ultimate arcade football experience.
  • New Street Challenge mode: Play in a variety of different tournaments to unlock new hidden street teams and players to play both online and offline.
  • New Head To Head Mode: Play a best-of series against a friend. Customize the rules of each match for a true test of skill.
  • Online Playground Picks: Bring your game online and assemble an all-star street team. Take the world’s best players, line them up, and take turns to select one to join your team. Prepare for bruised egos!
  • Online World Challenge: Wear your country’s colors with pride as you represent your nation online. Every game counts, as you and your fellow supporters combine results in the World Challenge tournament that features up to 18 teams.
  • Exotic Locations: Challenge your rivals in the hottest locales around the world, everywhere from the urban playgrounds in South America to the rooftops in Asia to the streets of Europe.
  • Interactive Environments: Immerse yourself in a hyper-real world where players run up walls, environments pulsate to the music and your surroundings explode to life with every well-timed tackle, outrageous trick move or unstoppable shot on goal.
  • Screen Resolution: Up to 1080p (Full HDTV, Widescreen).

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