Games

Best of 2008 | 07 | 06 | 05
Advanced Search

Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed games.

FIFA Soccer 09

EMAIL PRINT ps3

8.0 User Score:

Generally favorable reviews

Based on 42 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

Based on 69 votes
Read user comments
Rate this game >

Game Info

Publisher: Electronic Arts

Developer: EA Canada

Genre(s): Sports, Soccer

Players: 10

ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)

Release Date: October 14, 2008

Summary

Powered by the third generation of the EA SPORTS football engine, FIFA 09 features more than 250 core gameplay additions and enhancements that deliver the most responsive, intelligent and realistic action ever for the series. Enjoy turning defenders with more controlled dribbling and ball control, snapping off precision shots with improved first-time shooting mechanics and firing beautifully timed passes with greater accuracy, placing the ball exactly where you want it. With new player momentum physics the speed and weight of the player determines everything from the distance of a slide tackle and the power of a header to the severity of player collisions and the height of a player’s jump. Plus, players now behave according to their physical attributes with larger, stronger players dominating collisions, battles for control of the ball, and position in challenges for two player headers. FIFA 09 features new Custom Team Tactics that gives you all the tools to become a first-team coach. For the first time, go inside the game engine to customize the positioning and support play of your teammates and decide exactly how your team will play in any situation. Now you are the player, coach and manager! You have the power to adjust and customize tactical settings so CPU players and your team perform just like the real-world team plays or how you think it should play. Save your tactics and then make strategic decisions to exploit your opponent’s weaknesses, all on-the-fly. [Electronic Arts]

Also On Metacritic

GAMES: FIFA 07 FIFA Soccer 08

Cheat Codes & Hints: Cheat Code Central

Also On The Web: Official Website

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

Console Monster

The beautiful game. That's what football is all about, and that's what FIFA is all about. With 30 fully licensed leagues, over 15000 players and a shed load of other features, FIFA 09 has really set the bar high and I fully expect them to dominate this genre for years to come.

Read Full Review >

GamingXP

One can absolutely say that at the moment FIFA 09 is the best soccer game of all time. EA has learned from the negative criticism of last year. Adding many minor, but also major innovations, the title has once again taken over the scepter.

Read Full Review >

ZTGameDomain

With all of its improvements FIFA Soccer 09 is by far the most impressive upgrade to any sports title this year. If you are even remotely a fan of the sport FIFA 09 is a must-buy.

Read Full Review >

3DJuegos

FIFA continues its improvement with 09, probably the best title in the series. Traditionally this soccer brand from EA was well-known for its quality in the licenses and by the large amount of official championships, now it´s also famous because of its gameplay values. Impressive visuals, fast answer controls and polished pace. FIFA 09 is soccer. And that´s all.

Read Full Review >

Total Video Games

Vast improvements to the action on the pitch and the game in general means that FIFA 09 is certainly PES' equal this year, and we'd be inclined to suggest it makes significant strides beyond Konami's effort in many ways.

Read Full Review >

BigPond GameArena

FIFA 09 plays well enough that the little bit of response and reflex you lose on the turf is not enough to stop it being the choice for players heading into summer.

Read Full Review >

TheSixthAxis

So, with the official license, stunning graphics, a whole host of online options, 7 player local matches and a lengthy single player campaign this is the ultimate football game.

Read Full Review >

NZGamer

This game is superb and although there are some still slight glitches, offers the most comprehensive and realistic football games on the market.

Read Full Review >

Gameplanet

A truly spectacular soccer title with exceptional player animations, ball handling and gameplay to boot. The AI will provide a significant challenge, but the implementation of one of the most advanced and complete online modes will mean that this game will truly last you a long time.

Read Full Review >

Playstation Official Magazine UK

This is a brilliantly presented, fluidly playable game of football overflowing with new features. Over to you, Pro Evo. [Oct 2008, p.82]

VideoGamer

The best FIFA game ever made. Over to you Konami.

Read Full Review >

Gamer.nl

This game is without a doubt the best soccer game ever. It doesn't only play like a charm, it also looks phenomenal and the number of options is huge. There is so much to do that it will be hard to try everything out before FIFA 2010. The fact that our crew works overtime just to play the game says more than enough. FIFA 09 is everything that your little soccer heart desires.

Read Full Review >

Maxi Consolas (Portugal)

Here is the best football simulator available in the market. It presents the emotion and tactical elements of football like no other, maintaining a connection with real world trough the Live Season. The online mode 10 vs 10 is a milestone in the genre. [Oct 2008]

GameSpy

FIFA 09 is jam-packed with new content, from clan-based player support to real-world stat updates. Although it feels more like an incremental update than a revolutionary overhaul, EA doesn't need to reinvent the wheel so much as smooth out its edges.

Read Full Review >

Gamervision

The gameplay is tighter, the franchise is deeper, and the online and Be a Pro modes more than match anything Pro Evo puts on the table.

Read Full Review >

PTGamers

From the refined playability to the game modes and, naturally, the new online experience for 20 players, FIFA 09 is the best football game available.

Read Full Review >

Thunderbolt

FIFA has definitely caught up in the title race, and I would imagine many Pro Evolution Soccer players are converting over to EA’s franchise. It’s going to be interesting to see who winds up the winner of this hardly contested match-up.

Read Full Review >

AceGamez

Just like Chelsea circa 2005, all that huge investment is really paying dividends and FIFA's stock just continues to rise.

Read Full Review >

Cynamite

More realistic and a better atmosphere than ever – definitely the best FIFA-game to date.

Read Full Review >

Playstation Official Magazine Australia

The best soccer game on the market. [December 2008, p.74]

DarkZero

FIFA is the new home of the hardcore football gamer.

Read Full Review >

PSX Extreme

While you may not notice any dramatic changes immediately, the more you play FIFA 09 the more you notice that it is definitely a step up from last year's game.

Read Full Review >

Jolt Online Gaming UK

FIFA 09 is by far the finest football game of the year, if not ever, but there’s still a way to go before EA Sports’ series can be classed as perfect.

Read Full Review >

Computer Games Online RO

Everything is more realistic, more spectacular and more detailed. In addition to this, you can see clearly that the producers have focused more than usual this time around, adding new game modes, especially online.

Read Full Review >

IGN UK

FIFA 09 returns to the pitch full of swagger, and it does it’s very best to deliver on EA Sport’s promise of creating the definitive football title. An exacting game on the pitch and an overwhelmingly comprehensive one off of it.

Read Full Review >

Cheat Code Central

If you haven’t played FIFA in a while, now’s the time to jump back in; this is a great game of soccer. But, if you’re an old hat to the series, the most compelling reason to purchase FIFA 09 may only be the roster update.

Read Full Review >

Worth Playing

Without a doubt, FIFA '09 is the most fun soccer title I've ever played.

Read Full Review >

GameTrailers

FIFA 09 may or may not have 250 new additions, but it's a strong-playing game with an extensive amount of modes.

Read Full Review >

Play UK

Finally, football is back to where it should be on PS3 – at the top of our mostplayed lists. But FIFA 09 still has the capacity to annoy beyond all reason, especially when it’s playing in goal.

Read Full Review >

IGN

Animations look great, players behave properly and the AI has been tuned since last year’s effort. While not perfect, FIFA 09 should be a permanent fixture in anyone sports library.

Read Full Review >

Playstation Universe

With FIFA 09, EA Sports has the reigns of the soccer industry firmly within its grasp, delivering a prominent title that will appease the large majority of fans of The Beautiful Game.

Read Full Review >

GameFocus

EA Sports has finally gotten into gear with FIFA 09 after some very questionable releases over the past three years. The sound and graphics are among the best available in any sports game and the overall game-play has improved leaps and bounds from the past HD releases. There still is room for improvement and I am confident that the future editions of Be a Pro will be better tuned and more rewarding.

Read Full Review >

GameSpot

FIFA 09 plays better than ever before, and a wealth of new modes and features add plenty of longevity.

Read Full Review >

Game Over Online

FIFA Soccer 09 looks the best it ever has, the controls make it user friendly, and the improvements to player movement and animations make it the most realistic soccer game on the market.

Read Full Review >

GameZone

This game has some great moments as well as some that are not so great. It is still, though, a first-rate soccer game that dazzles at times. The new features really give the game a boost, but there is still work to do. This is a great game and fun to play with others.

Read Full Review >

PSM3 Magazine UK

The best FIFA yet, but EA are still a few goals short of the title. [Nov 2008, p.80]

GameShark

FIFA 09 has two interesting features, and while they don’t always live up to their full potential, are exciting and intriguing enough to warrant giving the game a shot.

Read Full Review >

Playstation: The Official Magazine (US)

At its heart, FIFA showcases all the highlights of its past lives, with a few interesting tweaks. [Holiday 2008, p.83]

Game Informer

Some strategies, such as asking your AI players to perform freeform offensive runs, aren’t really executed, and I found that they expressed themselves better in the traditional playing mode rather than Be a Pro.

Read Full Review >

Eurogamer

FIFA 09 rams the point home with the emphasis on physical midfield battles and possession football, where teams hold their shape and press, and jostle with great effect, and it's up to you to exploit them by dragging defenders out of position, switching the play and paying attention to personnel.

Read Full Review >

Boomtown

FIFA 09 is very much like Arsenal actually; great to look at, at times an absolute joy to play and has a fantastic future if they can build on what they have, but it’s just made too many silly and needless mistakes to stop it from being great this year.

Read Full Review >

G4 TV

FIFA 09 is the culmination of lots of great features, like robust online support, stat tracking, and the excellent Be A Pro mode, that have been marinating for quite a while. This is the first time they’ve all come together to form a very tasty mix of soccer action.

Read Full Review >

What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this game is 8.0 (out of 10) based on 69 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Colin D gave it a10:
I used to play FIFA on the PC. But since the time I started playing the game on the Playstation 3, I have to admit that FIFA 09 is a really great game. The controls are much better with FIFA 09 than with any of the earlier versions. I like the Be A Pro mode which lets you take your own player through a season and really improve your play. The graphics are also more improved compared to the previous versions.

Chris C gave it a10:
best football game in the series so far. much improved over FIFA 08, but it still has a few hiccups like a lack of certain weather effects promised(snow) and a rare glitch where late subs come on invisible. Online play is Perfect. The only downfall I can find is the other players, may they be bad captains in Be A Pro who kick you for no reason or people with slow connections giving terrible lag. As long as you avoid playing quick ranked matches you should not have a problem playing online, and there are many other better ways to get into a ranked than the quick one.

George gave it a6:
In my opinion this game is ok, but not nearly as good as it's reviews. I though the uefa euro 2008 game was better than this one, but I prefer the game play of pro evo 2009, even though that game does not have all the bells and whistles of this game.

Nijinski 1 gave it a9:
Playing 10 v 10 is the big selling point here. playing against random people online is ok but the real deal is when you join/create a club. get used to playing with the same group of guys and the team performance gets better and better. Add interactive leagues adn Fifa world cup and you've got really rich online play. i was a PES08 owner(haven't bought FIFA since PS1) and haven't yet played PES09 except on demo. FIFA feels liek yoiu've less control of the ball than PES but you'll quickly become accustomed to it. if you're a player who like to play possession football on PES then you'll transfer you skills quickly to FIFA09. not so much if you're a pick barca and run with messi and ronaldinho type of player. my main criticism of FIFA is that the players feel a little generic. playing as Man U you pass the bal forward and think is this Berba or Ronaldo i'm controlling. on PES there is no mistaking because the players response is so distinct. However the practically lag free(and no ball teleporting) online features makes FIFA09 a football groundbreaker. Bottom line is: if your like me and play mostly online it's time to switch to the FIFA dark side. if you get more enjoyment from single player or just 1v1 games you should probably stick with PES.

Ben R. gave it an8:
I last played a FIFA game for myself in 2005, so this one has clearly moved on graphically and in terms of how smart the computer is. I think the best thing is how you can't score easy goals anymore. You feel for your team when a golden play ends in the keepers hands and when you face tougher opposition it gets harder. My few complaints are there are a few bugs like passing back to the throw in taker and absent or generally annoying players on 10v10 BAP mode, but yeah. Near awesome game.

Steven Welcome gave it a6:
Fifa 09 was a big disappointment, the camera is bad, is to easy to steal the ball, its seems that EA has focused to much on the goalie and not enough on the players. Also the players don't play as a team the game lacks coordination and anticipation from the players. every time you pass the ball nobody runs all the players just wait for the ball. I'm a big Fifa fan but this game just lacks a lot, i would say that FiFa 08 is better.

Daniel F. gave it a7:
Good improvement to last edition, fully packed with every think you could want. However the gameplay still lets fifa down. If you want great addictive gamplay go for Pes, if that doesn't bother you and you want a game jam packed with everything else then fifa will do it for you.

Games

Sony

Microsoft

Nintendo

Other Platforms

Upcoming &Recent Releases

FIFA Soccer 09

Game Info

Summary

Also On Metacritic

What The Critics Said

What Our Users Said

Upcoming &
Recent Releases