FIFA Soccer 2005

Kombo

The best soccer game on the market as of now. It has everything a soccer gamer could want, and more.

TeamXbox

I recommend that former FIFA fans that have been turned off by the recent versions to check 2005 out - you may be surprised at how many gameplay and graphical elements that EA Canada nailed into the upper corner of the goal.

Xbox Nation Magazine

Where 2005 really breathes is in its pasing game...The entire system is remarkably intuitive, making the Xbox controller feel as if it's a natural extension of the onscreen action. [Nov 2004, p.98]

GameZone

Sure "Winning Eleven 7" for the PS2 dominates this particular sport’s genre in terms of gameplay, but FIFA Soccer 2005 is a solid game with an even greater online multiplayer mode.

Gaming Target

While the game may still have some areas to iron out in terms of a few gameplay quirks and missing features, it still is one of the only choices on the market, but thankfully, it’s a strikingly good one.

PGNx Media

A very solid product overall. The game’s presentation is superb, the gameplay is good and fast-paced, and the game offers much replayability.

AceGamez

FIFA Football 2005 has more than proved its worth with some lovely new control features that add a lot more subtlety and variety to the gameplay, an extensive and highly involved career mode and those gorgeous graphics.

DarkStation

What's nice about FIFA is that it does a very nice mix of simulation and arcade gameplay that works wonderfully with the game.

Next Level Gaming

And it's not so much the backgrounds or stadiums, which don't get me wrong look great, but the animation of the players. EA Sports has always managed to get the players running, tackling, goalkeeping, and kicking right on the money. Even better than last year's game.

GamePro

By no means a perfect game - however, it's quite addictive and has the best controls for any soccer game so far. [Nov 2004, p.145]

GameSpot

There's no doubt that this is EA Sports' best soccer game to date on the pitch, but it's really unfortunate that the career mode isn't more user-friendly.

3DAvenue

The brand new career mode has both its pros and cons but overall enhances the replay value of the game significantly and FIFA fans will relish the chance to take each other on online. You'd be hard pressed to find a more fully featured soccer simulation.

IGN

The Franchise mode is extremely satisfying because the long term and short term consequences of your decisions are always going to be on your mind and that only ads to the pressure of winning. FIFA05 is the best version of the series so far.

Worth Playing

This is a great game for the soccer fanatics of the world, but has limited appeal for the average Joe Gamer.

MS Xbox World

This years FIFA has been improved so much over last years version that you will be instantly impressed.

Official Xbox Magazine

Infinitely playable, online and off. [Dec 2004, p.99]

Electronic Gaming Monthly

The gaping chasm between FIFA and "Winning Eleven" may now be a photo finish. [Dec 2004, p.156]

My Gamer

Laid back and all encompassing arcade action it may not be (yet), but it is obviously striving to reach those player accessible goals—while not abandoning its nurtured and honed simulation attributes in the hopes of becoming the perfect soccer experience.

TotalGames.net

The same easy scoring from 'sweet spots' plague the game and for some reason it's nigh on impossible to score from five yards out, one-on-one with the keeper. And because of the reliance on motion captured animation and pre-set special moves, you still never feel in complete control of the player. This aside, the improvements outweigh the old problems.

GamerFeed

The pure bottom line is this is the best soccer game currently on the market.

Total Video Games

A game of football that is fast and fluid; now that the game uses its own engine and not a modification of the NHL one, it’s fair to say that issues such as stifled player controls and jerky animation transitions are well and truly a thing of the past.

Eurogamer

What we have here essentially is an exceptionally polished product with a smattering of new additions that, Xbox Live aside, don't make an especially significant leap forward after last year's return to form.

Gamestyle

With fast paced, realistic players, FIFA delivers a more enjoyable experience than previous entries in the long running series.

GameSpy

The addition of the First Touch system makes the gameplay much more fluid, and it encourages you to improvise more often. Armchair managers will love the new career mode, one of the best you'll see this year.

Game Informer

As good, if not slightly better than all the other FIFAs before it. And as long as this is all anyone asks for, it looks like FIFA will crawl along from year to year knowing that it never has to fully pull it all together. [Nov 2004, p.149]

Game Revolution

If you care more about responsive control and a better overall gameplay experience, look next to FIFA on the retail shelf and find your allegiance with "Winning Eleven." It's still the king of the pitch.

eToychest

The new first-touch control, the games biggest innovation for 2005 and the catalyst for this change in attacking emphasis, is brilliant. It’s logical, easy to use, works as it should, looks realistic and can blow a game wide open.

Gaming Age

There are very few gripes here and there; camera issues and confusing career for newbies, but this is undoubtedly the best FIFA game in many years and seems ready for taking on "Winning 11" this season.

1UP

In summary it's safe to say it's an above-average game and is certainly playable, but remains some way short of the best the genre has to offer.

Gamer.tv

With its improved control system and animation the FIFA series is heading the right way across the pitch in terms of fluid gameplay, but even with these improvements, it still hasn't caught its greatest rival.

RewiredMind

Despite the superb presentation which, as usual, is currently unmatched by any other game, the players still feel like they are sliding about the pitch, rather than running. When kicking the ball, the contact between ball and boot is more realistic than in previous iterations of the game, but the trajectory of the ball is still very strange.

G4 TV

With "Winning Eleven" on the market you just expect more, and you get it. FIFA may have high-priced Premiereship licenses and a killer career mode, but at the end of the day, it’s just not as much fun as the competition.

games(TM)

Players now react quicker and more like their real-life counterparts when handling the first touch of the ball. And first touches are generally smoother now, with players being able to flick on, trap or kick straight away on receipt. In practice, however, it’s not such a massive advancement and the player movement and control is still fairly sluggish. [Nov 2004, p.121]

Operation Sports

If you are looking for a "pick up and play game", this might be your thing, but the hardcore soccer gamer will be under whelmed and jumping back to "Winning Eleven" in no time.