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The game has a much more exciting feel about it than the previous soccer games brought to us by EA. The graphics are extremely crisp and the players in action have a distinct feel about them that give them a life-like persona. While the colors and fields are visually stunning, the stadiums that the teams play in are also well crafted. Sounds emit from the crowd like a symphony of crazed soccer fans, and the real grunts and groans put you right in the action. Though this is only the original Xbox version I played, I did feel as though I was watching a match unfold as if watching it on T.V. Close-ups of individual players have improved dramatically and instant replays always seem to be worth watching. I was very impressed with how the game improved its overall look and captured the feel of highly competitive soccer.

The controls of the game have always been the best feature of the FIFA soccer series. Though this is the best soccer game created by FIFA, they did not seem to lose sight of one of the original aspects of the game that made it entertaining, and that is easy controls. Any person can pick up the controller and play the game. I did not have a problem passing, shooting and working my corner kicks in this game as I have with other games. I was able to put the disc in the machine and begin playing. If it is more advanced moves you are looking for, then look no further than this game. As you develop your basic soccer skills, you become more accustomed to the game and put in advanced moves that can be shown at the tips of your fingers. Another nice improvement is that passing seems to be more accurate as well as simple and some of the moves used to juke a defender out of their shorts are easily accomplished. It is important to say that with the improved graphics and control of FIFA, the game is moving closer to the top of the soccer gaming world.

The big improvement to FIFA ’06 is the managing mode it has. You are a coach that begins with a small club team and your goal is to make a team that will dominate the world in 15 years. Build a team, manage players and their morale, work on removing and adding players to increase the team’s chemistry, it all gives an in-depth feel and x-factor many sports games do not look into. Also, as if all this managing wasn’t enough stress for the gamer, they added in the ability to gain and lose sponsorships and trying to keep your team earnings in the black to help maintain a healthy balance of being the GM, manager and player. Work with your team in various practice modes to become better at some of the finer points of the games, sort of like special teams for those of you who only know American Football. Since this game has a Madden feel to it, the practice modes might have been a little more interesting if they had different games to play with the different skills.

In the growing trend of sport video games updating themselves every year, this might be the year to get a new soccer game. With many improvements over the old game in overall game play and replay ability, FIFA ’06 does an excellent job in keeping the gamer immersed in their investment. I do believe that the game will continue to evolve and improve, but it might take a few more versions for this to happen. If you are a fan of soccer, you might want to give both competing soccer games a try before purchasing one or the other. If you are a fan of franchising rights to many of the teams throughout the world, then this one is a must buy. This game will grow with you as you increase your skills, and with Xbox Live, hopefully you will have a better chance of playing someone with the same passion and skills for the game.