14 DAY TRIAL // 
FIFA 08 is EA's latest football sim and a title that brings back the flavor of the most famous sports competition in the world. This year, Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 is no competition when compared to FIFA, specially because of its non-impressive graphics and the fact that it brings no major change to the system. Right now, realism is the developer's main goal as they aim to finally deliver an experience that doesn't turn into a strange goal fest. Since the game's available on all major platforms, the PSP couldn't lack from the list and the FIFA 08 designed for Sony's gaming device manages to satisfy the average user enough to be worth the buy and replay.
First Half After starting the game, you'll probably want to access the Kick Off mode immediately in order to feel the wave of changes brought by FIFA 08. Just select sides and proceed to the team management in case you want to select a perfect stating 11, change formations or tactics. You can choose an offensive approach or select the player who will be taking corners and free kicks. Aside from that, the Kick Off mode only requires you to toy with few options, like selecting the stadium, the length of a half and the difficulty level. Also, in case you're a freak when it comes to details, you can select the ball you want to use, choosing the Nike Total Aerow 2 (Dark Blue), the average Nike Aerow II or the EA Sports Generic variations.
Back to the game's options, it shouldn't surprise you to see that 10 minutes is the maximum length of a half, since this is a portable game and it's meant to be used for a couple of minutes of quick play and enjoyment. The fun can be boosted by turning injuries and bookings off, but only in case you want an arcade experience. Don't forget to do something about that auto switching, because it can be rather bothersome. I'm a fan of switching my own player without the aid of the AI and every mistake I make is at least a human one and not some minor CPU error. There's a huge amount of stadiums to choose from and the list includes the Emirates, Dragao, Delle Alpi, Camp Nou, Calderon and other such football temples.
While some of you will surely say that football and IQ have nothing in common, FIFA 08 includes a game mode called "Football IQ". It's pretty much a trivia game that allows you to answer various football-related questions and uses a football field-shaped interface. You can choose to skip the questions, but that will make the ball approach your net and you'll have to be the "keeper" by answering a question to defend the goal. However, you can answer many questions correctly, reach the opponent's net and shoot, by answering two challenging questions to score a bonus. There are also various types of such IQ match, like a local game, a national cup and a friendly match. Usually the questions will offer you the choice between 4 options, but there's a time limit associated to the challenge so you'll have to answer by pressing one of the action buttons in due time.
As predictable as it seems, you'll have to create a profile before playing some of the game modes and you'll be required to enter a name for your profile, a favorite team, favorite opponent and control system preferences. Back to the game modes, you'll go steadier than with the Kick Off Mode, by playing a Tournament. Choose a country's national cup or the other competitions you've watched on Eurosport, or just start a custom tournament, by adjusting options like type the type of competition, the name, the numbers of teams involved, fixtures and number of teams in each group. The Manager Mode is back to once again mime the quality of Football Manager titles and it features a new look as a change. You can create a new career, choose a look for your manager, a first name and surname, his nationality, the currency used for his payment and his age.
After this minor setup process, it's time to choose the country you'll be coaching in, a league and start the real deal. You'll receive messages from the board of directors, check out the newspaper articles related to your team and mails. Meanwhile, the scouts will let you know that there's a new talent in town and he's ready to be bought. Choose a sponsor wisely and start cashing in right away. While all seemed fine till now, the PSP version of FIFA 08 has a major flaw: its loading times... This can be noticed once the Manager Mode starts simulating events. Saying that it takes forever is an understatement... However, if you make it through that simulation, you'll find yourself in the position of a virtual manager, setting up every aspect of your team, from kit number to player contracts, transfers, the calendar, youth academy, staff upgrades and financial predictions.
If you're like me (not the manager kind of guy) and you feel the dire need for an adrenaline rush, try the Challenges Mode. Come back from a 2 nil lead and score three goals to win an impossible match or win by 2 in order to qualify, that's what you'll be doing in this great game mode. As far as I know all the situations you see in Challenges are real and have happened at some point during recent matches. FIFA 08 also packs a couple of minigames like Juggling and Wall Attack. In order to juggle you'll need to turn your PSP 90 degrees and hold it in that position to make a player of your choice do miracles with the football. Just hit the directional pad button whenever you see the ball reaching some sort of bullseye that appears near the player's feet or head.
Wall Attack is exactly what the name implies, a challenge that will have Ronaldinho, for example shooting a football towards tiles of a huge wall. Those shots have to be taken quickly and you'll use the balls which are fired towards you. There's a multiplier meter available to make things interesting and you can achieve bonus items like the power ball, the link ball, or a red card (5 of them and it's game over). If you're done with trying various game modes and options, it's time to give the good old PS2 a chance by linking our PSP to the console with the aid of the USB cable. This option is available in the Extras menu as a way of playing the Manager Mode even if you're not near the PS2 and you want to keep the settings and your beloved team. Still in the Extras, there's that EA Trax, probably one of the coolest features of the game, which allows you to turn the title's menu into a jukebox and listen to FIFA 08's soundtrack or your own songs stored on the PSP's memory stick.
Second Half FIFA 08 is a more fluid and natural game if you compare it to its predecessors... This comes at a nasty price however... You'll have to bear huge loading times in order to witness footballing eye candy and exquisite moves, but it's rather a platform issue, than EA's mistake. I enjoyed playing FIFA 08 on the PSP more than playing the 07 title, that's for sure. Rosters have changed and Thiery Henry is now a Barcelona player, while Real Madrid have been implemented as the average team they've become. There aren't many changes in the control system department, but it seems that the players' "coverage" has increased and they can steal the ball from the feet of some opponent from a reasonable distance. Till now you had to stick to the guy like glue in order to press the shoot button and take the ball away from him without committing a foul.
Speaking of which, I have to say that the CPU referee is more than permissive, allowing tough tackles at times, without giving a card. However, there's a slight tendency of giving undeserved free kicks and the AI teams also have a tendency of their own...scoring long-distance goals with the aid of such penalty kicks. You'll really feel that you're playing against the virtual versions of the teams we cheer for or boo when we attend matches. Manchester United manages to shine once again, but not like in the beginning of the current year, but at least Cristiano Ronaldo is good enough to make it worth the effort. Meanwhile, the widespread impression that there are no small teams anymore (and Liechtenstein can score) is present in FIFA 08, since even second league teams have their lucky day and can surprise a major footballing name in a cup by beating them.
The L and R buttons have never been more useful and they come into play every 2 seconds or so, as they are required to make a player run while waiting for your pass, or when you try to dribble an opponent in a fantastic and original way. Something you'll notice from the first match you'll play is that it's ten times more difficult to score goals, than it was in previous FIFA games. That applies better to the PS2, PS3, Xbox 360 and PC versions of the title, mainly because the PSP allows a bit more freedom and goal scoring actions. The AI improvises, brings all the men back to the defense after a major attack, while the keeper is willing to risk more and even goes upfront at the last seconds of a challenging match trying to score with a lucky header.
FIFA 08 also brings an improvement in the controllable players segment. Now, you can finally take control of the keeper, which usually was the cause of about 50% of the goals I received. Never let the AI do a man's job! Finally, EA understood that and now we can press the triangle button to switch a field player and move the keeper around. He'll be able to tackle or jump towards the direction where the ball is heading. However, I found it very hard to control the man protecting the net, so it seems that we'll have to let the AI do it again. Maybe next year things will improve, but thumbs up EA for the novelty anyway. I'll have to restate what I claimed in the FIFA 07 review, at least in the PSP version... It's been proved (through my thumb's sacrifice) that the analog control can really annoy you and make your fingers hurt after a prolonged use. Some of you will say that I can always switch to the D-pad controls, but they're too rigid for my taste and I will never be able to setup the team's tactics with the analog control system.
FIFA 08 is defined by tight defense, Italian plays, less goals and less room for short passes plus a tendency to use aerial crosses and passes. You'll rather score through a lobe shot, than by shooting your heart out from the distance, one of FIFA 07's major flaws. Free kicks rarely hit their target (unless you're the AI), but they're more rewarding this way...
Looks like an offside
Don't ask me about the crowd's virtual version and its graphics, as EA couldn't have started a major change with a console like the PSP. I'm not expecting to see each member of the public being perfectly drawn on the screen, since I know what Sony's console can and can't do. However, I'm very impressed by the graphics of FIFA 08 on the portable device. Change the camera angle a bit and bring it closer to the players to see what I'm talking about... Realistic faces, great resemblances with real players, great semi-cutscenes between goals and controversial tackles...they're the ones that make up a package labeled "eye candy" signed and delivered by EA. The game flows perfectly and the players' moves are natural and original and they seem more inspired and lively than ever, pulling out tricks from their virtual sleeves. This however will have to pay tribute to the console's limitations, so be prepared to face some nasty loading times.
Football anthem I'm listening to the game's soundtrack right now, as it's one of the best combinations EA has pulled out in recent years. They've brought together bands and artists from all over the world, from the toughest rockers to the romantic Travis, the hip Junkie XL, the modern Disco Ensemble and the great Planet Funk. If you're not into music and the only sound you want to hear is the fans' cheers, FIFA 08 will also suit your tastes. The commentary is omnipresent in the game, as are the traditional lines and discrete jokes you'll hear in the background.
Multiplayer EA Nation is still available, ready to pit you against fellow FIFA fans and you'll be able to take part in international competitions or battle it out with a friend in Ad-Hoc Mode. Just create a gaming session, select the game type (Kick Off or Juggling), choose the difficulty level, the length of the two halves and set the bookings, injuries and offsides on or off. Surprisingly enough, the multiplayer is much more lag-free than the simulations from the manager mode, so you're in for a treat if you like to compete in multiplayer competitions.
Final whistle FIFA 08 is basically what I do on the bus, besides listening to music... Bus rides can be infernal, but not when you're playing a title like this. This football sim has probably generated the quickest passing hours of my life and I bet that none of you will be able to feel, hear or see anything around you once you'll start playing a footie match against Barcelona or Manchester United. FIFA 08 for the PSP is finally "in the game", after some chaotic drifts of the series in the wrong sector of gameplay appeal.
