LAST week we published an article from a recent Craig Bellamy interview where he had selected a Liverpool FC 5-a-side team. It certainly is any intriguing idea and a fun alternative to think about, especially in light of recent events on the 11-a-side pitch. Unfortunately, we will never know how a Liverpool FC 5-a-side team would fare in real life (until the stars of today, become the Masters of tomorrow), but fear not! There is a way to see our best 5 square off against other Premier League (and indeed European) small-sided teams, thanks to EA Sports new title FIFA Street – and best of all you are in control!
This iteration of FIFA Street is essentially a reboot of the spin-off series and now focuses more on the art, finesse and culture of Street football, rather than the wild, unrealistic, arcade-like route its predecessors took, last seen in FIFA Street 3 (2008). This more realistic approach is a welcomed direction and offers a unique alternative to its big brother FIFA 2012.
There are still plenty of moves and showboating skills present, but the focus on realism brings you closer to the action – although just how realistic it is to see Jamie Carragher doing a roulette/flip-flap then ‘megging his opponent, is open to debate! As mentioned, the developers clearly wanted to separate this game from earlier versions – you’ll find no jumping over teammates or performing slow-motion wall climbs here – and when you take into account how flashy and impressive the “real” moves are, you can understand their point.
The gameplay and its control scheme has therefore changed and lets you initiate impressive-looking skills by moving the analog stick in different directions (tested on a PlayStation 3). Holding the left trigger button enters “street ball control,” which then allows you to use the right analog stick to move the ball around your feet and legs, tempting defenders to tackle whilst showing-off. You can also sprint, do keepy-ups, take dummy shots, and attempt nutmegs – or pannas.
All these tricks and moves take a lot of practice and all are not available immediately – you earn points to unlock more as you ‘up’ your game. Other unlocks include clothing, new venues, new teams and new players – if anyone remembers the early NBA Street games then this will definitely be more familiar to you. Attaining these will take a bit of practice too – not least because of a lack of help from your AI teammates.
You see one of the main drawbacks of this game (as with most football games) is the lack of intelligent movement from your team, often preferring to just stand in one position (a la Andy Carroll!) rather than move into space when attacking. Another downside is the slight feeling of lag when changing between players and at times, when passing. This may frustrate you in the beginning but it’s worth perseverance – every game you play and trick you learn builds up experience and improves squad abilities in the process, allowing for more entertaining games in the future.
There’s a healthy number of Game Modes to get on with also, including normal 5-a-side matches, Panna Rules (in which you build up points by ‘megging the opposition before scoring), Futsal (played in indoor stadiums, with no walls around the pitch), and Last Man Standing (score a goal, lose a man! First to lose all players wins). But the main mode is World Tour where you create a team from scratch by selecting a logo and nickname before adding players. You’ll then compete in a series of events and tournaments held in different cities on a world map. Here, different matches have different rules, therefore mixing-up the gameplay. The more you win, the more you can build-up your players in six areas which include dribbling, shooting, defense, passing, athleticism, speed, and goaltending (an area I noticed that Jose Enrique has 0 marks for, rather incorrectly!)
All in all the reboot of FIFA Street sees, in my view, a very welcome change and one that tries to identify with the culture of small-sided football from around the world. The presentation is great, as is the phenomenal soundtrack. If you are a FIFA fanboy (as opposed to PES) and you’re looking for a fun alternative to FIFA’s soccer simulation then this could be the game for you. So what are you waiting for? It’s out now!
I’m off to prove my LFC 5-a-side team is better than Bellamy’s choice, and ‘meg Sylvan Distin once more, just like in the derby!
[ad_pod id=”unruly-video” align=”center”]
Live4Liverpool is recruiting columnists. For further info contact the site editor at live4liverpool@snack-media.com
Follow us on Twitter here: @live4Liverpool and ‘Like’ us on Facebook
