FIFA Street 3 6.7

February 18, 2008 - The EA Sports BIG label has been something of a hit-or-miss affair for the videogame mega-publisher. Early in its life it had hits like NBA and NFL Street in its stable of titles but in recent years the lineup of arcade sports games has fallen by the wayside a bit thanks to tired gameplay and a general lack of depth. The FIFA Street series was sadly one of the first Street games to show signs of things going awry. After a two-year break from the concrete pitch the third entry is now hitting retailers, hoping to prove that arcade football can find new life on this round of consoles.

The draw of FIFA Street is obvious as soon as you see some of the moves that Ronaldinho can pull off on a true, professional stage. He makes defenders look just plain silly on a regular basis so if you ratchet the complexity and over-the-top nature of the moves up a few rungs you'll understand why this series could appeal to soccer fans. Sadly its trick system has never had the depth to keep gamers on the couch for more than a few hours. While FIFA Street 3 does manage to improve on the failures of the last two games, it's still lacking in a few very crucial areas.

The first of those areas is one of the most important for a sports game, and that's the design of what I call the "money feature." For most Street games it's the career mode where players create a virtual likeness of themselves, starting with a shell of an athlete and then melding them into a superstar. The "money feature" is the reason that you buy the game and it's the reason that you keep playing for any significant duration. That having been said, FIFA Street 3 has no "money feature."

The closest it comes is the series of challenges that is used to unlock the full roster of more than 250 players. While there certainly are plenty of challenges to work your way through, the experience gets very stale once you realize that you're simply playing standard matches over and over again with slightly different win conditions. Sure, you'll see things like "be the first to score five headers or volleys" or "score 5 Game Breaker goals" but that only lasts for so long.

FIFA Street 3 would have been served much better by a standard player creation game mode that allowed you to earn the all-stars from across the world while still leveling up different attributes. We'd feel much more connected to each game if there were a few players who were consistently top-performers for us, but with Street 3 we were always rotating old players out for the new and improved footballers that we were unlocking along the way.



Despite the lacking "money feature" in Street 3, there are a few other attractions that add some life. First, there's Playground Picks which offers up international teams with ten players to choose from. You and a buddy take turns picking from the lineup, just as you used to do on your local playground (hence the name). Then there's World Challenge which is an online game mode (Playground Picks can be taken online as well) that asks players to choose their favorite team and combine results with other fans from around the world to establish their team's international ranking. Neither of these modes makes FIFA Street a better overall game, but they do serve as effective distractions until the fateful moment when you decide to retire FIFA Street 3 to your box of old games.


It's too bad that the main draw for Street 3 is so poorly designed because the retooled gameplay is an improvement over the past two efforts. The fluidity and speed of the moves has been taken up a notch from the days of the Xbox and there are certainly occasions when you'll find yourself wowing at what you just saw. Plays off the wall and over the heads of defenders are especially impressive, now if only they could bring the same excitement to the opposite side of the ball.

Playing defense is an incredibly hit-or-miss affair that will leave most feeling like they've just participated in a game of chance rather than a competition of skill. The process doesn't involve an intuitive counter system as it should; instead you just run up to the player dribbling the ball and perform either a gentle or aggressive tackle. The offensive tricks are based around a cool right analog mechanic (for the most part, though you can also perform some sick juggles, drags and stalls) yet none can be found on defense. Why not install a system where the defender can perform the same analog movement as the player with the ball and strip them of possession? It's a real head scratcher that will hopefully be resolved one day.

As with any Street title worth its weight in concrete, FIFA Street 3 features a redesigned Gamer Breaker dynamic. Rather than implementing a system that allows you to deduct goals from your opponent -- something that was always very frustrating -- they've instead crafted a system that allows you to max out your team's attributes for subsequent goals supposing that you can keep the tricks and goals flowing. The old Game Breaker system worked just fine, but this one does seem to fit better and features a nice visual presentation to boot.

One of the main additions to Street 3 is the new classification system that denotes good passers as playmakers, scorers as finishers, bruisers as enforcers, and showoff ball handlers as tricksters. It doesn't really improve gameplay, but it does help you identify the specialties of your teammates more effectively than before. Now if only we could get a few truly unique abilities for each brand of footballer, then we'd be satisfied.

One thing that FIFA Street has always been great at delivering is the international flavor of football and Street 3 is no different. Everything from the well-designed locations to the nicely crafted soundtrack does a wonderful job of touching on different parts of the globe. You'll see locales like the rooftops of Italy and the beaches of Miami with a soundtrack that, while it certainly has an affinity for playing M.I.A. tracks, still feels appropriate for the sport.

Closing Comments
FIFA Street 3 seems to be steering the series in the right direction as it’s an improvement over the first two installments. Still, it’s lacking in a few key areas and that’s what keeps it from attaining the glory that other Street games have been able to find. Add a finely crafted career mode and even more depth to the gameplay and more football fans will take notice, but as it stands Street 3 probably doesn’t deserve a spot in your lineup.

IGN Ratings for FIFA Street 3 (X360)
Rating Description See Our Glorious Home Theater Setup!
out of 10 click here for ratings guideGet Ratings Information
6.0 Presentation
The international spirit of football comes through nicely. The design of the all-important “money feature” really hurts the game.
7.5 Graphics
The new design of the players is odd but cool. Why only three body types? Animations are sick.
8.0 Sound
Some cool effects when scoring and shooting the ball. The international spirit of football is a true part of the auditory experience.
6.5 Gameplay
The trick system is certainly improved but defense is still severely lacking. Give me a real career mode, please! Oh, and fix the AI on the opposing goalie.
5.0 Lasting Appeal
The offering of game modes is disappointing despite the sheer number of challenges. Multiplayer is once again the true attraction. Here’s hoping you have some friends.
6.7
Passable OVERALL
(out of 10 / not an average)