FIFA 12 video leaks improvements
Fantastically wild tackles! True injuries!
A video of FIFA 12 has leaked onto YouTube.
The clip highlights the areas of the game that have changed - most at the hands of the new Impact Engine. The improved dynamic physics produce an impression of fluidity and a further step towards believability. But the best bit comes from the unpredictability - and EA appears to be playing on that.
Wild and reckless tackles now send opponents flying. One example shows a Chelsea player literally upended and flipped by an onrushing defender. It's magnificent to behold.
Even better are the arrival of true injuries. A Chelsea player ricochets off a sturdy Arsenal back and lands awkwardly, folding over on his knee. It causes a look-away moment of squeamishness. The Chelsea player stays down, nursing his knee.
In FIFA 12, holding down the polite-tackle button now keeps you at a wary distance from your opponent. You jockey until you're ready to strike. We see a winger cut in-field and run to the opposite flank, tracked dynamically every step of the way by his counterpart.
Players can shield the ball in FIFA 12, shrugging off any flimsy challenges and being awarded fouls for challenges too strong. On top of that, contextual dribbling lets weaving attackers leap wild lunges.
A few tricks are shown during the clip: Cruyff Turns and their ilk being the fanciest on offer. They appear to fit the general ebb and flow of play rather than require extra-curricular button inputs. In one example, Theo Walcott rolls the ball back from a defender as another approaches. Walcott then flicks the ball between the two pairs of legs and escapes.
Dribblers in FIFA 12 can turn fluidly in a large circle but choppily in a small circle. Use precision dribbling and you'll barely deviate from the spot as you tickle the ball around with the outside of your boot.
Shoulder-charging and general argy-bargy have been increased, too.
Improvements to passing and shooting and other areas of the game weren't shown. Should the Impact Engine have the same affect on them, FIFA 12 may feel very different indeed.