2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa

Posted 3 years ago By - Marko Djordjevic

The FIFA series on the PSP has not changed too much since its inception five years ago and this holds true with EA Sports most recent game in the franchise, 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa. The old saying “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” applies here quite well, but thankfully, some additions have been introduced. While the changes are not as drastic as you would expect, depending on where you’re coming from, there might be something new for you to enjoy.

Gameplay

With this edition of 2010 FWC, you get a nearly one-to-one set-up as with the HD console editions; you have your standard World Cup and Qualifying modes as well as Captain Your Country. For those who want to go through the tough 18 month grind of qualifying for the tournament, you will be quite content with what this portable version offers.

But, if you really want to have some fun with the PSP edition of the game, you’ll most certainly want to focus your attention on Captain Your Country. In the same fashion as the with the console editions, you will start off as a low rated player on your National Squad in the hopes of improving yourself enough to earn a call-up to your country’s starting eleven and assist them in reaching the finals. The objectives are similar: you need to play well in every way, assisting on goals, making smart tackles and of course, wining your matches. You’re also competing against three other players on your side for the captaincy, so there is a bit of pressure on you to not play poorly.

Unlike the console edition, in which your player improves by earning achievements, here you obtain experience points which are then spent on various character traits. This does allow for more creativity on your part, but also forces you to consistently play well in every match in order to get the most experience points possible.

On the pitch, 2010 FWC feels and plays almost exactly as past FIFA games on the PSP. Controls are fairly straightforward, which allows most people the ability to pick up and play in a very short amount of time. Although, you will find two new additions this time around. The first is a new implementation to dead ball situations. You now have more control on the path the ball travels in key situations. If you want to have a truly out-swinging corner, now you can. This set-up allows for more options as to how you take a corner or free kick and can lead to some interesting goal-scoring situations when executed properly.

The other addition comes in the form of ’Golden Moments’. While playing, every positive action you do on the pitch fills up a momentum bar which, when triggered, can give your team a much needed boost. Boosts can range from general improvement to all your players or can focus specifically on one aspect of the team. If you’re in need a boost in the offence, then use it to give your squad that extra strength on the attack. If you’re leading and the pressure is building against you, then trigger the defensive boost and your back line will improve greatly. This system is a nice reward for players but it also needs to be used properly as the AI opposition has this ability as well and they will use it when necessary.

Graphics and Sound

Visually, 2010 FWC looks identical to past iterations of the series. That’s not to say the game hasn’t aged well, but the noticeable lack of improvements on certain aspects does give off a slightly disappointing end result. Only well known players are recognizable and the generic look of the other players repeat themselves a bit too often. Stadium animations and the pre-match presentations are nice with confetti covering the screen, but once the whistle blows, the same effects disappear. Outside of a few flags and banners, you don’t get the same feeling of being at the real event.

For all my disappointments with the graphics, the sound manages to make up for it. The commentary of Clive Tyldesley and Andy Townsend still do a fantastic job in analyzing each match. There is some minor latency issues with their delivery, but never to the point that it becomes a problem. The crowd noises, including those lovely sounds from Vuvuzelas, also work well in adding to the atmosphere of each match. What the stadiums lack in terms of visuals are made up with wonderful sound effects.

Value

Outside of two major game types, the only other mode that will occupy your time will be the scenario mode. entitled Story of Qualifying. In past PSP FIFA games, you have had the ability to potentially change the course of history or recreate it in specific match scenarios. The same holds true here by being put into particular situations where you need to complete match objectives. These span across the world with major and minor objectives associated with each match. Due to the limitations of the system, you won’t have any real-time scenarios appear during the course of the World Cup but you do unlock 2006 World Cup Scenarios after you reach a specific point total. One interesting unlockable is getting the opportunity to change the course of history after Zidane’s infamous head-butting essentially cost France the World Cup.

Conclusion

The additions to 2010 FIFA World Cup might not be as drastic as I would have hoped. But, the lack of improvements in the graphics department is not enough to detract from the fact that this is still a decent soccer game. If you haven’t played a soccer title on your PSP in a while and are looking for a reason, this will suffice. For long-time fans or those with only a passing interest, you might be better served if you wait for FIFA 11.