Excellent controls are a hallmark of the
FIFA series, and there was no need to fix anything this time around. Thankfully, EA Canada didn't try to. Everything is responsive within reason, and if it's not, it's simply because you're doing something wrong. You might think that it's incredibly complicated if you're inexperienced or looking at the remarkably complex player animations, but once you actually get your hands on the controller, those worries will evaporate almost immediately.
A few things in particular feel different about FIFA Soccer 13. The first is a big one: defense in general. Tackles used to be almost completely automated; I remember holding a single button down and homing in on my quarry. That's not possible in this year's installment. You can still hold the tackle button down, but your player won't go in for the kill unless you press the button again -- and an improperly-timed press will result in the attacker beating you every time. It's a smartly-designed system that forces you to weigh the risks of aggressive playing in the same manner that real life soccer players must.
I played FIFA Street, so the second big change didn't surprise me as much. Dribbling can be automatic if you so choose, but if you mess around with the Right Analog Stick, you will control exactly where the ball goes in relation to your feet. Of course, this mirrors NHL's juking system, but soccer and hockey have enough in common to make this mechanic feel natural enough.
I always grimace when I see the purple stripe at the top of an Xbox 360 case that sports the always-dubious claim "Better With Kinect Sensor." I don't own one, but soccer fans who do own one and are dying to get some use out of theirs can opt to change their tactics with voice commands. Provided it's functional, that's a neat touch if you're into that kind of thing.
Hardcore soccer fans will already have purchased their copy of FIFA Soccer 13 by the time this review goes live. The ones on the fence should at the very least give this one a rental. However, there's a certain air of familiarity with the entire package, and not everybody is going to be so eager to pay full price. However, I can't imagine anyone being disappointed with the game itself, as it's the pinnacle of sports gaming -- at least as far as I'm concerned.
