FIFA 09 PREVEIW

Although FIFA updates can often bring a feeling of deja vu, the development team on this year's PC version are doing some genuinely interesting things. Aside from the usual tweaks to animation and AI systems, they've included a new keyboard-and-mouse control system, a new interface with Web 2.0-like widgets, and a new engine that will make the game visually on par with the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions. We were lucky enough to play the game at EA's UK headquarters, and we were impressed with how it's all shaping up.

First up, the controls. The Wii version of Pro Evolution Soccer pioneered the cursor-based control system, and although FIFA 09 borrows heavily from Konami's idea, the mouse feels more precise than the Wii Remote. The idea's basically the same: You can make players move around using the standard W, A, S, and D keys, but you control passes and tackles using the mouse. An onscreen cursor helps you point to where you want to pass, while the computer figures out how to get the ball there. For example, if you left-click on a player on the opposite side of the pitch, your player will automatically perform a cross to get the ball there. Likewise, if you click in front of a player, you'll perform a through-ball, and the recipient will automatically run to get there. You can also use the mouse wheel to tell players to make a run into space, and pressing the space bar makes the player with the ball step up his pace. You can still use a joypad, but the mouse-and-keyboard scheme is highly intuitive, and we managed to score a goal within the first half of a game.