There are exceptions, of course, and it's entirely possible to put one past the keeper without any fancy build-up play whatsoever. Your odds of scoring appear to be determined not only by the quality of your shot but also by the number of tricks that you've performed en route. On occasion, while you're busy performing tricks and trying to prevent your opponent from doing the same, you'll find the time to shoot at goal. Defenders often take so long to get back on their feet after making slide tackles, in fact, that it's often the player who was brought down that ultimately walks away with the ball again. It's just as well that there are no fouls or injuries in FIFA Street 3 because the challenges are heavy to say the least. Depending on where you are in relation to the ball when you press it, you'll shove, shoulder barge, or slide tackle your opponent to regain possession.
When you're on defense, you have only a single tackle button with which to combat this onslaught. Pressing the same buttons will perform a different move if you're standing still, running, juggling the ball at the time, or getting close to a wall, for example. There are dozens of different tricks to perform in FIFA Street 3 when you're in possession of the ball, but the list of button combinations that you need to trigger them is kept short because so many of them are context-sensitive. The AI players seemingly go out of their way to please you in this regard, though the flipside is that players on your team will occasionally do the same thing-even if you're controlling them at the time. That's because a good number of the trick animations require the opponent getting beaten to fall over, stumble, or turn the wrong way on cue.
Provided you choose the right moves for the right situations, there's very little that an artificial intelligence opponent can do about it. Spectacular "beat" moves and tricks can be pulled off quite effortlessly by even the least skilled players on your team roster. It would make for an interesting risk-versus-reward mechanic, except that there's really nothing risky about performing tricks in FIFA Street 3. So, if you keep a clean sheet while putting five goals past the opposing keeper and running rings around the outfield players, you can expect to reap more respect points than if you win a closely contested game, using very few tricks. The amount of respect you earn for winning an event is determined not only by the result, but also by the manner in which you win. Only a few different destinations will be available for you to travel to at the outset, but as you earn respect by winning games and tournaments, you'll unlock plenty more.
FIFA STREET 3 GAMESPOT PROFESSIONAL
The single-player street challenge mode sets you up with a handful of second tier professional soccer players and tasks you with making them the most respected four-on-four street soccer squad in the world. The best place for you to familiarize yourself with the controls would be the quick match "game on" mode, but that's really only a warm-up for the game proper, which is the street challenge mode. Getting to grips with the controls might take you a match or two, but regardless of whether you choose to play with the stylus or with the face buttons, they're uncomplicated and responsive. The game's upbeat soundtrack is a good fit, and while the sound effects don't do anything special, they're certainly not offensive.Įven the game's more spectacular tricks are a breeze to perform.
FIFA STREET 3 GAMESPOT SKIN
Although the players are difficult to tell apart unless they have radically different hair or skin colors, they're very well animated. The numerous environments-which range from playgrounds and beaches to an oil rig and a city rooftop-are nicely detailed. However, the single-player game gets repetitive all too quickly and the multiplayer options are too limited to have lasting appeal.įIFA Street 3 makes a good impression the first time you kick off a match. The action is fast-paced and fun for a while. FIFA Street 3 from EA Sports Big tasks you with leading a squad of famous players to victory against other teams from all over the world, taking in some unusual locations along the way. In the world of FIFA Street, soccer isn't just about scoring more goals than your opponent it's about humiliating your opponent at every opportunity.