FIFA Soccer 96 PC

The second game in a series of realistic football simulators, in terms of technical solutions, far ahead of its predecessor. Developers from Extedend Play/EA Sports gave up the archaic isometric view and applied to their new child a substitute for real 3D - an engine called "Virtual Stadium".

Visually, there was a real revolution. The pitch is fully three-dimensional and surrounded by several cameras. Thanks to their change, we can see the turf from various angles, cover with sight the greater part of it - all at our discretion. The only graphic drawback are the players' figures, which, like the original, were made of sprites. Although at that time you could only dream of something more, the appearance of players spoils the experience of playing on a three-dimensional pitch. Nothing bad can be said about the soundtrack. For the first time in the history of the series, our actions on the pitch are commented on by a real announcer, who was given the floor by the well-known British sports rapporteur, John Motson. In the later stages of the game, the schematicity and repetition of the same statements over and over again, but it is still good. All other aspects of the game remain unchanged. So we have a lot of possibilities in setting up our team on the pitch, choosing the tactics of the fight and the traditional manipulation in the line-up.

FIFA Soccer 96 is a very extensive program in terms of game type selection. We can take part in friendly matches or try our hand at one of the eleven countries' leagues. If we go a bit higher, nothing stands in the way of making a hypothetical World Championship, including the qualifying round, or immediately just play-offs. Beginners will welcome the fact that training options have been implemented in the program, allowing you to freely practice all fixed elements of the game, e.g. free kicks or penalty kicks.

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Last updated on 10 December 2007