FIFA 11 stays true to the brilliant FIFA formula, but also adds a number of new, interesting features that keep the experience fresh and the gameplay undeniably fun.

It’s been more than a few years since I last got excited about the FIFA franchise. To me the series has always been like that best friend from primary school that you just don’t see any more. Sure, there was a time when you were inseparable, when you thought you’d be friends forever and that nothing could ever change. But then, day by day, you grew apart. Now you’re two completely separate entities, each one entirely disinterested by the other. And yes, you might wonder from time to time how that old buddy of yours is getting on, but for the most part you keep your distance and move on with your lives.

This is essentially how my experience with the FIFA series has panned out for the last decade or so. I spent an inordinately huge amount of time playing FIFA 2000 with my brother, with memories of improbable scorelines and spectacular goals dominating most of my early teenage years. And then… nothing. The experience grew stale and we both moved on. First-person shooters were becoming more and more popular, and the annual FIFA installments ceased to feature on our Christmas wish lists.

But sometimes you meet that old friend again by chance, and you remember just why you spent all those years in each other’s company. Suddenly it’s like a day never passed, and everything’s back the way it used to be. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you FIFA 11.

In this year’s installment EA have done exactly as they should by sticking to the basic FIFA formula. Steering clear of dodgy gimmicks and pointless new gameplay dynamics (for the most part at least), we’re treated to a remarkably solid and cohesive football experience. A host of game modes provide a diverse and rewarding experience for players of any experience level, and a decent online component adds another layer of playability to an already generous package.

FIFA’s strongest asset has always been its gameplay, and FIFA 11 is no exception. The AI for both team-mates and opponents is undeniably strong, although there were a few instances where shouting “LEAVE IT!!” at the screen just wasn’t enough to stop Ryan Nelsen carrying the ball out and conceding a corner. The occasional AI glitch aside, FIFA 11’s gameplay is very, very good. It’s intuitive, it’s challenging and above all, it’s a lot of fun.

EA have also gone to considerable lengths in this FIFA installment to provide a broader range of gameplay options and modes. Expanding on the “Be a Pro” feature from last year, players can now take control of the goal-keeper as well as any other team member. While the new goalie gameplay is interesting enough, it struggles to stay exciting for the full duration of a match, as frustration and boredom begin to take hold. The thought of playing an entire season as the goalie (as a particularly sadistic achievement demands) is quite frankly terrifying. Still, it’s an interesting feature that will no doubt be improved upon and added to in future FIFA releases.

Perhaps a more welcome addition is the revamped and expanded career mode. We’re given the choice of playing as a footballer rising through the ranks of a chosen team, a team manager or even a player manager, with the option of moving between the various disciplines as your career progresses. Which career path you choose will depend largely on your own interests and experience with football, and as a result I found the  player option to be more engaging and enjoyable than the manager modes. The experience is immersive, with coach emails, news feeds and a fluctuating fitness bar all contributing to what would otherwise be a much more straightforward affair. All in all it works exceptionally well; adding a whole new level of involvement to a traditionally simple formula.

From a technical standpoint, FIFA 11 offers a high standard of both graphic and sound design. It hardly pushes the current-gen consoles to their limits, but the game’s visuals are nonetheless superb. Players move and interact with one another with impressive fluidity, and the both the ball physics and the wide range of player animations are excellent. The in-game commentary is, as ever, a brilliant mix of realism and hilarity. The commentators disagree and interrupt each other, convincingly mimicking real world broadcasting. Coupled with the excellent “EA Trax” background music of the game’s various menus, the sound design as a whole is really, really good.

FIFA 11's newly revamped career mode works especially well.

Unfortunately, the online game modes of FIFA 11 are not quite as consistent as their offline counterparts. A small amount of this can be attributed to the inevitable lag experienced during online play, but there are a few niggling problems that detract from the online experience as a whole. Certain modes, such as the 11 vs 11 matches, just don’t make for good football; the result is a hectic, messy gameplay experience. The user interface during online play in particular also suffers from unacceptable slowdown, and on a few occasions even caused the game to crash entirely. It’s just not as refined as it needs to be; when your game freezes up as a result of perfectly normal use of its interface, something is definitely not right.

This problem also carries over into offline portions of the game. The user interface is remarkably slow at times, despite the distraction provided by the nifty “kickabout” load screens the series has become known for. Moving through the menus often feels like a chore, and to some extent takes away from the overall game experience.

But let’s be honest here. These complaints, though in a few cases somewhat serious, are not even worth mentioning to any real fan of the series. Despite these problems mentioned above the game still does exactly what its supposed to, and more. With its vast selection of teams and leagues it possesses the most complete and accurate representation of professional football available, and for this reason alone merits a purchase for any of the series’ adoring fans. On top of this, EA have put together an exceptionally solid and well-produced game that remains, above all, a whole lot of fun.

There’s nothing like reviving an old friendship. Sure, there’s a few awkward moments now and again. Maybe that friend has changed a bit from how you remember them, maybe even for the worse. But as the hours fly by and it all clicks back into place again, there’s no doubting just how well you two get on. Welcome back, FIFA.