FIFA 11

A Major Release for the Franchise

FIFA 11 arrived in late 2010 as an important entry in EA Sports' football series. It was notable for finally bringing the PC version to the same standard as the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 editions, using the same advanced game engine. This ended a period where the PC platform received a different product. The game also kept the Two Button control scheme from the 2010 FIFA World Cup game, making it more accessible to new players. The critical reception was strong. IGN UK awarded it a 9.5 out of 10, while the Official PlayStation Magazine (UK) gave it a perfect 10 out of 10, a first for the series. Eurogamer rated it 8 out of 10, noting it was enormous fun and brilliantly engineered but had lost some momentum in its push for realism. Commercially, it was a major success, selling 16 million copies across all platforms within a year. It also won the Sports Game of the Year award at the 14th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards after receiving a record-breaking 2.05 million votes at the Golden Joystick Awards.

Core Gameplay Innovations

FIFA 11 introduced several key features that changed how the game was played. The Pro Passing system on consoles made pass accuracy dependent on the user's control, the situation on the pitch, and the skills of the virtual players. This moved away from a fully assisted model and added a layer of skill. Another major addition was 360° dribbling on PS3, Xbox 360, and PC, which provided much finer control over player movement. This allowed users to find spaces between defenders that were not possible before. The feature worked with an expanded skill move system, where players with high skill star ratings, like Ronaldinho or Kaka, could perform more impressive tricks such as the Rainbow Flick. Goalkeeper intelligence was improved across all platforms, with more urgency and better perception for intercepting loose balls, resulting in a more responsive rushing system and more agile saves.

Expanded Modes and Online Play

The game merged the Be a Pro and Manager modes into a new Career Mode. Players could choose to guide a career as a footballer, a manager, or a player-manager for over 15 seasons. This mode featured detailed elements like negotiating a transfer fee with a club and meeting personal demands from the player. The club's board could offer a contract extension based on meeting objectives or showing potential. A coach would send emails about player growth, form, and suggestions for the starting lineup. A new budget allocator let users adjust sliders to split funds between transfer money and wage budgets, though this could only be done three times per season. It was also possible to view results and standings from other leagues worldwide. For online play, the PC version introduced FIFA World, a hub for custom avatars and global leaderboards. The Creation Centre was a new web-based tool for PS3 and Xbox 360 that let users design custom teams, kits, and players to download and share. Playing the Facebook game FIFA Superstars could unlock Arsenal and the Emirates Stadium in the game's demo.

The Ultimate Team Mode

FIFA 11 Ultimate Team was released as a free download on 3 November 2010 for PS3 and Xbox 360. In this mode, players use in-game coins to purchase packs of cards containing random players, balls, kits, and other items. Coins are earned primarily by winning football matches. The mode also features a live auction house where users can buy and sell players, likened to eBay or a real football transfer market. Players can be found in packs according to real-life transfers, such as a Fernando Torres card for Chelsea appearing after his move from Liverpool. This update affects team chemistry, a strategic part of the mode. Returning users received two complimentary Gold packs. The mode also included a friend mode to play against friends' teams.

Platform-Specific Features and Content

Different platforms offered their own experiences. The Wii version included a 5 versus 5 street football mode where each street player had a distinctive style and special abilities. The Nintendo DS version, the last FIFA title on that system, featured commentary only from Clive Tyldesley and Andy Townsend. The iOS version had improved graphics for retina displays on iPhone 4 and 4th generation iPod Touch devices, but was later plagued with crashes after an upgrade to iOS 5.0. The game's demo, released on 15 September 2010, featured Chelsea, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Juventus, Bayer Leverkusen, and Lyon, with the Santiago Bernabéu stadium as the default. The PC version received specific improvements including next-gen menus, a revamped Be a Pro seasons mode, a new practice arena, 5 versus 5 online team play, Pro Club Championship, the Virtual Pro game mode, and LAN play. Players could create a game face on a website and apply it to their Virtual Pro.

Presentation, Commentary, and Soundtrack

FIFA 11 refined in-game presentation. Celebrations began using the in-game camera instead of separate cutscenes, allowing teammates to join in. Only more skilled or acrobatic players could perform acrobatic celebrations like back flips, and players' signature celebrations were included. The game featured different commentary teams depending on the platform. Martin Tyler and Andy Gray provided commentary for the PS3, Xbox 360, and PC versions. Clive Tyldesley and Andy Gray were the team for PS2, PSP, Wii, Android, and iOS versions. The DS version had commentary only from Clive Tyldesley and Andy Townsend. The soundtrack was a curated mix of 33 songs from various artists, including Gorillaz with Rhinestone Eyes, LCD Soundsystem with I Can Change, The Black Keys with Tighten Up, MGMT with Flash Delirium, Two Door Cinema Club with I Can Talk, and Scissor Sisters with Fire With Fire.

Licensed Content and Lasting Impact

FIFA 11 featured extensive licensed content with 31 leagues from 24 countries, including second divisions, and 39 national teams. This breadth of official teams and leagues was a key part of its appeal. The game's impact was felt in its sales figures and award recognition, but also in how it set a new standard for the PC version and popularized modes like Ultimate Team. The introduction of manual controls was supported with a separate manual leaderboard for competitive players. The ability to play as a goalkeeper, confirmed in the We Are 11 trailer, and to play 11 versus 11 online matches, expanded the ways users could experience the simulation. These elements combined to make FIFA 11 a definitive football title of its era.