Slick soccer sim for iOS

FIFA 11 is the second installment of EA’s popular soccer game series to appear on iOS.

The game allows you to take control of one of 511 club teams, or 39 international teams, all with true-to-life squads, kits and team names. You can play a single match or enter a league or cup competition. We were disappointed by the lack of game modes in FIFA 11. Unlike FIFA 10, this version doesn’t include a management mode, and there’s no multiplayer.

Graphically, FIFA 11 is probably the most realistic of all iPhone soccer simulations. Players look like their real-life counterparts even in close-up, animation is fluid and the colors are very vivid. The authentic soccer experience is helped by the intelligent in-game commentary.

On the pitch

Controls and overall gameplay have both been improved in FIFA 11, making the game feel and behave more like the console version of FIFA. There’s an on-screen joystick and three action buttons (as opposed to two in FIFA 10), which change function depending on whether you are attacking on defending.

Supplementary controls in FIFA 11 include holding and dragging a player to set him off on a run, or double-tapping to perform special tricks. Granted, controls can still be fiddly given the limited screen space of the iPhone, but FIFA 11 makes things as smooth as possible.

Drawbacks

One of the most obvious flaws of FIFA 11 is the game speed. It’s awfully laggy, especially when lots of action is happening on screen at the same time. In fact, it often feels like you’re watching slow motion replays, rather than live action.

We should also point out that FIFA 11 is a very hefty download, weighing in at more than 800Mb, which is bad news for those with 8Gb or 16Gb devices.

Fans of the console version will love the way FIFA 11 has been well adapted to the iPhone. However, the lack of varied game modes and the slow gameplay take the shine of of it a bit.