Ultimate Guide To FIFA - Improve Your Game

The first of a regular column from Darren Cross, Deputy Editor of Match Magazine.

Admit it… just when you’d started to believe you were actually pretty good at FIFA 09, you took a thrashing from a mate that barely plays the game, lost an online match to a three year old or your All Gold Ultimate Team were handed a shock whupping by a lowly bunch of Bronze losers.

We’ve all been there. Or at least I know I have, plenty of times.

But that’s football; players that should score do miss and teams that are favourites to win do lose. It happens in real life all the time, so – as frustrating as it may be – you can at least give the FIFA guys marks for authenticity when it happens to you in-game.

The good news is, while I can’t claim to make you invincible to defeat, I’m confident that by reading this column regularly you can up your game and ultimately become a much better FIFA player.
So whether you’re a complete novice (or noob, isn’t it?) who’s still getting to grips with things, a half-decent casual player who wants to take the next step, or an all round FIFA legend who’s looking to stay sharp, there’s something here for you.

Over the next few weeks and months we’ll be looking at all kinds of things that will improve your play, regardless of which mode you’re in to and whether that’s online or offline. There’ll be tips from pro players like FIFA champ Chris Bullard, insight from those closest to the game and a whole bunch of useful hints, tricks and general gameplay advice that will help turn those surprise defeats into comfortable wins.

Reading the column is going to help you up your knowledge and skills little by little, so that you’re well on your way to being a better player by the time FIFA 10 hits the shelves later this year. Think of it a bit like your very own FIFA coach, but just make sure you’re thinking more Sir Alex Ferguson or Rafa Benitez than Tony Adams…

Talking of FIFA 10, as we get closer to launch we’ll also be taking a much more detailed look at the new features as they’re announced – so you’ll already have a good idea of how the improvements to 10 will change the way you play the game, before you get your hands on it and, perhaps more importantly, before your friends/rivals get their hands on it.

No booing, but I’ve already been fortunate enough to spend a bit of time with some very early versions of FIFA 10, and many of the new features, like being able to trap the ball intelligently or switch the play in half the time it takes in FIFA 09, are shaping up really well and will definitely open up a whole load of new options when it comes to putting together attacks and unlocking those mean defences.

That seems like a good place to kick-off actually, so click back here next week and we’ll get started.

See you then,

Darren

Darren is a football writer and Deputy Editor of MATCH magazine